Motor Transport Awards 2018: winners revealed!

Royal Mail and Whirlpool UK Appliances each picked up two awards at the 2018 Motor Transport Awards at a glittering ceremony hosted by Jimmy Carr and Rachel Riley in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

They weren’t the only winners, with Stephen Sanderson Transport taking home Haulier of the Year; the MAN TGX winning Fleet Truck of the Year and Turners (Soham) managing director Paul Day wining the Service to Industry Award.

Some 21 awards were given out on the night, across 20 categories. The full list of winners, along with why they were chosen by the judges, is below.

Safety in Operation, sponsored by Zenith HGV & Specialist Vehicles

Winner: Expect Distribution

“Expect Distribution was praised by the judges as a business imposing a safety culture on itself and one that provides strong evidence to support it. It has also been driven by direct intervention, identifying manual handling as a specific risk.”

Innovation Award, sponsored by Goodyear Tyres

Winner: Renault Trucks

“Judges commended Renault Trucks for installing this innovative system to ensure the park brake is automatically applied when the driver leaves the cab, saying that it provides significant increased safety. While there are similar retrofit systems available, the judges praised Renault for being the first OEM to offer the anti-rollaway system. “Why wouldn’t you have it?” asked one judge.”

Fleet Truck of the Year, sponsored by Chevron Lubricants

Winner: MAN TGX

“If you are surprised that the TGX was named Fleet Truck by our panel of operators, you probably haven’t run one for a while. That may be because of a bad experience with previous MAN engines – but our judges said the latest TGX has undergone a complete transformation, and is now a reliable truck with a comfortable cab that drivers love. The comeback kid!”

Temperature Controlled Operator of the Year, sponsored by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent

Winner: McBurney Transport Group

“McBurney Transport Group has a strong track record of providing a first-calss service to customers throughout the UK and Ireland. The company counts many of the major blue-chip food retailers and manufacturers as customers, some of who have been with it for 40 years. Judges described McBurney as a respected partner in a difficult and diverse market. A very worthy winning entry in a tough category!”

Low Carbon Award, sponsored by Fraikin

Winner: Royal Mail Fleet

“Royal Mail Fleet are true innovators and have smashed their own targets for carbon reduction four years earlier than planned. They have an impressive record for environmental improvements in a whole range of fleet vehicle types from electric vans to doubledeck trailers. Judges said this is an impressive example of thought leadership and operational innovations together.”

Training Award, sponsored by Think Logistics

Winner: Eddie Stobart Logistics

“The Eddie Stobart Training Academy threw open its doors to third parties in 2017 and added a second site earlier this year, to support both Eddie Stobart and the wider industry’s efforts to develop a pipeline of qualified drivers and warehouse operatives. Judges said the first class facilities were playing a key role in achieving this goal and this was just the advertisement the industry needs.”

Fleet Van Operator of the Year, sponsored by Renault Trucks

Winner: Royal Mail

“Royal Mail is the UK’s largest fleet van operator and as such recognises its social responsibilities. Its vision is for a ‘zero-harm’ health and safety culture while its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint was praised by the judges, one of whom said: “Royal Mail has shown that even in a large unionised fleet, improvements can be made to work.””

Home Delivery Operator of the Year, sponsored by Cartwright Group

Winner: DPD UK

“This is the fourth time we have presented this award and DPD has won three out of four. DPD once again impressed judges with its strong business performance and industry-leading innovations. This year its new Chatbot was cited as a great addition to an already outstanding customer service offering. Judges commented that DPD is very aware of its leading place in the market and doesn’t get complacent.”

Team of the Year award, sponsored by Hiab

Winner: Wincanton

“Judges commended Wincanton for an excellent team and project work with clear, identifiable improvements to the Co-op food retail contract at its Lea Green site. They used technology really well, and prioritised Health, Safety, Training and Development. Judges called this an honest entry which addressed all of the problems they faced. Great testimonials show Wincanton’s attention to detail to tackle safety issues.”

Haulier of the Year, sponsored by Volvo Trucks

Winner: Stephen Sanderson Transport

“A great winner, Stephen Sanderson have implemented innovative systems and processes and judges praised their fantastic feedback from some very long-standing customers. This is a family firm with a lot of ambition for the future which lives by their values and invests in its employees. In a close-run battle for the top slot, our judges picked Stephen Sanderson for being a “very good family business which is locally based with a national capability”.”

Operational and Compliance Excellence Award, sponsored by Eddie Stobart Logistics

Winner: Whirlpool UK Appliances

“Whirlpool was praised for its precise, professional inhouse logistics operation – Hotpoint Home Solutions - which showed consistent improvement and investment in people. Compliance is driven by a military-style regime of depot inspections that have driven compliance scores to an all-time high of 97.5%. A justified winner!

Livery of the Year, sponsored by Pirelli Truck

Winner: Howard Tenens

“Judges loved this stunning design by Howard Tenens that nods in the direction of the BBC’s powerful Blue Planet series, calling it modern, original and very pleasing to look at. A 'major and striking' transformation from the previous livery, this Cleaner Planet design will be used on all the company’s alternative fuel vehicles. The judges admired the environmental message that gives a favourable impression not just of the company but of the whole sector by focusing on the green fuel powering the truck.”

Fleet Van of the Year sponsored by Close Brothers Vehicle Hire

Winner: Peugeot Partner

“With the home delivery sector moving towards smaller vehicle weights, the Peugeot Partner is the ideal size at the right price. Judges praised the Partner for its strong low carbon offering and great feedback on the electric Partner from drivers and operators alike. Dealer support is also of a high standard with parts available quickly.”

Technical Excellence Award, sponsored by Hankook Tire UK

Winner: Whirlpool UK Appliances

“The Hotpoint delivery operation showed excellent evidence of the technical department led by Paul Pinfold engaging with operational managers, supervisors and drivers to improve fleet operational performance. Judges praised this strong communication with all staff across the organization and the use of highly targeted projects to evaluate different vehicle specifications.”

Customer Care, sponsored by Isuzu Truck UK

Winner: Pall-Ex

“In a closely fought category, the winner triumphed after much heated debate with a fantastic presentation outlining a big bold vision that our judges applauded. SHINE means Smile, Helpful, Innovation, Nothing is too much trouble and Educate – together they have led to a near 80% reduction in damage and a big increase in corporate customers.”

Best Use of Technology, sponsored by Bridgestone

Winner: Palletforce

“Judges were impressed by the development of new fork life trucks in the Palletforce hub that quickly weigh and scan every pallet. This innovative solution has slashed damage and turnaround times and was described as a brilliant use of technology that is delivering results across the entire network.”

Business Excellence, sponsored by Hireco

Winner: Miniclipper Logistics

“Miniclipper continues to perform strongly and it deserves to be celebrated as a fast-growing company with a sound customer-focused business ethos. The judges liked the family-owned firm’s focus on creating strong foundations for the future and also took into account its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. They also appreciated how Miniclipper benchmarks itself against larger players to continuously improve.”

Apprenticeship of the Year, sponsored by Giti Tyre UK

Winner: Ford & Slater

“In response to a decline in the quality of apprentices, DAF dealer Ford & Slater appointed a full-time apprentice co-ordinator two years ago and the results have been impressive. Judges said the company had used social media well to engage with young people and noted that many managers had started out as apprentices, proving it was a valuable career path.”

Partnership Award, sponsored by Axis Fleet Management

Winner: Clipper Logistics with Superdry

“This is a great partnership, which Clipper and Superdry have plans to continue developing. Judges commented 'Clipper are not just delivering goods for their clients, they've gone above and beyond'. Best practice developed by the partners in the UK was then implemented in the EU and US, showcasing the depth and strength of the partnership.”

Service to Industry, sponsored by Ryder

Winner: Paul Day, Managing Director, Turners (Soham)

“Our panel of former winners said Day was 'very unassuming' and a 'great character' who had taken Turners from a 'regional haulier into the big league'. Judges said Turners was the 'leader in several niche but important markets, helping it remain highly profitable.’ When Motor Transport profiled Paul Day in 2015 he was described as 'one of the most respected operators in the transport industry, earning plaudits for his professionalism, strategic thinking and rigorous cost control.'”