Winners (l-r): Jimmy Vlendrix, Stefan Theissen and Antonio Martinez

Stefan Theissen from Germany was recognised as the best forklift driver in the world at the recent Forklift Driving World Championship in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Theissen pipped Jimmy Vlendrix from Belgium, who took second place, followed by Antonio Martinez from Spain.

The 2104 event added competitors from the USA to what had previously been a European contest, and the competition attracted more than 17,000 visitors.

The final brought together winners of regional and national events involving drivers from 18 nations.

Professional forklift operators from Austria, Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain and the USA competed over three days to find a winner.

In the preliminary rounds and finals of the World Championship Team and the World Championship Singles, contestants had to prove their precision and skill with a forklift or reach truck in the fastest possible time.

The tests involved stacking crates with millimetre precision, transporting receptacles without spilling their contents and negotiating tight spaces.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the competition was organised by Linde Material Handling and supported by local companies.