Public sector organisations from around the world were honoured for excellence in fleet management performance and innovation at the second annual Future Fleet Awards held on 23 January 2019 at the Guildhall in the City of London.
Taking place alongside Future Fleet Forum, the international conference on the future of fleet management, the Future Fleet Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of local authorities, public sector contractors, and individuals in the fields of safety, innovation, and sustainability in fleet management. The event was hosted by the City of London and supported by the City of New York, CILT, and the City of London Police. It was organised by LAPV Events and sponsored by NRG Fleet Services/Electra Commercial Vehicles.
The ceremony took place in the spectacular surroundings of the Great Hall in the City of London Corporation's Guildhall. It was hosted by comedian Alfie Moore, and the coveted trophies were handed out by NYPD Deputy Commissioner Bob Martinez, Mike Brown, Commissioner for TfL, Mick Sweetmore, President of the SOE, Sheila Moules, behaviour and change campaigns officer from the City of London Corporation, and NRG Fleet Service/Electra Commercial Vehicles Group commercial director Russell Markstein.
The awards were judged by a panel of experts from across the international transport industry headed up by LAPV editor Ann-Marie Knegt. Keith Bottomley, Sheila Moules, and Vince Dignam were the representatives for the City of London while Eric Richardson and Keith Kerman represented the City of New York. Phil Clifford, independent transport consultant, Kate Cairns of Cairns Consultancy, and Arend Mouton from Wates Construction completed the panel.
The 2019 event featured an expanded category list that added a Young Industry Champion award and a Lifetime Achievement award to the existing categories: Most Innovative Fleet Management Strategy; Most Sustainable Fleet Management Department, and Best Fleet/Road SafetyInitiative. The event also saw the integration of two of the City of London's CityMark Awards for the first time: Transport Operator of the Year and Driver of the Year.
CityMark was set up by the City of London to recognise best practice on construction sites and five awards are now part of the City of London's Considerate Contractors Scheme. 'The City of London has worked incredibly hard to engage with construction sites and has successfully reached out to site managers, fleet operators, and HGV drivers through FORS, CLOCS, and the City's construction site initiative by introducing CityMark,' explains Sheila Moules, behaviour and change coordinator for the City of London.
'The City of London Corporation was privileged and delighted to host the 2019 Future Fleet Forum at the Guildhall working in partnership with LAPV,' she continued.
City Mark was successfully introduced as part of the Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS) to recognise and reward best practice within the construction sites for Work Related Road Safety in the City of London.
'The Transport Operator and Driver of the Year awards are key to our success in delivering CityMark, but there is no reason that CityMark needs to be confined to the City of London or even the UK. Future Fleet Forum engages with transport authorities all over the world and best practice can be shared worldwide. That's why we have integrated these categories into the Future Fleet Awards, which share our ambition of promoting sustainability, safety, and best practice on an international level'
Jamey Jarman from Simply Waste Solutions was present on the evening to collect his award for Driver of the Year. The judges praised his excellent driving record, and his willingness to share his knowledge and passion with others.
'I was surprised and honoured to learn that I had been entered in the Future Fleet Awards back in November and delighted to hear that I had been short-listed and invited to attend at the historic Guildhall. To hear my name called as the winner is still so surreal. I feel very privileged that Simply Waste Solutions nominated me for this prestigious award in the first place,' said Jamey.
The award for Transport Operator of the Year went to the McGee Group. The judges commented that McGee had demonstrated best practice in transport management, policy implementation, and progression to FORS Gold ' an accreditation the company has held for four consecutive years. Evidence also showed that transport operations are safely and effectively managed.
The judges praised the operator's efforts to reduce accidents/incidents by 36% between 2017 and 2018 through smart routing and a strong commitment to driver training and driver assessments. The judges also commended McGee's partnership with Nottingham Trent University, which has resulted in the development of a number of road and fleet safety initiatives.
'To be named as the Transport Operator of the Year by the judges reflects our hard work and commitment. The award is a tremendous accolade for the whole team here at McGee,' commented John McGee, Director of the McGee Group.
'We invest heavily in our fleet, innovative technology, and our drivers who ensure we operate safely, efficiently and with consideration for the environment. We are delighted that this award further underlines our reputation as one of the leading specialist contractors in the UK'
Future Fleet Award winners
The first Future Fleet Award of the evening, for Best Fleet/Road Safety Initiative, went to Gateshead Council. The judges were impressed with the council's efforts to improve both safety and air quality. 'Gateshead Council has gone above and beyond to improve safety standards for its drivers and the general public. Accident rates have halved. Grey fleet is down and its engagement with road safety organisations is outstanding,' said Ann-Marie Knegt, who chaired the judging panel.
The award for Most Innovative Fleet Management Strategy went to the City of Calgary in Canada for its patented asphalt carrier and recycler built on a standardised multi-purpose vehicle platform, which has saved the City of Calgary millions in capital and operating costs while diverting tons of asphalt waste from landfill.
Calgary's Director of Fleet Services Sharon Flemming commented: 'Fleet Services at the City of Calgary is honoured to have been recognised amongst international peers at the Future Fleet 2019 Awards for a most innovative fleet management strategy. This recognition validates our team's multi-year efforts to achieve efficiencies through innovation and reduce the operational cost of the services that make life better every day for Calgarians. By licensing this design, we hope many other municipalities are able to benefit as well'
This is the first time that a city outside the UK has received a Future Fleet Award, underlining the expanding international character of Future Fleet Forum and the awards.
Fleet manager Owain Pearce collected the award for Most Sustainable Fleet Management Department on behalf of Oxford City Council. This was the second year that the council has sent in a submission in this category, and this time it paid off.
Oxford City Council's efforts to reduce road miles, fuel usage and its overall carbon footprint drew praise from the judges. 'In addition to numerous workshop improvements and staff training, which has saved 3,500 miles per year, Oxford City Council has also achieved huge efficiencies in environmental driving violations and fuel savings. The council also managed to minimise grey fleet and has therefore reduced its carbon footprint and invested in a 14% greener fleet,' the judges said.
New for 2019, the Young Industry Champion award recognises the contribution of a new generation of talent in the fleet industry. Simon Arshid from Leeds City Council was the happy recipient on the evening. The judges said: 'Simon helped implement Leeds' green fleet of electric vehicles and its infrastructure. This includes the introduction of 95 EVs with 107 charge points across the organisation. He also functions as a disability and wellbeing network lead at Leeds Council. Simon is a real transport professional in the making with inclusion at the core of his work'
Simon was delighted to be acknowledged as one of the leading young fleet managers in the UK and further afield. 'To be recognised as a transport professional truly means a lot to me personally. This gives me confidence that I am on the right path for my future aspirations and I can only thank the authority in Leeds for their ongoing support'
Finally, long-time road safety campaigner Cynthia Barlow from the charity Road Peace received the Lifetime Achievement Award, another new addition to the 2019 event. Ann-Marie Knegt said: 'Cynthia has been involved in many areas of road danger reduction, but she is specially engaged in tackling the dangers of HGVs to cyclists and other vulnerable road users and the responsibilities of freight operating companies. Her campaigning has improved many safety standards and saved many lives. The judges classed her as the most deserving recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award because of her determination to create a safer world for everyone'
LAPV would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists, and indeed everyone who entered the Future Fleet Awards 2019. The high calibre of entries is proof of the ground-breaking efforts being made by local authorities and public sector organisations in the UK and overseas to transform the future of fleet. The awards will return next year and will again take place alongside Future Fleet Forum on January 22, 2020. The portal for submissions will open on September 1, 2019, and the submission deadline is mid-November.
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