Motor Transport Awards 2010 categories

Best Use of Technology
sponsored by

We are looking for a project that used the latest technology (whether in vehicles, components, infrastructure or IT) to enhance your service and resulted in a clear benefit to your customers and/or improvement in efficiency. This is not about just using industry-standard software, but looking at your business' and your customers' needs and developing a technology-based solution.
The judges will want to know:
• How technology was successfully applied to a real-world operation
• The specific outcomes for your operation and your customer’s business.

Customer Care Award
sponsored by

Customer care is more than just delivering the goods – it’s going out of your way to ensure that your operation consistently exceeds your customers’ expectations.
You need to tell us:
• How you monitor your levels of customer service
• How you use that information
• How you have gone above and beyond to delight your clients.
We want to see commitment from all levels of the company and, of course, testimonials from customers and the results of your customer care surveys. Greater weight will be given to unsolicited, timely testimonials.

Dealer of the Year
sponsored by

To win the award, a dealer needs to show high levels of customer satisfaction across all departments (including the workshop), as well as proving financial success. The judges will also want to see evidence of:
• Innovation
• Strong sales (whether of new or used vehicles or both, or aftersales activities)
• Increasing levels of customer satisfaction
• Investment in staff training – and its outcome.
You need to provide audited accounts for the past three years and customer testimonials (added weight will be given to unsolicited testimonials).
The judges will also consider entries from dealerships that have turned-around their business and greatly improved their financial performance and customer service.

Environment Award
The Environment Award will be for operators who have improved the environmental aspects of their operations in ways OTHER than cutting carbon emissions by improving operational efficiency. This could include a successful overall, company-wide environmental or sustainability policy, improved recycling of waste material, reduced use of raw materials and other non-renewable resources, reduced noise or  cuts in local pollution by reducing non-carbon emissions such as NOx, particulates etc.
Judges will need to know:
• How you have measured your environmental impact
• What initiatives you have taken
• The measurable outcome(s).

Fleet Driver of the Year
sponsored by

Fleet driver of the year is open to HGV drivers employed by operators with 11 or more vehicles of over 7.5 tonnes nominated by a senior manager or director of the driver's employer. The award will be presented to the driver who best demonstrates excellence in safety, fuel efficiency, customer care, vehicle presentation, mentoring of other drivers, punctuality, mechanical sympathy and commitment to continuous improvement.

Where available, entrants should submit data from a driver performance monitoring system. If this is not available, a Microlise vehicle telematics system can be temporarily installed in the driver's main vehicle to gather this data ahead of the judging session.  Plaese contact Linda Kimberley to arrange.

Fleet Engineer of the Year
sponsored by

To become Fleet Engineer of the Year, you need to show not only exceptionally high professional standards, but also evidence of innovation to improve the running of your fleet.
High standards could be shown through industry-leading levels of vehicle reliability, availability and first-time MoT passes.
Innovation could involve reducing fuel consumption, being more efficient or using technology creatively to solve a specific fleet problem.
The judges will be looking for a well-run fleet where the fleet engineer is at the heart of the operation.
Your entry should also focus on:
• Cost control
• Legal compliance
• And if relevant, driver acceptance of new initiatives/fleet purchases.
The judges will need a breakdown of your fleet (however, fleet size is immaterial – each entry will be judged on its own merits), and will also need to know how many staff report to you.

Fleet Truck of the Year
sponsored by

No submissions are required for this category. A panel of more than 20 fleet buyers will determine a shortlist; representatives for the shortlisted trucks will be called to a judging session where they will give a presentation to and take questions from the judges.

Fleet Van of the Year
sponsored by Commercial Motor
No submissions are required for this category. A panel of more than 20 fleet buyers will determine a shortlist; representatives for the shortlisted vans will be called to a judging session where they will give a presentation to and take questions from the judges.

Fleet Van Operator of the Year
sponsored by

To win the Fleet Van Operator of the Year, you will need to show our judges that you are achieving outstanding standards of performance in:

• Professionalism
• Productivity
• Customer service
• Health and safety
• Training
• Environment

Whether own account or hire and reward, the winning operator will demonstrate the highest levels of commitment to running a safe, efficient and high performing fleet.

Entries must include evidence of:

• High levels of customer satisfaction – including testimonials from the end users of your service
• Accident and incident rates for the past two years
• Innovation
• Outstanding success in meeting or exceeding specific key performance indicators.

The Fleet Van Operator of the Year category is open to any company running 11 or more vans from 2.6t to 7t GVW.

Haulier of the Year
sponsored by

This is the most coveted award in the road transport industry. It is for the outstanding road haulage company of the year. To win you need to show not only strong financial results, but also a tremendous all-round commitment to:
• Professionalism
• Customer care
• Safety
• Training
• Environment
The winner will also need to show the active measures the firm has taken to improve service levels and to grow the company, in both size and profitability.
Entries must include three years’ audited accounts, your VOSA OCRS score, names of 5 key customers and evidence of:
• High levels of customer satisfaction – including customer testimonials
• Accident and incident rates for the past two years
• Innovation
• Outstanding success.
The Haulier of the Year category is open to any company running 11 or more vehicles over 7t GVW.

Innovation Award
sponsored by

This Award is open to transport operators and product/service suppliers who can show outstanding innovation in developing a product, service or operation.
The judges will want to see evidence of how creative thinking has been applied to solve a problem.
Entrants must show:
• What the problem/issue was
• How the innovative solution was arrived at
• How it solved the problem/issue.
Any innovation must be proven to deliver significant benefits.

Livery of the Year 
The judges will be looking for a stylish livery that promotes both the company and presents a good image of today’s industry to the public.  They will want to see a clear, modern, uncluttered and stylish livery that could also be witty, amusing or putting over a message.

The Award could be for either a truck or van livery.

The judges need to know:
• What you wanted to achieve with the livery;
• How you arrived at this design (the more details of the creative process, the better);
• Why you believe it deserves an award.

With your entry, you will need to supply high resolution photographs (measuring 10” x 8”) of the side and rear views of the new livery and a side view of the old livery for comparison purposes.

Low Carbon & Efficiency Award
sponsored by

The Low Carbon & Efficiency Award will be for operators who have reduced carbon emissions by improving the efficiency of their transport and distribution operation.
We want to know what you have done to:
• Reduce the carbon footprint of your fleet
• How you are running it more efficiently.
Judges will need to know:
• How you have measured your footprint
• What initiatives (cutting out empty running, re-routing vehicles, using double-deck trailers or any other measure) you have taken
• The subsequent outcome.
Your CO2 emissions should be expressed in kg of CO2 per tonne/kilometre.

Own-account Operator of the Year
sponsored by


This Award will recognise the progress and achievement made by own-account operators.
To win this Award, you will have to prove to the judges that your own-account operation has increased efficiency to a very high level, including reducing empty running to industry leading levels.
The judges will want to know:

Partnership Award
sponsored by

This Award is open to genuine partnerships between operators and their clients, and two or more operators working together.
The judges will need to know:
• Why the partnership was formed
• What its aim or targets were
• How these were achieved
• Any measurable outcome data, especially in terms of improved customer satisfaction.
As this is the Partnership Award, the entry form must be signed by both partners, and if you win, both partners will be called to stage and each will receive a trophy.

Safety in Operation Award
sponsored by

Entrants for this Award will need to show an exceptional commitment to all-round operational safety.
Entrants will need to show:
• Your accident and incident rates for the past two years (at minimum).
• How you measured your rates
• What analysis/review was carried out to plan the initiative(s)
• What your initiative(s) was
• The outcome of the initiative(s)
• Top-down commitment to the initiative(s).
You will need to show evidence of communication of your safety programme to internal and/or external stakeholders.
You will also need to reveal your VOSA OCRS score.
Please note: this category is open to transport operators, and genuine partnerships between product/service suppliers and transport operators.

Service to the Industry Award
sponsored by

This is a special award, ultimately decided by the management teams of Motor Transport and the sponsor. If you would like to nominate a recipient, please email their name and your reasons for nominating them to Steve Hobson There will be no shortlist announced; the winner will be revealed at the Awards ceremony.

Training Award
sponsored by

Entrants in this category must show how they have improved the training of staff in the last 12 to 18 months. Your entry could focus on a specific group, such as drivers or management, or could cover all of your staff.
The judges will need to know:
• How you identified your training need
• What training was implemented
• How you measured the success of the training
• The measurable outcome of the training.
Transport operators of any size may enter this category.