Wimbledon, London-based haulier ELB Partners has maintained its FORS gold status for a fourth consecutive year.
The Pallet-Track member runs a 40-strong fleet. It has spent around £5,000 per vehicle on additional technology to safeguard vulnerable road users.
This includes includes a fifth camera on the driver’s side to remove blind spots, transparent panels behind the driver’s shoulder to improve visibility from the cab and left-turn audio to warn cyclists coming up on the inside of the vehicle if it is about to turn.
“I am delighted and relieved that we have secured FORS Gold for the fourth consecutive year,” said Peter Eason, MD of ELB Partners.
“It is a massive investment in time for our staff, who work incredibly hard on this. And now the hard work begins again to make sure we continue to maintain the standards that cover health and safety and environmental commitments.
"It gets harder as regulations change on a regular basis. For example, inside London and other cities including Manchester and Birmingham, there are many construction sites that will now only accept FORS recognised standard deliveries.”
FORS, which offers gold, silver and bronze awards, is a method of recognising fleet operations that meet its safety, efficiency, and environmental protection standards.
Nigel Parkes, MD of Pallet-Track, which recently featured among the top 20 fastest growing companies in the UK in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100, said: “We applaud ELB Partners for its well-deserved retention of FORS Gold, which underlines its commitment to quality service to its customers and the broader Pallet-Track family.
"We work in an increasingly competitive market where customers are looking for operators who differentiate themselves on the quality of their offering rather than the ‘race-to-the-bottom’ on price.”