Hello, darlings, did you miss me?

That's right – it HAS been a while, hasn't it? I do hope Stevie did a good job of keeping you entertained, or at least giving you some useful information about courier jobs – he did seem quite excited to talk about the topics he had in mind!

This week, however, old Gertie is back. And what better way to celebrate the occasion than to talk about one of the most exciting award ceremonies the courier industry hosts each year?

The "What Van?" Awards

That's right – this week, we're going back to talking about the What Van? Awards. You may recall, a few weeks ago I was quite excited about having the chance to go to this – and let me tell you, the excitement has not abated one bit. I can't wait for this ceremony and I'm looking forward to catching up with a lot of my friends who do courier jobs.

The What Van? Awards reward the best vans put out into the market each year – and you can't do courier jobs without a van, can you? Well, unless you use a bike, I suppose! But you get what I mean! The results of these awards are very important to couriers, especially self-employed ones, because they can help them get an idea of what vans they need to be looking at when it's time for an upgrade, or which deals they should be looking out for.

These people don't just keep it to the basics, either; I was looking at the schedule for the events and there are 16 award categories! So if you're looking to find out more about which van is best in one specific area, or for one specific task, there's almost certainly an award on the list that can help you figure it out.

Network and Make New Friends

Not only that, these awards are also a great opportunity to network with other drivers and people in the industry. Stevie tells me that some of the biggest movers and shakers in the transport industry go to this show – and he is more than just a little excited by the prospect of meeting some of them this year. Which, of course, makes Aunt Gertie very happy for him...

I know we've talked about these awards before but I really want to reiterate just how important events like this are – even for drivers working for themselves. If you're thinking of going, just visit this page for the number and email of the person to contact – and while you're at it, take down the schedule, as well.

Don't forget to let me know if you're going!

Until then, ta-ra!

- Gertie

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