CELEBRATING A GREENER AND LEANER SECTOR Wins for MICCO and Scania as BEEAH Transport receives special recognition at Truck and Fleet Awards 2023

Some of the biggest names in both the commercial vehicles and fleet sector were honoured during the Truck and Fleet Awards 2023 in Dubai. 21 winners were recognised at the Truck and Fleet Awards 2023 with the event hosting more than 140 guests from across the GCC under the stars of the Ritz Carlton JBR hotel’s beach garden. Winners on the night included Amazon, BEEAH Transport, Scania, FAMCO with MICCO taking home the main prize for Middle East Fleet of the Year. Close to 10,000 votes were received by the time voting was closed in categories including the prestigious Overall Truck of the Year Award – won by the Scania Super – with several of the shortlisted companies coming from across the GCC.

The nominees for the prestigious Fleet of the Year Award were assessed by a team of industry expert judges.

BEEAH Transport was also handed a special award for Outstanding Contribution to Transportation for its work in low-carbon mobility solutions, autonomous sustainable transportation and its embracing of zero emissions vehicles.

Without any doubt the competition this year was relentless.

“Three months ago, Truck and Fleet Middle East went out to the market and dared them to put forward what they consider to be the very best of the best of their vehicles in one of the biggest votes of its kind ever conducted in the market. The shortlisted companies represented the pinnacle of their engineering prowess, their industry knowhow, the ones that drive theirs – and the allimportant fleet sector’s – businesses,” said head of content Stephen White.

The night also honoured fleets from a huge array of sectors which are delivering world-class, safe and sustainable services to the region.

“This was a night of celebration. A night we bring together two sides of what I consider the great and good of the fleet industry here in the UAE and beyond,” he explained.

“While we may have had 150 people on the night, but it was only possible because of a cast of thousands of people who have taken part in our vote from across the entire region. We had almost twice as many as votes as last year. It’s a really strong list of winners but all the shortlisted can be proud because their work is not going unnoticed!”

B2c Digital Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE Cafu

NOMINEE Careem

NOMINEE Ekar

WINNER Amazon

The B2C Digital Fleet of the Year Award is one that is full of nominees that who, in their own right, are pushing the very envelope of what is possible when it comes to using technology to deliver cutting edge services in the market. These were household names that, chances are, you are already using in your daily lives. The winner, Amazon, has redefined the meaning of last mile with world-class logistics and has been re-shaping the retail landscape since it first went live six years ago. Expanding across the region, and one of the world’s biggest companies. The award was picked up by Truck and Fleet’s own Andy Pitois, with the Amazon team focussing on their big launch in Saudi Arabia.

Hospitality Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE Almarai

NOMINEE Dubai Refreshment Company (DRC)

WINNER National Food Production Company (NFPC)

Hospitality Fleet of the Year recognises operators and vehicle-using companies operating within the Hospitality sector in the region. We asked our nominees to demonstrate the very best standards in areas such as customer/stakeholder satisfaction, technology adoption, road safety, operational efficiency and sustainability. NFPC has branched out from their core business of manufacturing food products to manage and maintain their own fleet of over a 1,000 vehicles. Investing heavily in Euro 5 vehicles, the winner places the environment and its driver training as top priorities.

Logistics Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE DHL

NOMINEE DSV

NOMINEE Transport Overseas Group

WINNER MICCO Logistics

Over the last few years, we have seen Logistics companies become the lifeblood of trade as well as our own safety and well-being in the market. All our nominees share the common goal of delivering work of the highest quality on a day-today basis. They serve as role models for other logistics companies in the region.

MICCO draws on 4 decades of experience to operate a fleet size of more than 400 trucks ranging from 3 tonners to tractor heads. It also played a significant role in shipping vaccines during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. It also deploys one of the most advanced fleet management and GPS systems in the market.

Tyre Technology Provider

NOMINEE Apollo Tyres

NOMINEE Continental

NOMINEE Goodyear

NOMINEE OKO Truck and Bus Heavy on Road

WINNER Bridgestone

Winner Bridgestone’s cutting-edge technologies were developed in response to the industry’s urgent need to provide products that promote secure and economical transportation. “Bridgestone is honoured to have received this award for the second year in a row in recognition of our committing to foster innovation,” said Jacques Fourie, VP, Bridgestone MEA “As we continue to evolve as a provider of mobility solutions, technology is the cornerstone of our vision for the future.”

Distributor Of The Year

NOMINEE Al Masaood Commercial Vehicles and Equipment

NOMINEE Al Naboodah Swaidan Trading

NOMINEE Al Shirawi Enterprises

NOMINEE Genavco

NOMINEE Juffali Commercial Vehicles (JCV)

WINNER Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company (FAMCO)

Advanced technology is not just reserved for tyre companies in the market. It is finally making its way into the distributor channel bringing them closer to the end-user than ever before. Whether its plugging into FMS for predictive maintenance or bringing the showroom to your home or office door, the distributor award celebrates the companies with FAMCO emerging as the winner according to the fleet sector in the region.

Waste Management Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE Averda

NOMINEE BEEAH Tandeef

NOMINEE Suez Middle East Recycling

WINNER DULSCO

With His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan declaring 2023 as the ‘’Year of Sustainability’’, waste management companies are at the centre of a drive to reuse, recycle and reduce within our busy urban centres and communities. Winner Dulsco uses telematics and fleet management systems to monitor, measure and improve fleet and driver efficiency in both its routing and transportation of 8,000 employees. A fleet where training and improved fuel efficiency is valued across its 158 vehicles.

Bus Of The Year

NOMINEE Ashok Leyland Falcon

NOMINEE Ashok Leyland Oyster

WINNER Volvo 7900

Initially conceived as a joint bus and coach award, this was a special category where the voting was so intense and the candidates so strong that it was decided that not one but two winners were necessary to decide the winners. Vital to public transport, private travel and hospitality, buses and coaches are the work horses of passenger transportation in the region. A dutiful Volvo 7000 sets new standards in efficient and greener transport and a worthy winner of the 2023 Bus of the Year Award.

New Vehicle Of The Year

NOMINEE Mercedes-Benz Trucks – Econic

NOMINEE Scania Super

NOMINEE Toyota LiteAce

WINNER IVECO T-Way

We asked the fleet community of the Middle East which new vehicle do they feel has made the biggest impact in the market in the past 18 months? Open to any nominations for any new vehicle introduced in the MENA market between July 2021 to December 2022. Voting was remarkably close, but there can only be one winner and the community in the end went one way and that way was for the IVECO T-Way.

Coach Of The Year

NOMINEE VECV/Eicher Coach & Sleeper Bus Range

NOMINEE Zhongtong LCK6128H

WINNER Mercedes-Benz Tourismo

The new award for Coach of the Year represents the importance of the luxury passenger sector in a region focused on the tourist industry. Effectively, in a market where luxury is king and tourists travel from across the globe to enjoy our hospitalty, sometimes the Coach is the only way to travel. Presenting new levels of refinement and engineering in its class, the winner of the Coach of the Year Award had to be the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo.

Light Commercial Vehicle And Van Award

NOMINEE Ashok Leyland Partner

NOMINEE Fuso Canter Euro 5

NOMINEE Toyota LiteAce

WINNER HINO 300

We have changes in the market when it comes to last mile deliveries and at-home srvices in recent years, and this has changed the type of fleet we see on our roads and driveways. These essential ‘runs’ across our cities means we need vehicles that are economical and punch above their weight when it comes to the loads they can carry. There are no final examples of this than our list of nominees. Be it in the bright colours of a global brand or the blue of fuel delivery trucks in the UAE, the region’s favourite Light Commercial Vehicle is the Hino 300.

Innovation In Mobility Technology Award

NOMINEE Continental / Location Solutions / AV Living Lab

NOMINEE EVOCARGO

NOMINEE SHAHN – Tanseeq Technologies FZCO

NOMINEE Shams+ Al-Masaood Power Division

NOMINEE Trella App by Trella

WINNER Cafu for Business

The Innovation in Mobility Technology Award really was a whos-who of mobility marvels. Many of whom are only a few years old. The winner Cafu for Business has become a brand beyond the sector’s small bubble of mobility and transportation. Famous for its blue trucks on our doorsteps it is now delivering direct to workplaces.

Excellence In Fleet Safety

NOMINEE DSV

NOMINEE Dulsco

NOMINEE Momentum Logistics

NOMINEE STS Group

WINNER Tristar Group

There is no doubt that we are becoming a safer industry on our roads but there is still work to be done. Each nominee, in their own way, are proved that the fleet sector can be a shining example when it comes to putting safety first. Tristar presented one of the most rigorous submissions in all the 21 categories we celebrate tonight. This is a fleet of more than 2000+ trucks across 5 countries in the Middle East and GCC –where modern safety compliance and features combine with algorithms to make sure that workloads are distributed fairly among the drivers.

Medium Duty Truck Of The Year

NOMINEE Hino 500

NOMINEE Isuzu F Series

NOMINEE Renault Trucks D-Series

WINNER Mercedes-Benz Atego 1726 4×4

Medium-Duty Truck of the Year recognises the growing importance to fleets in the region of medium duty trucks in a variety of sectors including construction, logistics and waste management. But which medium duty truck has made the biggest impact in the market in the past 18 months? The ultimate winner of the vote, the Mercedes-Benz Atego 1726 4×4, is an update on an already well-regarded truck whicg not only sets a new standard in the market, but through its all-wheel drive helps enhance fleet operations even in the heart of the desert.

Outstanding Manufacturer Of The Year

NOMINEE Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA

NOMINEE IVECO

NOMINEE Renault Trucks ME

NOMINEE Scania Trucks ME

WINNER Volvo Trucks

It goes without saying that we need our OEMS and manufacturers to constantly push forward innovation in the market. This award – decided by the fleet sector of the Middle East - recognised Volvo Trucks’ resurgent impact in the market. A brand with a strong record as a driver of innovation and safety – it has even taught our drivers the value of swapping their gear sticks for automated transmissions, and so much more.

Middle East Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE Al Faris

NOMINEE DSV

NOMINEE Dulsco

NOMINEE Momentum Logistics

WINNER MICCO Logistics

NOMINEE NFPC

NOMINEE STS Group

NOMINEE Suez ME Recycling

NOMINEE Tristar

This award was by far the toughest to call. Thankfully our team of industry expert judges freed up their time to decide who the best fleet in the market is right now. MICCO is a logistics powerhouse of 400 plus vehicles and more than 1,400 staff, where each vehicle is customized to fulfil different industries’ needs. Utilising the latest technology and state-of-the-art GPS systems, it is driven to meet excellence in safety, quality, and operational deliverables.

After Sales Uptime Initiative Of The Year

NOMINEE Al Shirawi Enterprises

NOMINEE Espero Brake Parts

NOMINEE SAF-Holland

WINNER Al Masaood Automobiles

The last year has seen fleets in the region confronted with unprecedented challenges of costs and fuel prices. In a new era for fleet management, new benchmarks have to be set to ensure our vehicles are on the road for as long as possible. All our nominees deliver on a promise of turning your fleet into a champion of uptime. The winner of this award, Al Masaood Automobiles, has time and time again proven it can make a significant contribution to the ability of fleets to maximise their vehicles.

Truck Bodybuilder Of The Year

NOMINEE Gorica

NOMINEE Naz Industries LLC (Mammut)

NOMINEE Schmitz Cargobull

NOMINEE Tusker

WINNER Atlas Al Shirawi Equipment Co

Trailer and truck bodybuilders define the capability and productivity of a fleet operation. This award recognises best practice and outstanding levels of customers service and support over the past 18 months. Atlas Al Shirawi Equipment Co has for almost five decades been at the forefront in developing custom built and structures fabrications in the GCC and today is a vital partner to major OEMs and fleets in the region.

Heavy Fleet Of The Year

NOMINEE AL Faris

NOMINEE Al Marwan Heavy Equipment & Machinery

NOMINEE Oryx

WINNER Momentum Logistics

Heavy fleets are the powerhouses and operators within the construction, mining and quarrying, and heavy transportation sectors in the region. Momentum Logistics has for many years been ahead of the curve when it comes to driver training and the management of its fleet. Now boasting a young fleet of 100 commercial vehicles and 240 multipurpose trailers with young fleet age, this is a company that is embracing safety systems and truck features that maximise fuel efficiency and ensure the highest fleet management standards are met.

Heavy Duty Truck Of The Year

NOMINEE DAF XF

NOMINEE Mercedes-Benz Actros

NOMINEE Renault Trucks K-Series (Construction)

NOMINEE UD Trucks Quester

NOMINEE Volvo FMX

WINNER Scania XT

The Heavy Duty Truck of the Year Award was a heavyweight battle of some of the finest vehicles made for transportation and logistics. Carrying more than a hundred years of experience, the winning truck, the rugged Scania XT is built to take on the toughest challenges.

Outstanding Contribution To Transportation

BEEAH Transport has committed itself to shaping the future of sustainable transport in the UAE and beyond. In the Year of Sustainability, it is only fitting that this award goes to a company that believes that low-carbon mobility solutions are the future of the transportation industry, and essential to achieving sustainable development for all. It is also leading the way when it comes to introducing autonomous sustainable transportation and zero emissions vehicles.

Overall Truck Of The Year

NOMINEE IVECO T-Way

NOMINEE Mercedes-Benz Trucks – Econic

NOMINEE Renault Trucks K-Series (Construction)

NOMINEE UD Trucks Quester

NOMINEE Volvo FM

WINNER Scania Super

This category raised votes from not only the Middle East but from Africa and Asia, and even Europe. Depending on the requirements of your fleet you could probably pick any of the nominess as they represent a superlative range of safety, fuel economy and connectivity features and solutions, but the Scania Super is an exciting new platform of technology built on a long history of innovation.

WE ARE THE PROFESSIONAL SHIPPING PARTNER WITH EXTENSIVE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN CHALLENGING AND COMPETITIVE MARKETS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND ASIA PACIFIC.

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NATIONAL AUTO PARTS TAKES OVER AS PIRELLI’S SAUDI DISTRIBUTOR

National Auto Parts (NAP) has signed a distribution agreement with Pirelli which places the Jeddah-based firm as the new distributor for Pirelli tyres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An agreement for the deal was recently signed in Milan, Italy, between Kalyana Sivagnanam Petromin GCEO, and Khaled Jnifen, CEO of Pirelli for GCC, Middle East, Africa, and India.

The Petromin subsidiary says this partnership means it becomes a one-stop-shop for wholesalers and independent garages, with multi-brand auto parts solutions.

The deal is a major coup for the distributor which only formed in October last year. It has set out to play a key role in the region, creating a digital marketplace promoting customer convenience and trust, and says the agreement plays a pivotal role in positioning NAP as the “partner of choice” for the KSA market.

“We are extremely excited about this collaboration. Petromin and Pirelli are two of the most trusted realities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, group CEO, Petromin Corporation.

“Both partners have their equities aligned and are relied upon in terms of quality, technology, and sustainability, catering to whole-sellers, retailers, and individual car owners in the Kingdom. Petromin’s reputation in the markets that it serves is endorsed by its customers and stakeholders. This is based upon our strong foundations, established 50 years ago, since the company’s formation in 1968.”

Pirelli’s Khaled Jnifen added: “We are thrilled with this promising and exciting partnership with NAP, especially since it comes at such an important period for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”