By Chris Tindall
Software specialist Aquarius IT has warned of a “serious technical glitch” affecting operators relying on GEN2 tachographs. It said the issue occurs when a tachograph attempts to authenticate remotely with an expired company card that has been left in the hosting rack of a remote download service provider. Aquarius said that if the system tries to initiate a download using the expired card then the tachograph becomes incapable of remote downloading with a valid card.However, of more concern is the remote process being shut down completely with no obvious way to reset the system. Aquarius said that at this stage, the glitch only appeared to affect certain GEN2 tachographs dating from June 2019 onwards. Guy Reynolds, Aquarius IT director, said: “Our experience and testing have shown that if the company card is left in the rack after its expiry date with or without a new GEN2 card, and the tachograph tries to authenticate it, the system will fail and it will become incapable of remote downloading – even if you try to use a new valid company card thereafter.” Reynolds said that there were many unanswered questions about why and how this was happening and he urged operators to remove old company cards the day before the last day of the month and then replace it with the new card, which will start working from the first day of the new month.Aquarius is now seeking to find out from customers if the problem is fixable with a firmware update, or whether it means a complete replacement of the VU.
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OH WHAT A NIGHT: The Motor Transport Awards went with a bang last Wednesday as 1,300 people gathered in the Grosvenor House Hotel to see who would pick up the 20 iconic bronze trophies. Sports presenter Clare Balding hosted the event while the Mark de-Lisser singers and band kept the tempo moving. Multiple award winners on the night included DPD UK, DFDS Cold Chain England, McCulla (Ireland) and Wren Kitchens. The evening raised almost £28,000 for Transaid. Full coverage of all our winners starts on p32.
GEN2 glitch warning
Sharp ■ Informed ■ Challenging 12.9.22 Family affairs Kinaxia subsidiaries performing well, but fears for future p3 Building something Swain Group acquisitions will serve construction move p4 Our friends electric Volta gears up for launch with first prototype trials p6 The way forward Council unite in call for ‘specialist sat-nav’ law p11 Coming to a head GXO drivers strike could impact south-east beer deliveries p12 NEWS INSIDE Legal focus: drivers’ hours rules p20 / Operation Tramline p22 Viewpoint p24 Fresh focus for FORS p26 MT Awards / Hall of Fame p32 Tachograph fault can stop remote downloading and even disable systems
Kinaxia’s acquisition of Macclesfield-based BC Transport in 2017 saw its assets transferred to the group’s subsidiary William Kirk, which has helped boost the haulier’s performance. The company reported turnover rising to £8.5m in 2021 (2020: £7.1m). Pre-tax profit was back in the black at £7,053, from a loss of £2,645 in the previous year. David Hathaway Transport also put in a strong performance in 2021, aided by strong trading in the UK. The Bristol-based haulier, acquired in 2019, operates around 60 vehicles, more than 100 trailers and 128 full-time staff. The transport, distribution and warehousing company’s turnover jumped to £16.8m (2020: £15m), whilst pre-tax profit more than doubled to £382,916 (2020: £188,002).Foulger Transport also put in a strong performance, delivering turnover of £15.5m (2020: £14.3m) and pre-tax profit of £201,581 (2020: £83,549).
Kinaxia brands strong as tough future looms
Hobbs said: “Lambert had a problematic year. We changed pallet networks and it was the wrong decision and now we are about to revert to the previous network. The move meant the company was servicing an area with too much stem mileage.
DX begins hunt for new CEO
By Carol Millett
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MotorTransport 312.9.22 motortransport.co.uk News hexlease.com +44 (0)1332 825 500 The Shape Of Rental Award-winning experts in rental, contract hire and fleet management solutions. Hexagon Leasing offers latest generation and ultra-high specification vehicles, industry-leading compliance, customer support and 24/7 vehicle breakdown cover. “ Congratulations to the winning businesses at the Motor Transport awards! — The Hexagon team
Group’s subsidiaries deliver solid results, but rising costs a concern
As Kinaxia’s stable of subsidiaries reported their 2021 results, chief executive Simon Hobbs praised their overall performance but warned of a tough peak season ahead, as fuel price rises, the cost of living crisis and the Ukrainian war begin to bite. Of the 11 active subsidiaries in the group only Lambert Brothers, acquired in 2015, reported a loss in the year to 31 December 2021. Pre-tax loss at the Hampshirebased company was £1.3m, (2020: £5.7m profit), with turnover also falling to £10.8m (2020: £12.8m).
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DX chief executive Lloyd Dunn has resigned with immediate effect. The parcels and logistics company said it has begun the search for a replacement and will consider both internal and external candidates.Untilanappointment is made, its two divisional directors, Paul Ibbetson, who heads up DX Freight, and Martin Illidge, who leads DX Express, will report directly to the board. DX chairman Ron Series will return temporarily to his role as executive chairman. Dunn’s resignation comes as DX Group prepares to release the findings of a corporate governance inquiry by its audit and risk committee and its longoverdue audited accounts for the year to 3 July 2021. The group has pledged to release both by 30 September.
Matthew Deer, Swain Group MD, said: “To help keep pace with our rapid growth we see these acquisitions as natural steps towards increased operational coverage and helping our team develop new services. “Both companies are an excellent fit for our service portfolio and we very much look forward to them becoming part of the wider Swain Group.” The addition of the two businesses now gives Swain nine specialist sectors within which it can provide distribution services. The company, which runs a fleet of more than 400 vehicles, said the acquisitions form part of a wider strategy to expand its operational capacity in sectors where larger customers need a local fleet.
Swain Group has
today.turalanding70licenceTarmac.andlarlygroupmaterialsnumberandvicesSon,TransportNottingham-basedpurchasedProctors(Langar)andWCoy&enhancingtherangeofser-itcanprovideinconstructionspecialistmovements.Swainhasrecentlywonaofcontractsinbuildingdistributionandsotheseestheadditionsasparticu-timely.Proctorswasestablishedin1969isalong-standinghaulierforItholdsaninternationalauthorising40HGVsandtrailersoutofitsLangaroperat-centre.ItacquiredWCoy&Sonin1989withitasignificantagricul-contract,whichitstillholds
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Crossland Tankers Ltd T: +44 (0)2879 40 info@crosslandtankers.com1555www.crosslandtankers.com
motortransport.co.ukNews ASCG poaches new business operations chief from Wincanton Proctors Transport (Langar) and W Coy & Sons join growing portfolio
Swain Group adds duo for construction move
Advanced Supply Chain Group (ASCG) – part of the Reconomy Group – has recruited former Wincanton head of operations Keith Lawrence (pictured) as its new businessandsupplydecadesbringsgrowth.long-termsupportdirectoroperationstoLawrencetwoofchainlogistics experience, spending most of those at Wincanton in a wide range of warehouse and operations management and leadership roles. The company said his focus will be on technology-enabledproviding global support for leading retail brands that are seeking to manage their supply chain and environmental impact.
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Records and assets missing as Cargo Worldwide (UK) goes under units per year by 2025.
Volta has also introduced its ‘Truck as a Service’ (TaaS) model, which it says gives fleet managers a frictionless way to electrify. A monthly fee covers all charging, financing, servicing, maintenance, insurance and training. It is also building a network of its own Volta Trucks Hubs, providing service and maintenance facilities, including a site in Tottenham, north London.
motortransport.co.ukNews 6 MotorTransport 12.9.22 Trials of manufacturer’s electric trucks under way, with production set to begin early next year Volta Trucks closes in on launch source > finance > maintain > TRAILER > TRUCK > VAN > source > finance > maintain > TRAILER > TRUCK > VAN > source Hireco can alleviate your fleets downtime by up to 75%. We provide total visibilty in real time and retrospectively. Giving you the opportunity to react to small issues before they turn into big problems. How? Smart asset technology including EBPMS, TPMS and DTC monitoring as standard. Hireco takes away your transport concerns, allowing you to focus on what you do best. LET HIRECO ADVANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR ASSETS SOLUTIONTRANSPORTTOTALYOUR03301245651>info@hireco.co.uk > hireco.co.uk
By Tim Wallace Volta Trucks has announced that the first 25 Volta Zero ‘Design Verification’ prototype all-electric vehicles are now being evaluated by engineers and customers. Production of 16- and 18-tonne versions is due to begin early next year at Steyr Automotive in Austria. Designed specifically for inner-city distribution, demand for the vehicle has already extended beyond the initial London and Paris launch markets. It will also be rolled out next year in Madrid, Milan and areas of Germany and the Netherlands.Thecompany is considering a number of manufacturing locations in North America where the vehicle will launch in 2024. Volta has also confirmed it is designing and engineering 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants. A pilot fleet is expected to be trialled in 2024, with series production due to commence in early 2025. Since launch, 50 customers have pre-ordered vehicles with a bank value of around £1.2bn. The company plans to sell over 27,000 Administrators appointed to handle the affairs of haulage and freight forwarding firm Cargo Worldwide (UK) said the trading premises of the east London business had been cleared of all assets and company records on their arrival. The company entered administration on 7 June after Genesis Asset Finance appointed KBL Advisory for non-payment under a hire purchase agreement. KBL said company director Junaid Ahmed had failed to provide copies of the full versions of the financial statements or co-operate with their enquiries. The report said KBL could not rescue the firm, which held an O-licence for 10 HGVs and two trailers, as a going concern because of a lack of working capital. It said: “Upon attendance of the trading premises it appeared that it had been cleared of all assets by the director before their appointment.”The last set of accounts for the year ending 31 January 2021 showed that Cargo Worldwide (UK) employed 31 staff. It is anticipated that creditors will not be paid.
VOX POP What challenges will this year’s peak season pose?
The driver shortage has not gone away and the consequences will be evident in the peak season. As we possibly enter recession, the first to suffer will be the ‘white van man’ as the indicators are that e-commerce is slowing down. Pressure is already on hauliers to cut rates to help and retain business. This is a dangerous path to travel, as is avoiding passing on fuel increases. Hauliers can no longer be expected to absorb increasing costs.
Moreton Cullimore, MD, Cullimore Group
motortransport.co.ukNews 8 MotorTransport 12.9.22
THE FUTURE IS NOW.
Lesley O’Brien, director, Freightlink Europe
There seems to be a general reduction in volumes from existing customers, especially those involved in leisure-related supplies. High inflation and energy costs have seriously reduced disposable income. This is likely to get worse and interest rates will almost certainly continue to rise. These circumstances will affect all operators but the smaller ones will suffer most as large operators reduce subcontracting to retain volume for their own fleets. The reduction of volumes and vehicles operated will reduce the demand for drivers and will make availability easier if and when peaks occur. This situation will probably get worse before it gets better.
Having increased operative wages by over 18% last year, recruitment is less of a challenge, especially now the economy is Managingslowing.fuelcosts has meant passing the costs on to customers with the normal industry fuel surcharges. All of this remains a challenge as inflation has reduced consumer spending, and we see this impact on the volume of freight being moved. In February 2022 we were still growing at 13% year on year but by June we saw a 9% reduction of volumes year on year. We continue to focus on the quality of our services, which has seen us secure many new customers as the existing customer base has remained loyal but significantly down-traded.
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Charlie Shiels, CEO, ArrowXL
We’re not expecting record breaking pre-Christmas volumes, however there will inevitably be an uplift.
The retail sector is currently facing extreme pressures, which will inevitably feed into the logistics market. Those companies requiring discretionary spending will be under the most pressure as consumers continue to focus on essentials.
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Kevin Buchanan, group CEO, Pall-Ex
Bob Terris, chairman, Meachers
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find staff and our cost base is under extreme pressure. However, we’re working on a number of improved operational efficiencies and are expecting a steady and strong peak operating window.
For us it’s about tightening the belts and trying to not get bitten by cashflow issues in the new year due to the lower volumes. General haulage wise, if you are involved with food, it’s obviously a bit different. Our approach is the same as always, just with more concern for the potential downturn.
The staff, responsible for delivering milk, flavoured milk and potted cream to M&S and Waitrose stores nationwide, stopped working on 25 August for three days and were due to strike again on 1 September for several more days.
Around 70 drivers at the Gloucestershire site launched a series of strikes after accusing the milk and yogurt firm of excessive rota demands and reneging on an agreement it made this year.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, said villages were being blighted by incidents where HGVs have blocked streets and crashed into bridges as a result of driving on routes not suitable for their size or weight.
Striking HGV drivers working for Müller have had to postpone their industrial action after animal rights activists targeted the factory they were in dispute with, according to Unite.
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But Unite told MT that the strikes had been postponed for the time“It’sbeing.notbecause the dispute has been resolved,” said a Unite spokesman. “It’s because animal rights activists are protesting outside, which is disrupting dairy supplies.”
The LGA wants the government to use the forthcoming Transport Bill to require HGV drivers by law to use lorry-specific sat-nav devices, rather than only advising. These devices are enhanced with notice of bridge heights, narrow roads and routes unsuitable for trucks, as well as requiring the driver to input their vehicle’s dimensions, so that they are only guided along appropriate roads.
MotorTransport 1112.9.22 motortransport.co.uk News Councils are urging the government to change the law and force all HGV drivers to use specialist sat-navs and prevent major disruption to local communities.
It cited incidents that have occurred this year, including a Tesco truck blocking a street in Bristol for 15 hours, where the vehicle was so badly wedged it required a crane to dislodge it; an HGV carrying paint that collided with a bridge in Leicestershire, spilling substantial amounts of paint over the road and blocking it for 12 hours; and a car transporter that became trapped on a country road in Somerset and blocked access to local homes.
The union was unable to say when the strikes would recommence.
Last orders prompts GXO strike
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members are not going to stand by and allow
Unite is warning that the closure of the Dagenham depot would result in major job losses while also ‘dramatically’ increasing the workload of the remaining drivers at the other three depots.
GXO Logistics drivers and dray man have voted in favour of taking strike action over job cuts. The strikes, which are yet to be scheduled, are over plans to close the company’s Thames Gateway site at Dagenham, and could hit beer deliveries across south-east planning to reallocate volumes handled at the Thames Gateway across its Croydon, Greenford and Thatcham depots next month and has told employees that those workers who agree to be deployed will retain their existing pay and conditions.
GXO Logistics to make needless job cuts, while forcing the remain ing workers to increase already unmanageable workloads.”
motortransport.co.ukNews 12 MotorTransport 12.9.22
England.GXOis
Proposal to close Thames Gateway depot will result in major job losses for drivers, says union
McCarthy offers a route to progress drive rigids and then take control of an articulated truck. The company said it liked to take things “slow and steady” and this initiative was part of a plan to create 30 new jobs. It will cover all the training costs in exchange for drivers agreeing to stay for at least two years. Diane Howell, HR admin istrator, said: “The pay rates for drivers are pretty good and on top there are some pretty generous bonuses.”Pictured with Howell (from left) are driver Connor Dudds, trainer Kevin Dandy and driver Nick Mogg.
A GXO spokesperson said: “Due to a decrease in a customer’s volume requirements, we are proposing not to renew the lease at our Thames Gateway site when it expires in November to better align our operations with our customer’s current needs. “Every effort is being made to support impacted colleagues, including offering redeployment to all operational employees. We are grateful for the great work of our employees and are proud of the service they deliver.”
A Wrexham haulage firm has launched a training academy for HGVStartingdrivers.behind the wheel of a van, new employees at McCarthy Distribution will be given the chance to move to Class 1 level in order to
By Carol Millett
It added that GXO Logistics had rejected proposals by Unite that would have kept the depot open.
ShutterstockPhoto:
The trucks were delivered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk-based DAF dealer, Chassis Cab.
Wider range of clients from a ‘more stable’ market helps distribution group turn fortunes around
By Chris Tindall
Tim King, Turners (Soham) group fleet engineer, said: “We are very well acquainted with DAF’s FTP model. It’s the best lightweight six-wheeler on the market; maximising our payload potential. “It’s very reliable and our drivers have always been more than pleased with the XF cab. The latest New Generation XF cab has proved a big hit, and it’s certainly a step-change over the previous model.”
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motortransport.co.ukNews 14 MotorTransport 12.9.22
Boughey Distribution converted last year’s £493,000 pre-tax loss into a £942,000 profit with effective warehouse utilisation across the year. The haulier’s financial results for the year ending 31 May 2022 also showed turnover increased by 14.1% to Storage£62.7m.overallwas at an average of 118,000 pallets during the period against an average of 120,000 pallets Transport giant Turners (Soham) has shown that the haulier is not for turning when it comes to its position as the world’s largest operator of DAF three-axle FTPs, after taking delivery of its 1,000th tractor.
Boughey moves back to black Turners takes 1,000th 6x2 DAF with order for 69 XF tractors in 2021. The company said stock levels dipped in the run-up to Christmas as customers suffering staff shortages struggled to replenish stocks in line with retailer demand.However, it added: “The mix of business improved from the prior year as food service and cash-andcarry volumes recovered, resulting in more complex added-value work. Pallets dispatched were in line with the prior year, reflecting the more stableTheenvironment.”companydescribed its performance as “solid” and [a significant improvement] on the £493,000 pre-tax loss of 2021. Boughey has also entered into a new partnership with FMCG supply chain specialist Windfall Logistics to provide an enhanced service for around 100 of Boughey’s existing customers.
Chancerygate and Northwood Investors team up to transform 35-acre site close to M25
motortransport.co.ukNews 16 MotorTransport 12.9.22
£50m logistics hub for Grays
Zenith looks to brighter future with electric results
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Plans are in train to develop a major logistics and industrial park in Grays in Essex following the purchase of a 430,000sq ft site at the Titan Industrial Estate. The 35-acre site has been bought by a joint venture (JV) between developer Chancerygate and real estate private equity firm Northwood Investors. The JV intends to develop 430,000sq ft across 28 leasehold units ranging from 5,000sq ft to 130,000sq ft on the land, which is located one mile north of the town and five miles east of junction 30 of the M25. The site was sold by chemical manufacturer and distributor Industrial Chemicals Group (ICGL). It currently houses an IGCL manufacturing facility that will be closed down over the next 12 months, after which it will be demolished for the development. Chancerygate head of development, Alastair King, said: “This site presents an excellent opportunity for us to speculatively build a state-of-the art, sustainable business park.” Chancerygate has also bought a 7.85-acre site in Adlington, Cheshire with investment firm Bridges Fund Management. The site will be developed to provide 165,000sq ft of Grade A industrial and warehousing space. Fleet management and leasing firm Zenith reported a record turnover of £589m in the year to 31 March 2022, up 20% on £491m in 2021. It also achieved its best adjusted Ebitda of £78.2m, a rise of 27% on the previousZenithyear.said the results reflected growth across all its business areas, as well as its widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Chief executive Tim Buchan (pictured), said: “I am encouraged by the strength and resilience of Zenith’s business model and strategy. “We are well placed to make progress and develop our business, driven by our three key enablers –powered by people, reinforced with technology and supported by scalable, sustainable funding.”
By Carol Millett
Birmingham-based haulier Space Logistics is looking to expand after becoming the latest operator to join The Pallet Network (TPN). Space Logistics was launched in 2012 as a courier services company and has grown to include haulage and pallet delivery. It offers a range of timed services including overnight, daily route and multi-drop options. The company, which is based in Smethwick, employs more than 50 staff and operates a fleet of over 30 vehicles. It will be providing palletised freight collection and delivery services on behalf of TPN. TPN, which has 120 local haulier members across a network of 130 locations, is part of the Culina Group and specialises in nationwide shipment of freight.consignmentssmallofpalletised
Space Logistics joins The Pallet Network contract helps drive up profit despite fall in revenue
By Chris Tindall
Major earthmoving
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HS2 delivers big for Hargreaves
Hargreaves Services has posted pre-tax profits of £34.5m, with strong growth in its services arm as its HS2 contract commenced. For the year ending 31 May 2022, the industrial group also saw a reduction in its overall revenue to £177.9m. This was down from £204.8m in 2021, partly due to it halting its material coal activities, which accounted for £55.8m last year. However, profit increased significantly from 2021’s £14.4m, with the growth coming predom inantly from its earthmoving contract on HS2. The company now has 350 people working on the project, with almost 300 items of plant being put to Thework.firmsaid it had also devel oped a solution to reduce carbon emissions, with the installation of an overland conveyor system to remove excess material from the site. This should do away with 78,000 HGV Hargreavesmovements.said:“Profitability within services has remained weighted to the second half of the year; however, in the coming year this is likely to level out as the work undertaken on HS2 provides greater profitability in the summer months, reducing the seasonality. “The logistics operation was impacted by the well-publicised HGV driver shortage as well as the rising price of fuel. The impact of driver shortages has now been largely“Theovercome.teamwas able to mitigate the fuel price challenges through strong customer relationships and the application of contractual esca lation factors, which protected the group from the worst of the poten tial impact.”
motortransport.co.ukNews 18 MotorTransport 12.9.22
motortransport.co.ukLegal focus 20 MotorTransport 12.9.22
In August 2020, new regulations were introduced regarding the recording obligations for drivers who work under the EU drivers’ hours rules. While there was little to no notice given of these changes, they represented a substantial change in that drivers must now carry with them a full record of their work and rest for at least the past 28 days, in addition to the day on which they are currently driv ing.While drivers were previously required to carry 28 days’ worth of records, those previously only needed to record driving, other work, periods of availability (POA) and rest, and where the rest took place within the working day.
Clearly a time consuming and onerousNon-compliancerequirement.attracts signif icant potential sanctions including very large fines and the potential of a prison sentence in certain circumstances.Followinglobbying by the trade associations, the DfT has reviewed the interpretation of the require ment with a view to making the requirements more workable for drivers who drive only occasionally or as a part-time element of their employment. Updated guidance It remains that if a driver drives even for part of one day in any week – midnight Sunday to midnight Sunday – a full record must be kept for that whole week with separate records for each 24-hour period, breaking down their work ing time, POA, breaks and rest periods. The obligation to make this manual entry is created the next time the driver is going to drive.The change in position relates to where no driving has taken place in previous weeks. A record of work undertaken in those weeks is still required but it is acceptable for that week’s activities to be recorded in blocks, ie it is not necessary for an individual record to be made for each day. This summary can be recorded on one digital tachograph printout or analogue card. However, the summary of the work for those weeks must record the start and finish times of the duties during the period, as well as identify all the weekly rest periods in that week. A further change to the guidance is that attestation forms will now be accepted as an alternative to an analogue card or printout. However, for the attestation form to be valid, it must follow the prescribed form in the European regulation and cover the relevant periods, including rest, other work and periods of availability. Further, the DfT guidance states that a separate attestation is required for each activity, for exam ple, one covering other work and another for weekly rest. The attes tation must be signed by the operator and the driver. For many occasional drivers the ability to use the attestation form will be much easier than using printouts or analogue cards. The DfT guidance is valid for UK journeys only. The block recording may not be accepted in Europe. Drivers are advised to keep separate records for each of the past 28 days when they drive on the continent. n Mark Davies is a director at Backhouse Jones Solicitors.
Ensure drivers and operators comply with changes to drivers’ hours rules, writes Mark Davies
Lobbying While these requirements have been in force since 2020, there has been no enforcement nor much in the way of raising awareness. However, that position changed earlier this year. Further guidance was issued by the DfT and opera tors have been called to public inquiries for failing to comply with the new regulations. Nevertheless, there remains widespread igno rance of the changes. As operators and drivers are becoming aware of the new record ing requirements, difficulties in complying with them are emerg ing, particularly for occasional drivers whose main role is some thing other than driving. This category of driver would be required to make a manual record (in one of the three forms mentioned above) of all their other working duties and rest, before they drive a vehicle that is covered by the EU drivers’ hours rules.
Work, rest and paperwork
There was no need to record rest periods after the working day had finished and before the next day’s duty started or weekly rest, holidays and sick leave. All change That has all changed. Now these periods of rest must be recorded so there is one continuous record for the 28-day period. In practice, this means that when a driver returns to a vehicle from a period of rest, they must make a manual entry covering the period of rest up to the last time they worked.
The DVSA/DfT guidance states there are only three acceptable mechanisms for making the manual record: n manual entry on a digi-card; n manual record on a digital tach ograph printout; and n manual record on the back of an analogue card. In its initial guidance, the DVSA refused to accept an attestation as an alternative.
The Tramline interventions can create fleet-wide change. PC Keenen related how one stopped driver insisted that no-one in his business bothered to wear a seat belt. However, an educational chat and a fixed penalty notice meant the word went out – and every driver in his fleet was observed with their seatbelts securely fastened in the following days. However, the police can’t share the personal details of any driver they apprehend with either employ ers or the Traffic Commissioner, except in specific circumstances such as an ADR breach which would be reported to the company DGSA.Thispotentially puts employers at risk as well as the public. “If you do not have visibility of how your drivers are performing on the road, and you only check driving licences every few months, then technically your driver could be facing a summons for dangerous driving and you’d be none the wiser,” says Cartwright. “That underlines how vigilant fleet managers and employ ers must be about the real stand ards of driver behaviour when commercial vehicles are out of sight of the depot.” PC Keenen, it turned out, special ised in roads policing because his father was an international truck driver. And by coincidence, his spotter that day – a newly qualified officer who was doing a four-week
MT noted the extreme patience and cordiality with which officers treated drivers they stopped, even when they had committed fairly egregious breaches of road safety. PC Weatherstone explained that this was partly a matter of practical ity, given that the response officers work alone and are at least an hour away from a custody suite. However, he added, it is mostly based on a desire to win hearts and minds.“Wecertainly don’t want to esca late situations, so you need to develop very good people skills,” he said. “We also want people to listen when we explain why we have stopped or charged them. They need to understand the impli cations of what they did for their safety and other people’s safety. It is easier to get those messages through to people when they are calm.” ■
Driving change
Of those vehicle occupants who die on the road, 23% are not wear ing seatbelts and, in a collision, an unsecured person is twice as likely to die. Unrestrained frontseat occupants of vehicles hit the windscreen, while rear-seat passengers hit the front seat at a force of 30 to 60 times their own body weight. Unsecured animals are also a risk. Failure to wear a seatbelt can reduce insurance payouts by up to 25%, and in the case of personal injury, may be seen as contributory negligence.NorthYorkshire police appre hended eight HGV drivers without fastened seatbelts on the A1 and A19 during our morning visit. PC Keenen told us: “I always prioritise seatbelt compliance because seatbelts save lives. Also, drivers who forgo their seatbelts are often taking other risks as well.”
By Louise Cole
Operation Tramline continues to prove its worth in educating truck drivers about road safety
stint in roads policing as part of his continuing training – also grew up in “Myhaulage.dadstill does a lot of tramp ing,” PC Luke Weatherstone told us. “I’ll go out with him soon to refresh my skills.” This family connection to haulage makes both men even more determined to protect the drivers they see around them.
The most commonly seen offence is failure to wear a seatbelt. NH head of commercial vehicle incident prevention Mark Cartwright says: “HGV drivers can feel invulnerable because of the size of the vehicle. However, if they are in a collision, they can be propelled through the windscreen as easily as any other driver.”
Driving death off the road
Operation Tramline has appre hended drivers committing over 29,000 road safety breaches in its 1,600 days of patrolling the UK’s strategic road network (SRN).
serious road safety breaches and educate the drivers involved so we save lives.”
“People think we pull over drivers because it raises revenue, or we have to hit targets,” said PC Keenen. “In truth, it makes no difference to our budgets. A good day for us is a day we don’t see anyone driving dangerously or taking risks. Then we know we’re having a positive effect on safety.”
motortransport.co.ukLegal focus 22 MotorTransport 12.9.22
One flatbed truck, which was first noticed because of the seatbelt not being used, continued to drive erratically and at excessive speed on the A19. When pulled over the driver was found to have no road tax, one day’s insurance and 10 points on his licence. The driver told police officers he had bought the truck hoping to start a transport business.TheTramline Operation priori tises driver education wherever possible. “These trucks are not stealth weapons,” says Cartwright. “They are designed to reveal
Operation Tramline, which uses three unmarked National Highways tractor units, has caught 8,600 drivers without seatbelts –most of them HGV drivers. Other common offences have included using a mobile phone (7,433 instances), not being in proper control of a vehicle (2,115), and excess weight or insecure loads (953).Instances of drivers ‘not in proper control’ ranged from one driver reassembling a burger on the steering wheel (who explained to police that he didn’t like gher kins), to those watching YouTube or engaging in other distracting behaviours.Theproject was first trialled in 2015 and since 2018 National Highways (NH) has had at least one tractor unit in operation. The popularity of the scheme with roads policing units led NH to expand its little Tramline fleet and now three unmarked white DAFs are allocated to the North, the Midlands and the South respectively.Whiletheroads policing units, which take turns patrolling their sections of the strategic road network with these trucks, will issue penalty notices or summons to law breakers, their main inter est lies in educating drivers. Out on patrol Motor Transport spent a morning driving along the A19 and A1 in a Tramline cab with North Yorkshire Roads Policing Unit recently. “The Tramline operation concentrates on road safety such as seatbelts, mobile phones, distrac tion and load security, and not so much on non-compliant number plates and so on,” explained PC Peter Keenen, the C+E holder and advanced driver piloting the truck. “We will pick up on other offences, but our focus is on activities which put people at risk.”
fter what almost felt like a relaunch event last year, the Motor Transport Awards were back with a bang in 2022 as 1,300 people came together to see the 37th edition of the biggest and best awards ceremony in road freight transport.
motortransport.co.ukViewpoint 12.9.2224 MotorTransport
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The awards were forced to go virtual for the first time in 35 years in 2020 due to Covid, and last year numbers were restricted to 1,000 as our hosts, the Grosvenor House Hotel, found their feet again. But the event on 7 September felt like we had never been away.
Presenter Clare Balding was backed by the amazing Mark De-Lisser singers and band to make 2022 a year to remember –60 shortlisted companies held their collective breath to see who would take away one of the 20 iconic bronze trophies. Very many congratulations to all of them, and a massive thank you to everyone who put together some fantastic entries describing how the transport industry has coped with Brexit, Covid and extraordinary price inflation in the last few years. ‘May you live in interesting times’ has never seemed a more apt jinx. DPD UK won two more trophies to take its total haul (including its forerunner Parceline) to an amazing 38 wins, but own account operator Wren Kitchens is starting to gradually reel them in with another three trophies – although it is some way behind on 10 wins, it has picked them all up in just threeWeyears.hada new winner of the Haulier of the Year trophy in DFDS Cold Chain England, along with a new partner in the form of Tevva, the first pure electric truck manufacturer to support the MT Awards – a sign of the changing times.
London107-111Abacus,Motor020RoadTransport@abacusemedia.zendesk.com89557034TransportSubscriptions,FleetStreet,EC4A2AB Rates UK £146/year. Cheques made payable to Motor Transport. Apply online at mtssubs.com Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper Published by DVV Media International Ltd © 2022 DVV Media International Ltd ISSN 0027-206 X
he UK badly needs changes in local planning processes, which are seriously exacerbating the nationwide shortage of safe HGV driver facilities. The appalling safety track record of UK truckstops is a long-standing issue that needs to be much higher on the government’s agenda as well as for planners across individual regions. Bureaucratic planning conditions and processes are preventing essential facilities getting past the first hurdles; without them, drivers face the prospect of having to park in dangerous locations, which not only put them and their loads at risk but seriously impact on the wider supply chain.
As an industry, we need local planning officers to see the bigger picture when considering truckstop applications and to be much more aware of their importance to the nation and the wider economy.
Editorial office Road Transport Media, First Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1JB 020 8912 2170 Free copies MT is available free to specified licensed operators under the publisher’s terms of control. For details, email mtsccqueries@roadtransport.com, or call 01772 426705 Subscriptions
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Editor Steve Hobson 2161 Head of content Tim Wallace 2158 Events and projects editor Hayley Tayler 2165 Group production manager Isabel Burton Senior display sales executive Barnaby Goodman-Smith 2128 Event sales Tim George 0755 7677758
GilderWilliam MD, GilderWilliamGroup
Our planners need to value truckstops
Steve Hobson TranspoMotorEditorrt
William Stobart was the popular choice of our previous winners for the Service to Industry Award, while McCulla took two trophies to add to its last win in 2019. It just remains to say a huge thank you to our expert judges, our loyal partners and to everyone who came along to make it yet another truly memorable night. See you next year.
Together, and better than ever
If you would like to contribute to MT’s Viewpoint, email steve.hobson@roadtransport.com
As Covid-19 has shown, lorry drivers are pivotal in keeping the flow of critical supplies throughout the country operating and have the right to carry out their work without being exposed to undue risk due to negligent safeguarding and bureaucracy by local planners. Ironically, the vast majority of materials that are needed for construction projects, housing, and infrastructure are transported by road –surely it is not too much to have somewhere safe to rest up before going back on the road in return?
It goes without saying that truckstops need to be safe, but they also need to be within easy reach for drivers near the limit of their daily driving hours. In too many instances a layby has been the only available space, and this poses obvious safety issues.
Divisional director Vic Bunby 2121 MT Awards Katy Moyle 2152 Managing director Andy Salter 2171
The government pledged £20m of funding in April 2022 to improve security, lighting and shower facilities at truckstops throughout the UK. However, not only is this just a drop in the ocean, but improvements have yet to be seen by drivers on the front line. For all the awareness raised by petitions and by drivers sharing their experiences on social media, the resulting action from planning departments is lacking. Road transport, in all its guises, is crucial to keeping our nation supplied and our economy strong. For the workers that dedicate themselves to bringing us our everyday items and crucial materials for industry, showing them they are valued is not just of monetary value: it is how they can stay safe in doing so.
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DRIVING UP STANDARDS: New FORS concession director Ian Henderson (below) took the helm at the beginning of this year
“We want to engage with operators to share ideas and experiences in order to take FORS forward,” he went on. “Key to this will be how FORS can become an effective enabler for fleets in their pursuit of future busi nessThewins.”FORS standard is updated every two years ➜ 28
After years of debate about its true ability to ensure high operating standards among its members, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme has undergone a radical shake-up with the arrival of a new management team. And there is more change to come, writes Steve Hobson
A t the start of 2022 the Fleet Operator Rec ognition Scheme (FORS) had a complete shake up of its management team (see box on page 28). It followed the appointment of £4bn a year European consulting, digital services and software development giant Sopra Steria as the new FORS administrator in October 2021, after a competitive tender by TfL. The organisation already runs a number of transport and government contracts, such as the National Traffic Information Service for National Highways. The RHA and Logistics UK have also joined a revitalised FORS Governance & Standards Advisory Group (GSAG) which will be “instrumental in bringing significant influence to bear over the future direction of FORS”.Richard Smith, MD of the RHA, which has been critical of FORS, says: “Things are changing for the better, but it won’t be a revolution; it will be evolution over time. So far, changes have been largely invisible for the FORS members and prospective members, but things are moving.”TheGSAG is made up of operators, specifiers and stakeholders that provide advice and guidance on the development of FORS. It does not have a role in the day-to-day management of the scheme, however, which is the job of the FORS administrator. A separate and independent executive group oversees the FORS fee structure.InJanuary 2022 Ian Henderson was appointed FORS concession director, after 16 years as a consultant during which he led several transport and technology contracts, and two years as service delivery director of Costain. On his appointment Henderson said his goal was to “place the FORS community – some 4,900 fleet operators from across the UK and Europe – front and centre of the future of FORS as the new team develops the scheme’s mandate to drive up standards within the industry”.
Fresh focus for
FORS12.9.22
26 MotorTransport motortransport.co.ukFORS
“When we first sat down and looked at FORS and what it could be, we wanted to strip it back to what is at its core: a safety accreditation scheme,” he says. “The standard is written by others and we administer the scheme to that standard based on the four pillars.
➜
BROADENED SCOPE: FORS began in 2008 as a London-only scheme for truck operators but went national in 2015
Accreditation is via company audit carried out on the operator’s premises by an independent FORS certifica tion body. Maintenance of accreditation is dependent on an annual review, either through physical audit or a desk review of written evidence.
“We want to be visibly supportive of the industries we engage with and don’t want to be self-serving for FORS. That is a significant change from where we were.
Chris Douglas is now FORS growth support lead and will be supporting Paul and the Growth Team. With 28 years’ experience in road haulage operations he previously managed the DfT’s Freight Best Practice Programme and led the development of the ECO Stars environmental recognition scheme.
28 MotorTransport but version 6 was postponed by a year due to the Covid19 pandemic. While the 110-page version 6 is not a significant change, it places more emphasis on the importance of decarbonisation to transport customers when assessing the performance of fleet operators. For Gold operators, at least 50% of the fleet should meet ‘ultra-low emission’ engine standards and the fleet replace ment plan should ‘demonstrate progression towards a 100% ultra-low emission fleet’ (see box on page 30).
The change from AECOM to Sopra Steria as the FORS scheme administrator has seen the arrival of several new – and not so new – faces. Glen Davies (pictured) has been brought back as FORS technical advisor after helping establish FORS with TfL at its conception in 2007. His role is to provide advice, guidance, and support in the technical aspects of road fleetAimeeoperations.Mitchell has been appointed head of business operations tasked with delivering customer excellence. Mitchell has worked for Sopra Steria for three years and was with IT consultancy Atos for three years before that and will be guiding her team with a “customer at the heart” ethos.
Paul Wilson is FORS growth director and will be looking to expand FORS in new sectors and territories within the UK and internationally. Wilson has over 25 years’ experience in the highways and transportation sectors, working at director level with large consultancies, civil engineering contractors and intelligent transport companies.
motortransport.co.ukFORS
NEW BROOMS AT FORS 30
12.9.22
There are three levels of accreditation: Bronze confirms an operator employs good practice on safety and efficiency above the regulatory baseline as laid out in the FORS standard; Silver focuses on the safety equipment fitted to trucks to protect vulnerable road users; and Gold covers more advanced policies and procedures including environmental issues. There are currently 4,659 accred ited operators – 2,646 Bronze, 1,680 Silver, and 333 Gold – running 102,000 vehicles.
Henderson stresses the different approach the new concessionaire will take compared with previous incumbent AECOM, which had run FORS since 2015.
Operators with 16 or more operating centres that have the same policies and procedures and their own internal transport management quality audit process can apply for FORS internal audit fleet accreditation, allowing them to audit their centres against the FORS standard using an in-house auditing team.
Local authorities, construction companies and other large specifiers are encouraged to make FORS accredi tation a condition of fleet operators getting on tender lists but the scheme has been criticised for weak vetting procedures that allowed operators who were not even in compliance with their O-licences to remain within FORS and for a lack of separation between the setting of the standard and the commercial operation of the scheme.
Early development Launched in 2008 by TfL as the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme, FORS was a free, voluntary safety accreditation scheme intended to recognise Londonbased truck operators that could show their vehicles were operated safely and in accordance with best practice. To join the scheme operators had to pass an on-site assess ment by the Met Police Commercial Vehicle Unit. Although still owned by TfL, in 2015 the scheme went national as a concession run by AECOM in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, which managed governance with the GSAG. In 2015 the number of approved auditors increased from 23 to 50 as the number of accredited operators grew 30% to 3,500. By 2021 this had risen to 4,850 – double the number when FORS was created.
“I don’t see FORS as a membership scheme. There are other bodies better placed to provide member benefits. If you look at it as just a training provider or just a safety equipment specification, that is completely missing the point.
“We haven’t totally excluded a separate accreditation in this space but there are others out there doing similar things who we are talking to,” he says. “There is a strong desire for it from specifiers and there is an equal response from operators who want FORS to reflect what they are doing without creating new burdens on them.”
“The last accident and collision figures we have avail able are for 2020, where the Silver and Gold operators we surveyed demonstrated a 10% reduction in report able incidents, a 6% reduction in slight injury collisions and a 31% reduction in serious injury collisions.
SAFETY NOW CORE FOR FORS motortransport.co.ukFORS ShutterstockPhoto:
“This is about having an embedded safety culture and in the conversations we are having with operators they are saying, ‘this isn’t about having a FORS sticker or the safety equipment – it’s about us being able to show evidence that we are doing this right and adopting best practice’.”Foroperators with vehicles running into London, TfL’s Direct Vision Standard is now setting out higher stand ards for reducing blind spots for HGV drivers but Henderson says FORS isn’t about an arms race to make operators fit more windows or cameras.
FORS is about having a standard that is adaptable and adoptable for fleet operators no matter what type of vehicles they have,” he says. “This can’t be a case of specifiers saying, ‘we are going to impose this on you’ because that isn’t going to work. It is a voluntary scheme and we know FORS is not the only alternative on the market.“Other schemes are available and HS2, for example, lists ISO 39001, Earned Recognition and Van Excellence as options. But FORS is the market leader in this space for a reason and our aim is to keep it there by listening and being collaborative.
12.9.2230 MotorTransport Our core duty is to uphold the standard well and there will be changes there too.
“There is no stone left unturned in looking at what we can do differently.”
SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS
Safety improvements In 2012 in version 4.1 of the standard, a requirement to fit safety equipment to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes was introduced. Bronze accreditation required additional mirrors, sideguards and warning signage while for Silver, reversing and left turn audible warnings and blind spot minimisation equipment such as Fresnel lenses, cameras and proximity sensors were required to align the stand ard with CLOCS.
As the road freight transport industry begins the long journey toward net zero emissions, the FORS standard will place a greater emphasis on sustainability as well as safety.
“We are looking at how people interact with FORS online because we know that is a massive pain point,” he says. “We are looking at making the processes simpler. “FORS has grown in a fashion that has been piecemeal at best, and we want to bring a holistic view of what this needs to be at the end of the process and work from there.“We are looking at every single process from the fee structure and the ability to pay to the audit regime and whether it is robust enough. There are conflicting views but operators are telling us in the main that if the accred itation is about safety and sustainability then maybe we are not going into enough depth in the audit.
“We are looking at accreditations which look specifically at sustainability,” says Henderson. “We do have a baseline to work from because based on 2020 data FORS operators showed a 3% improvement in MPG and a 5% reduction in CO2 and NOx emissions. “We are engaged with our key partners to understand what a mixed fleet looks like as electric trucks come onboard and to make sure we reflect those changes.
Sopra Steria is doing a lot of work on the low carbon future and we are looking at accreditation improvements around carbon emissions and sustainability. “I don’t think it necessarily needs a change in the standard but it will change the way we respond to the things operators are already doing. The mixed fleet conundrum will present its own unique challenges which we are starting to work through.”Henderson would prefer to embed sustainability criteria into the existing audit process rather than create another ‘green’ category of FORS accreditation to avoid adding cost to the process.
“We want to be demonstrably collaborative always and that is something we are instilling in the team at every turn. It’s not just about engaging with the RHA – how do we feed that into our processes?” Henderson pledges that the “huge transformation project” he is overseeing will lead to noticeable changes in the next 12 to 18 months.
“This was seen as a positive action in view of the overrepresentation of HGVs involved in fatal collisions with cyclists,” says Henderson. “FORS pushes away from the bare minimum towards best practice. For us that is about an organisation being more efficient with a safer and cleaner operation. It aims to change culture and the end result is that FORS is working.
“FORS has grown from what it was at its launch as a construction-based, large vehicle safety scheme to where it is now and has doubled its active operator base. We know operators across the country and in Europe are using this in such a way that specifiers are seeking to ensure they use organisations that are reputable and that take safety and emissions seriously. The end goal is fewer serious injuries on our streets and specifiers like HS2 see FORS enabling that.”
FORS is reviewing its audit process and fees after a four-year price freeze. Audit fees vary depending on the number of vehicles and operating centres covered. For example a Bronze level operator with two centres and 50 trucks would pay £900 for the initial audit and between £1,250 and £1,790 a year to maintain accreditation. Larger fleets with Silver or Gold accreditation can pay consider ably“Wemore.have an aspiration to talk with the FORS executive group about what the fees need to look like,” says Henderson. “They have communicated to us what they think value for money looks like for operators and we are doing a price point exercise to understand the benefits of FORS over competitive schemes. “My aim is to keep fees as low as possible at a time of rapidly rising costs. We recognise that but I can’t tell you right now that the fees won’t change. But we will be working hard to ensure that any change is positive, not negative.” ■
“If we just focus on FORS saying ‘you must have safety equipment’ that is missing the wholeness of FORS.
“We want to be consumer-centric and think about end users, not just the operators and specifiers. What does it mean for the average person walking down the street?
Peter Acton Ray MichaelJohnCaroleThomasWilliamJackJohnAnneDerrickJohnTonyStewartHaroldGraemeNikkiKenJohnChrisRayJimDesAndy,TheoDickPaulGlynPeterRobbieAndyDavidAshworthBattyBoyleBurnsCarrollDaviesDayDenbydePencierRichardandJohnDowntonEvansOBEFrenchGrocottHanson-AbbottHarveyCBEIrlamKingOBEMcFaullMontgomeryOadesPainParryPotterPrestonMBERatcliffCBESempleStobartvanMourikWalkerWilliamsWilliams ALUMNI
32 MotorTransport The ranks of the MotoroncehaveHallTransportofFameswelledagainwithafashionlogisticsexpert,achampionforwomenintransportandaseasonedseptagenarianallreceivingawelldeservedsalute Trio of titans joins12.9.22 Hall of Fame
Daly was approached by several major names wanting to buy DTS, but in 2005 decided Clipper Logistics boss Steve Parkin was the right man to do the deal with. The two businesses were a good geographical and cultural fit, and Daly says he felt it was the right time to take his foot off the gas. “Steve Parkin approached me and said, ‘You’re strong in the south, I’m strong in the north. Why don’t we merge?’ He was a fellow working man made good and this approach from a like-minded person came at the right time,” he says. “I was only 50 when I sold to Clipper and I probably was a bit of a workaholic.”
Mike Daly Mike Daly describes himself as a “classic working class boy made good” – but can without exaggeration claim to have invented today’s fashion logistics sector. After leaving college, Daly bought a van and started in the removals business using an old gas pipe to hang his customers’ clothes on. One day a customer in the fashion business rang and asked him to move some garments. Daly says: “He said, ‘I’m in the rag trade and my transport company’s let me down. I noticed in your van, you had one hanging rail. Could you come and move some garments for me?’ “I said, ‘Yes, certainly. How many garments have you got?’ He said, ‘2,000 blouses.’ So I went down to the local scrap yard, bought more gas pipe and cut it up. After fixing it in the back of the van I then had about 12 hang ing rails. I picked up the 2,000 tops and drove out of London to C&A’s distribution centre in Woking.”
“We started growing with a few more trucks every year, funded through trading profits,” says Daly. “Then a customer would say to me, ‘Mike, I need 3,000 garments out of that factory before he shuts for the summer. Can you collect them and look after them for me?’ I took a little warehouse and I got more gas tubing and put it up. It actually looked like a kids’ climbing frame, my very first warehouse – just galvanized pipe everywhere.”
For two years after Daly sold DTS he was full-time sales director of Clipper, spending much of his time travelling the UK to visit the firm’s 17 depots once a month. After two years on the road, Daly wanted to take more of a back seat, becoming a non-executive director and latterly an adviser to Clipper, in between running his farm and being a Transaid ambassador. Daly says: “When I sold, I thought, ‘I’m going to give a bit back. I’ve time now’. Transaid needed someone from the industry, helping man the stands at shows, who could talk the language of a logistics owner. It started an official ambassador programme and now there are over 20 of us. With the 12 employed staff, 20-plus ambassadors and the employees of our 33 corporate members, we are saving lives and achieving quite a lot together.”
And that is how Daly Transport Services was born in 1986. From there the business grew to include warehous ing, labelling and repricing.
Lesley O’Brien OBE has been joint MD of Freightlink Europe since 2008 and modestly – though accurately –describes herself as “a champion for the road transport industry, passionately changing perceptions and raising standards; an advocate for women, always authentic, enthusing, empowering and encouraging others”. She has earned a well-deserved reputation for promot ing the transport industry as a career choice to women and other minority and less privileged groups, and in 2017 persuaded the RHA to set up She’s RHA, with the aim of promoting diversity and inclusivity in transport. In 2020 O’Brien received an OBE in recognition of being the driving force behind the creation of She’s RHA. O’Brien started out in the transport industry working for an international haulier and set up Freightlink Europe with husband and business partner Kevin O’Brien in
Lesley O’Brien
Bob Terris Bob Terris, chairman of Meachers Global Logistics, celebrated his diamond jubilee in 2022 after joining the Meachers family coal merchant and transport company on 1 April 1962, aged 17. Starting from a small hut in a gravel yard in Westfield Road in Totton, near Southampton, the company now has a turnover of over £56m, operates 500,000sq ft of warehousing and runs a fleet of 80 trucks.Terris was born in Bristol but moved to Southampton in 1962 and joined former coal merchant Fred Meacher and his three sons at Meachers Transport, which had been formed in 1958, in the role of traffic controller – the first employee outside the Meachers family. Under Terris’s stewardship, the Meachers business has grown and expanded its service offering to include freight forwarding and 500,000sq ft of storage on seven sites around Southampton and a transport depot near Derby. In 2009, the company rebranded as Meachers Global Logistics to reflect this wider range of services, though the fleet of 80 vehicles still brings around 50% of the revenue in.
O’Brien also runs sister company, Freight Train, special ising in Driver CPC training, transport consultancy, transport audits and compliance. In January 2020 O’Brien launched Freight People, a monthly forum for the transport community that offers expert presentations on an industry hot topic and a space to share common issues and best practice. The focus is linking transport people of all ages and skill sets to share information and best practice, encourage and support one another, provide access to industry professionals to assist with compliance with industry standards, and to provide continuous professional development.
MotorTransport 33 MT’s Hall of Fame 12.9.22 motortransport.co.uk 1995. The 25-vehicle haulier recently relocated from Bradford to Halifax in West Yorkshire. It was one of the first participants in the pilot for the DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, and after initial scepticism O’Brien has become a positive advocate of the voluntary scheme.
Terris says: “We’ve had tough times, been through several recessions, national dock and lorry drivers’ strikes, complex global supply chains and the challenges of Brexit and Covid more recently.
Mike Daly, founder of Daly Transport Services, Lesley O’Brien of Freightlink Europe, and Bob Terris of Meachers Global Logistics
■ TAKING
“I was born the day before D-Day so while I don’t remember the war, we have seen a lot of changes over the years. If you think of the conditions drivers used to work under – the long hours, the pay and the type of vehicles they had to drive – and all the strikes we had, it was a mess really.
“You need three things to be successful in our indus try – volume, mix and price,” he explains. “You can have as much volume as you like but if it doesn’t fit properly or you don’t get the right price you will never make any money.“Too many people do not pay attention to the detail – they think if the wheels are running they are making money, but that is not always the case.”
At 77, Terris is still in the office every day and immersed in the business. When he does take time to relax, Terris enjoys playing golf and watching sport, especially football and cricket – he’s honorary vice-president of Hampshire Cricket. He also enjoys gardening at his home in Hampshire and spending time with his wife Josie and theirHefamily.says:“It’s 60 not out for me! The plan is to carry on as long as I feel I’m making a contribution – I love it.” A BOW: (from left)
As well as running Freightlink Europe, Freight Train and Freight People, O’Brien somehow finds the time to be a trustee of the RHA Benevolent Fund and served nine years as an RHA board director. In 2014 she was named Yorkshire Business Woman of the Year and in 2022 was added to the list of Northern PowerO’BrienWomen.uses her voice whenever possible to support and encourage those under-represented in the transport industry, as well as to raise standards, improve road safety and change perceptions of the industry. She is also vocal in her calls for better regulation of the driver agency sector.O’Brien has become one of the BBC’s ‘go-to’ people for comment on all things transport and regularly speaks on behalf of the industry on issues ranging from fuel duty to driver shortages. Her hobbies include keeping fit, entertaining at home, cinema, travel and “keeping husband Kevin in line!”
“There have been huge improvements in the standards in our Terrisindustry.”isastrong advocate of road transport as a great career“Wechoice.don’tpromote our industry enough – every time we get an opportunity to speak at schools or univer sities we tell people how important we are,” he says. “There will always be jobs in this industry because you can’t sell anything unless you move it. So there will always be a transport industry, though what it will look like and how many people will be involved in it is open to discus sion.”Like many people with long experience Terris says the principles behind running a successful transport busi ness are simple – it is just the execution that is hard.
DPD UK once again led the charge at the 2022 Motor Transport Awards, picking up three trophies – Clean Fleet Van Operator of the Year, Urban Operator of the Year and, for the ninth time in the last 10 years, the Customer Care Award. Reinforcing the fact that the MT Awards are for both own account and third party operators, DFDS Cold Chain England, Wren Kitchens and McCulla (Ireland) all picked up two trophies each, with DFDS taking the coveted Haulier of the Year for the first time. In another first, this category was partnered with a pure electric truck manufacturer in the form of Tevva. Despite introducing its New Generation range last year, DAF continued its successful run in Fleet Truck of the Year with its XF getting the judges’ vote for the fourth year in a row. Clean Fleet Van of the Year went to the Ford E-Transit, just pipping Maxus. Mike Watson Transport and the Real English Drinks Distillery took the Partnership Award while Culina Group deputy CEO William Stobart was a popular winner of the Service to Industry Award. The evening also saw the announcement of the three latest inductees to the Motor Transport Hall of Fame. Coverage of them and all our award winners can be found at mtawards.co.uk/2022/en/page/2022-winners
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A very happy Motus Commercials team led by MD Matthew Lawrenson collects the trophy from host Clare Balding, TotalEnergies lubricants supply chain and strategy manager Chris Wall (second left) and MT editor Steve Hobson
Motus
12.9.2236 MotorTransport
Annually it recruits new apprentices into each workshop (alongside all other departments), with 2022 seeing the highest volume of apprenticeship openings at 70, a number that has risen by 66% in five years. Despite the pandemic and related challenges, retention remains high, with more than 96% of apprentices offered a permanent contract on completion of their programme and 80% of all apprentices employed since 2016 remaining in the business.Thejudges said: “Impressive initiatives in place to support apprentices, such as the Apprenticeship Handbook, newsletters, charity involvement, ‘Being Brilliant’ and ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards and a mentoring scheme. “A well-established scheme which has developed to meet the growing requirements of the business and wider industry, as well as receiving good press coverage. “Motus demonstrates a good development system for the progression of trainees within the business and has a great retention rate.”
ApprenticeshipCommercialsofthe Year
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Sarah Bardens, apprentice co-ordinator, Motus Commercials
Independent commercial vehicle dealer group Motus Commercials (MC) is a proud ambassador for apprenticeships, and supporting young people into the automotive industry is a key objective for the business. The firm currently employs 1,400 colleagues, including 150 apprentices, across a range of technical and nontechnical functions. This number is rising annually as Motus drives its vision to be the “best apprenticeship employer in the area and the industry”.Motussees its apprentices as a key driver to future success and everyone in the business recognises them as being one of its best assets, whether because of their fresh ideas or their ability with modern technology. The group’s long-term mission is to be the best in the automotive industry, delivering market leading training and development, in line with the continuously evolving product technology of its manufacturing partners.
“It’s phenomenal that we are here. We’ve worked hard to be the most supportive in the industry”
With 70 apprenticeship openings in 2022 alone and a recognition that apprentices are key to its future success, independent vehicle dealer Motus Commercials helps attract young people into the industry and retains them successfully with a variety of impressive support initiatives
The BOC team collect their trophy from presenter Clare Balding
BOC felt that streamlining and upgrading training programmes was likely to be time consuming and expensive, requiring drivers to take a full day away from work. More so, the training experience is traditionally reliant on the skills of the trainer/assessor, and it was difficult to consistently measure against key safety criteria.BOCused several highperformance devices along with bespoke software to ensure that the user interface of the trainer’s app is easy to use and broke down complex data in a way that is digestible andBeginningactionable.with a headset and a bespoke motion seat they created a realistic environment for the driver as well as a repeatable experience for the trainer. Judges described the solution as a “really clever use of leading-edge VR technology” that helped BOC overcome an age-old issue of providing safe, cost-effective and beneficial training. Described by one judge as a “great tool that is different to everything that the market currently has in place”, the panel appreciated the analytical abilities of the system to enable targeted areas of improvement, and the reduced carbon footprint of not operating vehicles for training purposes.
John Evans, business improvement manager, BOC
Driving simulators are no longer the preserve of video arcades. BOC’s ground-breaking virtual reality training uses the latest in video capture, eye tracking and seat movement technology to create tailored sessions that deliver consistent, actionable analysis and advice for drivers
Using androadwouldtrainingprovidedevisetechnology.adaptedtraditionalhazardsofvastlydrivers,reducesvirtualseateye-tracking360-degreehigh-definitionvideocapture,andmotiontechnology,BOC’strainingprogrammetraveltimeforwhilstprovidingamoreaccuratepicturethedriver’sabilitiestospotandreacttothem.ThecompanyhastakentraininganditthroughimmersiveBOCwantedtoamethodthatcouldastep-changetowithaplatformthatsupplementon-the-trainingasrealisticallyconsistentlyaspossible.
BOCBest Use of Technology Award
Personalised and individual training sessions needed to be tailored to the user, with clear unique actionable analysis and results.
An engaging virtual reality training solution from BOC ably demonstrates how bringing technology together can overcome a problem.
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“We’ve done a lot of hard work in the last three years to get here. It’s a big safety feature with big benefits”
BusinessKitchensExcellence Award
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Wren
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Despite the various challenges of the pandemic, Wren Kitchens delivered in excess of 100,000 kitchens in 2021, achieving 99.5% on-time in-full performance. And as if that were not enough, it also managed to simultaneously streamline its operation and push staff development forward
The Wren Kitchens team collects the trophy from Tim Gibson, sales director of Hireco (far right)
Launched in 2009, Wren designs and manufactures its own kitchens in the UK and delivers them in its own trucks with its own drivers. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 2021 was the company’s biggest year ever, thanks largely to an autonomous approach and a flexible, resilient yet robust business model. Wren employed and trained another 133 transport staff and safely delivered over 100,000 kitchens while introducing yet more business differentiating initiatives and efficiencies.Thecompany prides itself on an exemplary team of people working to provide an excellent range of products underpinned by a worldclass, end-to-end customer experience. Despite the highly competitive marketplace, the retailer thrives by relentlessly scrutinising itself and its competition to define opportunities for supply chain improvements.Itscollaborative approach to innovation, investment and people development provides the perfect platform for game-changing initiatives, enhanced business practices and greater employee satisfaction, motivation and development.Wrenisalso committed to driving customer experience to new levels and delivering exceptional levels of safety andOurcompliance.judgeswere impressed with the company’s consistent growth and 99.95% on-time in-full delivery performance. “An outstanding entry,” one commented. “Customer expectations were met throughout the pandemic with notable sustainability and staff feedback initiatives. A high performing business with consistent growth in sales and thecomprehensivelythroughanpandemicwerelevels.costinitiativesperformancebusinessandbackedthewhichanAnotherprofitability.”said:“Thiswasexceptionalsubmission,coveredallaspectsofcriteriaset.Allitemswerewithsupportingdatashowedtheimpacttotheandthecustomer.“WrenachievedoutstandingandexceptionalthatreducedbothandcarbonemissionCustomerexpectationsmetthroughouttheanditdeliveredabove-parperformanceCovid.Thecompanydealtwithbrief.”
Lee Thompson-Halls, national fleet manager, Wren Kitchens
“I’m extremely proud of everything we do as a family and as a team – and we won’t stop here!”
“The Transit is engineered in Essex. It’s a massive team and this win is a culmination of all their work”
The Ford Transit is rightly recognised as an industry champion, yet like all leaders its place at the top is continually challenged by young contenders. The new zero emission E-Transit, boasting impressive range and great payload, is a reminder of the van’s long history of innovation
Ford
Winner sponsoredprofileby
CleanE-TransitFleetVan of the Year
The Ford of Britain team picks up the trophy from Close Brothers sales director Richard Gosling (far right)
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Iain Brooks, product marketing manager –Transit, Ford The Transit van has defined the light commercial vehicle delivery scene for more than 60 years, which is why the introduction of a new zero-emission model is so significant for the industry. Not only is the Ford E-Transit a new and exciting product, it also marks the start of a new brand – Ford Pro – helping businesses and fleets with the switch to electrification.Thevanitself has a near200-mile WLTP range with uncompromised payload and extensive list of standard equipment and safety features.Unlike all of the competition, the E-Transit range is available with two differing power outputs, offering 430Nm of torque and a choice of 135kW or 198kW. Payload is up to 1,758kg on panel vans but there’s a range of 25 variants with doublecab-in-van and chassis cab bodies. Vans are available in multiple lengths and roof heights, as well as with GVW from 3.5 to 4.25 tonnes. A new 12-inch dashboard touchscreen is the centrepiece to the E-Transit interior and is carried over from the Mustang Mach-E passenger car. The E-Transit has already been given a Gold Award from Euro NCAP for its driver safety assistant systems, which include city braking and lane keeping. E-Transit also features Ford’s ProPower Onboard system, that can deliver up to 2.3kW in the cab and load area to power conversions and equipment while out at work.Designed to satisfy a wide range of customer usecases it has a 68kWh usable battery capacity and has been redefining the way operators look at electric vans. “The vehicle seems to be a game-changer, and with the backing of the Blue Oval behind it, will prove to many operators that this is the way forward. The support mechanisms of Ford Pro's E-Telematics will prove a big hit with fleet managers with regard to the insights and alerts,” said one judge. Impressed by the manufacturer’s dealer infrastructure and support mechanisms, another judge simply commented: “Welcome back Ford!”
“This is recognition we are the UK’s most sustainable delivery company. We’ll be back next year”
DPD is blazing a trail on the final-mile all-electric fleet front, increasing its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) by over 900%.Replacing its diesel fleet is a key priority for DPD – which is why it hasn’t bought a new diesel final-mile vehicle since 2020.Ithas sourced all-electric vehicles from Norway, helped invent an innovative eCargo bike, and invested over £92m on new-to-market EVs such as the Ford E-Transit and the Maxus indate,vehicleandDPDfleetBuildingeDeliver.anall-electricquicklyhighlightedtotheneedforaffordableuser-friendlyelectricchargingpoints.Toithasinvested£1.89minstallingmorethan 250 charging points in its network, while drivers are also encouraged to install home charge points, with 260 of them doing so to date at zero cost to them. DPD has partnered with Pod Point to make installing these stations a simple process and is aiming to have 400 more charge points in place by the end of DPD2023.isdelivering cleanly in 10 UK cities, which will increase to 30 by the end of 2023. In 2021, its electric vehicles delivered over 16.5 million emission-free parcels, with an annual CO2 saving from the electric fleet of 4,600,000kg.Thisyearit is on track to increase this number by almost 60%, reaching 26 million parcels on electric vehicles in 2022 and saving 7,200,000kg of CO2 – the equivalent of planting 28,000 trees. This pace will continue until it achieves its net zero ambition by 2030. The judges said: “Great diversity in the technology it is bringing to market and trialling – very impressive; the company has the breadth, the appetite and the testimonial evidence for being a clean van operator.”Theydescribed DPD as “a clear trail-blazer for zeroemission parcel deliveries with impressive growth of the EV fleet, innovation in vehicle design, investment in charging infrastructure and customer engagement to improve efficiency”.
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DPD
The team from DPD UK collects their first award of the evening from Renault Trucks MD UK and Ireland Carlos Rodrigues (far right)
Throwing your weight behind the transition to net zero requires serious commitment and it is a challenge that DPD has embraced wholeheartedly. New EVs are now the go-to purchase for the firm’s last-mile operation, with ambitious targets driving the switch away from diesel
CleanUKFleet Van Operator of the Year
Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications and sustainability, DPD UK
TopJanuarymostresearchwithreasonsgivegrowth.consecutiverunningcarrierMoneySavingExpertpollforthe9thyearandrecordedits12thyearofprofitDPD’sgoalistocontinuetoitscustomerscompellingtostayandthatstartsregularandrigoroustofindoutwhatisimportanttothem.The2021surveyofthe100customersfound:
Last year once again saw DPD maintain a relentless focus on the customer experience, producing excellent feedback from shippers and shoppers alike. In a move designed to increase first-time success and reduce CO2 emissions, the company doubled the size of its Pickup store network in just 12 months, including a ground-breaking deal with the Post Office. DPD’s new ‘driver rating’ feature provided a new level of insight to customers and helped deal with complaints more efficiently.
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The company also topped the
“It’s absolutely fantastic to win this award and we’re going to keep trying. Customers are what it’s all about”
■ 94% were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ ■ 92% were likely to remain a customer ■ 76% would recommend the company to others. Perhaps the strongest indicator of customer loyalty towards DPD is that nearly 70% of its Top 100 customers have now been with it for five years or more. Our judges said DPD had pulled off the trick of “seeing exceptional growth and still achieving customer satisfaction” and “they know their stats, they benchmark them, they get external verification, they get their clients’ feedback and they monitor it – it is client service at aspirational levels”. One judge added: “Customer care standards have enabled DPD to be at the top of this difficult sector enabling year-on-year growth”; while another said: “The board and executives are obviously committed both to customer service and positioning themselves as the best home delivery operator”.
This is the ninth time in the last 10 years that DPD has picked up this trophy, despite some exceptionally tough completion in 2022.
DPD CustomerUK Care Award
46 MotorTransport 12.9.22
The DPD UK team led by CEO Elaine Kerr (third left) collect the firm’s second trophy of the night from Pall-Ex Group CEO Kevin Buchanan (second right)
Jonathan Pratt, director of sales and CRM, DPD
Can anyone keep up? For an amazing ninth time in the last decade, DPD UK has scooped the Customer Care Award, providing compelling reasons for its customers to keep coming back to it and providing what one of our judges described as ‘aspirational’ levels of client service.
DAF FleetXFTruck of the Year
Laurence Drake, MD, DAF
On top of that we have a great dealer network”
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DAF’s New Generation XF has, like the older XF, impressed. It takes advantage of new Masses and Dimensions rules to help reduce fuel consumption and provide extra driver comfort, while DAF’s extensive dealer network continues to provide what may be the best backup in the UK
The new line-up of XF, XG and XG+ blurs the lines that were clear with old CF and XF ranges, and while many fleet operators are buying XG as their overnight trampers because of its bigger cab our panel felt the new XF was its top choice for the 2022 Fleet Truck of the Year. The New Generation of
The decision facing our judges this year when picking the Fleet Truck of the Year was complicated by the fact that the New Generation XF launched last year was not a direct replacement for the outgoing XF, which sold 600,000 units and was a winner of this award on five previous occasions including the last three years.
Continuing their winning streak the DAF Trucks UK team led by MD Laurence Drake (holding trophy) collect the award from Daniella Patrizi, Texaco direct sales and OEM manager
48 MotorTransport 12.9.22
DAFs were designed to take advantage of new Masses and Dimensions regulations that came into force in February last year, allowing an extra 160mm in length to improve fuel efficiency, driver safety andDAFcomfort.hasexploited the extra length to reduce drag by 19%, producing a 6% fuel saving. A new powertrain gave a further 3% fuel saving while a host of other minor changes shaved 0.9% off fuel consumption, giving an overall saving of 10.2% on the previous model.
A 33% larger windscreen and slimmer A-pillars have led to a whenfromimprovementsignificantindirectvisionthedriver’sseat,andapassengerdoor
window and the mirrorless DAF Digital Vision System are added to the spec the XF achieves a three-star DVS rating.Thenew cab offers classleading ergonomics with a wraparound dash, plenty of storage space and what is claimed to be the best bunk in theTheindustry.DAFdealer network is the biggest and arguably the best of any truck brand with 135 locations in the UK and Ireland. First time test pass rates are 98% – helped by the 59 authorised testing facilities in the DAF network –and DAFaid dealt with 100,000 calls in 2021, repairing 80% of breakdowns at the roadside.
“The DAF XF is a great truck. It measures change in legislation and is good for an operator’s bottom line.
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DFDS Cold Chain England Haulier of the Year
With a growth in profit of over 140% despite the issues created by Brexit and Covid-19, DFDS Cold Chain England was always going to be a frontrunner for this award – and doubly so, once its surging customer base and market-leading environmental credentials are taken into account
■ Establishing a pioneering customs clearance operation in Dover employing 46 people to ensure a smooth Brexit transition for importers and exporters.Staffhealth and wellbeing are paramount, and the company set up ‘Culture Champions’ across its operation to strengthen team engagement. This has already resulted in a major effort by teams at each depot to send vital supplies to Ukrainian refugees. DFDS invested in its Driver Academy to fund all aspects of training, including Driver CPC courses and test fees, and in 2021 successfully trained 14 new Category C1+E drivers. It also trained two senior drivers to improve driving styles across the fleet. Our judges said the company continued “to operate at a very high level of service, constantly seeking feedback from customers to drive the business forward” and was a “market leader on the environment, making use of its financial ability to invest due to the scale and size of a business”. One judge concluded: “An outstanding result in a difficult year, with high levels of agility and flexibility along with positive staff welfare and excellent customer service”.
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The DFDS Cold Chain England team led by Matt O’Dell (far right) collect the trophy from Darren Thompson, senior marketing manager, Tevva Hydrogen Electric Trucks (second left)
■ Leading the industry in sustainability by introducing the UK’s first solar-powered refrigeration unit, with plans to convert as much as possible of the fleet to electric vehicles ■ Excelling as a business by making the significant acquisition of transporterEuropean-basedleadingmeatHSF
DFDS Cold Chain England handles frozen and chilled foods for food producers, linking with the group’s other operations in the rest of the UK and north Europe. The firm runs 180 trucks and 363 trailers and employs nearly 500 at 12 operating centres in England.
Matt O’Dell, MD, DFDS Cold Chain England
Last year the company surpassed its own ambitious targets, delivering outstanding customer service to grow turnover by 13% and profit by 141% despite the challenges of Brexit and Covid. These increases were achieved with a smaller fleet than in 2020 due to improved efficiencies. The highlights from 2021 include: ■ Maintaining exceptional levels of satisfactioncustomer ■ Growing the customer base more than tenfold
“It’s amazing that we’ve won. Being Haulier of the Year is all about our amazing team of people. They work every day to make this a great company”
Wren
HomeKitchensDelivery Operator of the Year
Another judge said: “First time deliveries are excellent and the customer feedback/ testimonials are supportive of this. The company exudes high standards and this is apparent in its approach to health and safety and driver management. Wren learns through understanding data and embracing any negative feedback from its customers.
The business has enjoyed impressive growth and this is surely testament to the high standards it theplentywhatsubmission“Ultimatelydemands.afirstclassdemonstratingcanbeachievedwithofeffortandinputbywholeteam.”
The company’s success is about
Winner sponsoredprofileby Kitchen manufacturer Wren Kitchens has demonstrated true excellence in its home delivery operation over the last year, building on what was already a commendable operation to provide an exemplary customer experience from initial enquiry right through to final kitchen arrival
identifycriticaltime/service/information-Continuousittheimprovementcontinuousandowningsupplychain–itmakes,sellsanditdelivers.scrutinyofthissectorallowsittoweaknesseswhich create opportunities. Our judges said Wren had pushed on from last year to return outstanding results, improve the staff experience and consider its emissions impact on the planet. They were also impressed by the firm’s commitment to road safety, driver training initiatives and use of technology – particularly its app which provides flexibility and transparency for customers.“Anexceptional business performance with revenue and operating profit growing year on year,” one judge said. “Deliveries are also up 22% with an on-time in-full delivery rate at 99.95%. “Also good commitment to the greener future, excellent growth on delivery figures, increased vehicle fill, lower driver infringements and excellent routeing and scheduling, saving CO2 emissions. They also have an apprentice take-on strategy.”
The Wren Kitchens team collect their second award of the evening from Martin Jenkins, CEO of Zenith Commercial (far right) In the wake of the pandemic, online shopping is projected to deliver an additional £19.6bn in home delivery sales by 2025. Wren Kitchens suggests the exponential increase in road transport, fuel prices and customer expectations means it has never been more important to focus on environmental goals, transport efficiencies and safer operations, while providing exemplary customer experience from enquiry to delivery.
“It’s amazing to win tonight. Home Delivery operator is probably the award we value the most”
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Lee Thompson-Halls, national fleet manager, Wren Kitchens
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The DFDS Cold Chain England team pick up their second award from Marc Preedy, MD, truck replacement Europe at Goodyear Dunlop Tyre (far right)
Necessity can often create innovation and for DFDS Cold Chain England that is most certainly the case.
DFDS Cold Chain England Innovation Award
The twin challenges of Brexit and Covid-19 made cross-Channel trade almost impossible, yet DFDS Cold Chain England was not deterred. Its digital Custom Clearance operation has made life simpler for the whole import/export sector and dramatically increased the firm’s business
As a result, DFDS has emerged from Brexit with a 10-fold increase in customer numbers.“Ilovethe metrics – these are impressive,” commented one judge, noting that the vast volumes and speed of delivery were particularly impressive.
“DFDS had the foresight to introduce this solution to aid the speed and add clarity to this process. All companies needed to adapt and flex to the challenges brought about by Brexit and living with Covid. It’s great to see how DFDS has done this and how it worked together to overcome those challenges. Moving to a digital operation will always provide benefits to all parties,” they added.
“Winning this award is all down to teamwork. It’s the combination of a lot of people’s efforts”
Terry Broadhead, head of customs, DFDS Cold Chain England
The business responded to the challenges of Brexit and Covid with a digital system to integrate its operations with authorities.Toassistclients and allow them to navigate the complexities of post-Brexit trading between the UK and EU, a Custom Clearance and Freight Forwarding operation was set up in Dover. The service started as a paper operation but, in order to meet rapidly increasing demand, DFDS successfully developed a digital system that could easily integrate with customers’ operations and official authorities. Drawing on the expertise of two senior DFDS professionals who had experience of preCommon Market trade with Europe, it created an AEO-certified (Authorised Economic Operator) custom clearance system to facilitate customers in having the necessary import and export declarations. Over the course of 2021 a digital system was developed, becoming fully digital in August 2021. Our judges described it as a “clever and pragmatic development implemented in real-time to address the postBrexit chaos. It was a strong entry, showing a reactive IT solution to a changing and shifting situation.”
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The Custom Clearance has become a sector-leading system to help with navigating the complexities of postBrexit trading between the UK and EU and has been extended for free to more than 100 importers/exporters.
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With a wide mix of vehicle sizes and shapes, McCulla (Ireland)’s new livery had to be adaptable and communicate its increasingly diverse range of services – not least a circular waste-toenergy transport model that is used to turn food waste into biomethane for its fleet of gas trucks
McCulla (Ireland) is a well-known temperaturecontrolled storage and distribution company serving the UK and all of Ireland, as well as the rest of continental Europe.Thebusiness has diversified significantly from standard refrigerated haulage into a fully integrated cold chain including cold storage and bespoke logistics solutions for customers of all sizes.Because of this continual diversification, the company’s brand has had to evolve. The McCulla fleet is extremely diverse, comprising around 110 trucks and 200 trailers as well as Mercedes Sprinter vans and dual temperature rigids up to 18 tonnes with tail-lifts. This year, McCulla has taken delivery of 10 new Iveco Stralis NP trucks (with a further 19 on order) for use on contracts under the company’s new sustainable transport division. The company is the first in Northern Ireland to provide a circular economy wasteto-energy transport model. McCulla is collecting food waste from customers and then using the waste to power its gas truck fleet with biomethane, which it produces using an anaerobic digester plant it has installed on-site.Tomark the launch of the new sustainable transport service, McCulla had a special livery designed to promote the circular economy and the “powered by food waste” message.Atanofficial launch, NI minister for the environment Edwin Poots attended McCulla alongside a range of McCulla customers and suppliers. The new livery was unveiled as part of the launch event.The judges declared the new design “a real ‘stand out’ livery which showcases the brand, services offered, the nature of the market, company ethos and green credentials”.Theyalsosaid it was “a fantastic link between the old and the new livery and in the way it tells a story, with vibrant, noticeable colours used in the design.”
Peter Summerton, MD, McCulla (Ireland)
McCulla (Ireland) Livery of the Year
The McCulla (Ireland) team led by MD Peter Summerton (fifth left) collect the company’s first award from Glenn Baker, network and operations director of Palletline (far right)
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“The competition is ferocious, but for us to come from Northern Ireland and win in such a prestigious, competitive industry, is fantastic for us”
McCulla (Ireland) Low Carbon Award
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Lots of companies have bought into gas trucks – but how many of them have established their own anaerobic digestion plant to convert food waste into biomethane for a fleet of 10 new heavy commercial vehicles, as well as enough electricity to power their entire cold store operation?
The McCulla (Ireland) team led by Peter Summerton (second left) collect their second trophy from Adriana Radu, corporate services director of Fraikin (far right)
McCulla (Ireland) has launched a waste-toenergy circular economy programme, investing in an anaerobic digester plant at its headquarters that allows it to produce all of its own energy without requiring any grid electricity.Theplant converts food waste into renewable electricity to power McCulla’s cold stores and biomethane gas to power its trucks.
The plan to upgrade its plant to produce HGV fuel became a reality last year, when McCulla took delivery of 10 new Iveco Stralis NP trucks (with a further 19 on order).These first vehicles are just the beginning, and McCulla aims to phase out diesel in favour of gas to further reduce its emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
Peter Summerton, MD, McCulla (Ireland)
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electricityCustomersusage.are also increasingly focused on having proposition,wasteReducingsustainabletendersMcCullaresponsibleenvironmentallysuppliers,soknewitcouldwinbyimplementingpractices.customers’foodisanaddedvalueforexample.Thejudgessaid:“Thisis a great entry demonstrating a significant reduction in CO2 across the whole operation; an impressive focus on reverse logistics and keeping vehicles full; and a whole series of carbon-reduction activities in addition to the focus on fleet emissions. “It is a great example of what can be done on a small scale to improve sustainability.”
The company intends to be running its entire fleet of 100plus trucks on gas using the sustainable transport model within five years. By having a successful proof of concept, McCulla also hopes to inspire other transport operators to make similar investments in this type of renewable energy. McCulla has also implemented a range of proactive controlsophisticatedandtostylescleaning;harvestingyears,improvementsenvironmentaloverthesuchasrainwaterforreuseintruckafocusondrivinganddrivertrainingimprovefuelefficiency;implementationofwarehousesystemsthatoptimise
“This is great recognition for what has been seven years in production. We are using biomethane to upgrade into trucks. It’s great to see”
JPE
OperationalHoldings Excellence Award
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If you want to win the Operational Excellence Award, you’ll need to demonstrate high service levels, excellent compliance with regulations and exemplary tachograph management skills –and these are exactly what caught our judges’ attention when it came to JPE Holdings’ entry
Lindsay Smith, compliance manager, JPE Holdings
Another judge pointed to the company’s concluded.management,”compliancehighstandardbusinessspecificdrivers’ofassistVolvoroadvehicles,incidentseventtechnologyimplementationsuccessfulofcameratoenableliveviewinginrespectofandthesafetyofdriversandotherusers,plusitsuseoftheConnectinterfacetowithdeliveryplanningaparticularvehicleandtimeavailabilityforajob.“Thisisaprofitableoperatingtoahighanddemonstratingservicelevels,highandhightachothejudge
“We’ve got an operational excellence score of 99% –everyone is doing their best in terms of compliance”
JPE Holdings compliance manager Lindsay Smith (centre) collects the trophy from Hankook Tyre UK sales director Paul Emery Based in the West Midlands, JPE Holdings is a family-run haulier that has specialised in the delivery of virgin, recycled, and blended aggregates to customers that serve or operate in the construction and highways industries. Launched in 1994, the company is committed to operational and technological excellence across all areas of its 24/7 logistics operation, helping it to maintain an impressive compliance and safety record. As a member of the DVLA’s Earned Recognition scheme since 2020, JPE has achieved an overall weighted compliance score of 99.12% for both drivers and vehicles and is also FORS Gold accredited.“AnSME business proving it can be done with limited resources,” commented one of our “Thejudges.company is clearly forward-looking and has achieved deliveredtoThisexcellenceandstatisticsuponorganisation.teamworkleadershiponlyexemplaryfromandinfringementtheaccreditationsnumerousfromwithinindustry.Thetachographstandsat0.63%thereisalsoaccreditationHS2.“Thestatisticsareandthatcanbeachievedthroughatthetopandthroughoutthe“Clearlyafirmthatreliesprofessionalism.Thearehardearnedarebuiltonoperationalateverylevel.isacalculatedapproachensureexcellencethatisinitsstatistics.If you're looking for a formula for greatness the closest you'll ever get is consistency – and the consistency here should be applauded.”
Mike Watson Transport and REDD Partnership Award
The judges declared themselves impressed by “amazing increases in revenue and production”, with both parties utilising each other’s expertise to manage storage, transport and pallet handling. “From a very small start this partnership has grown and developed into a mutually beneficial relationship,” one judge said. “There is a clear collaborative approach to solving challenges with trust on both sides. This has enabled both businesses to grow substantially over recent years. It is evident both businesses have shared in the success of the growth in business.”Another commented: “I enjoyed this submission which was full of information and success. The increases in revenue and production were remarkable. Both parties utilised each other’s expertise to manage storage, transportation and pallet handling.”
“A partnership like this doesn’t come easily – it’s about communication. We’re proud of this accolade and we’re planning to grow further together”
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Neil Patterson, chairman, REDD
The Mike Watson Transport and Real English Drinks Distillery teams collect their awards from John Marks, client partner at Partners& (second right) Spirits business Real English Drinks Distillery (REDD) and logistics leader Mike Watson Transport (MWT) boast a shared operation that has allowed symbiotic growth.
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As one scaled up, the other adapted to maximise opportunities through sharing data and communicating freely to ensure flexibility and costREDDsavings.builds gin and vodka brands by producing premium products, both in-house and for third parties. The company has grown steadily thanks to its reputation for excellence andEstablishedreliability. more than 30 years ago, MWT has strengthened its position in the transport sector since being acquired by Palletline Logistics in September 2016. After a cold call approach in 2019, REDD began working with MWT with just a few pallets per week. The following three years saw dramatic growth for both organisations, with MWT increasing its year-on-year revenue by 193% in 2021.
Sharing data, communicating freely and adopting a collaborative approach to challenges have all been key to Real English Drinks Distillery and its logistics provider MWT growing and maximising their business opportunities, achieving “amazing” increases in output and revenue along the way
The two firms say they enjoy an excellent reputation among clients and have worked in tandem to create a unique partnership. This has not only fuelled MWT’s growth but also increased REDD’s brand presence within the sector.
“To get this external recognition is fantastic. I’m delighted for the team” Mark Pawsey, distribution manager UK and Ireland, Air Products
One example is an improved driver feedback system for reporting incidents. The old process wasn’t the most effective in that feedback was one way and drivers didn’t always get a response to issues raised. On top of this, any actions were not centrally co-ordinated with no follow-up and no simple way to identify if the same issues were being noticed by several drivers.
From 2021, the aim of the safety strategy has been to demonstrate Air Products’ continued commitment to being an industry leader in safety, by: ■ Keeping employees and stakeholders safe and working towards its global goal of zero incidents/ accidents ■ Focusing on assessing risk and identifying improvement opportunities through feedback to reduce incidents ■ Improving safety refresher training by being proactive with messaging and reminding drivers “little and often” of the need to assess risk.
SafetyProductsinOperation Award
excellentinitiativesinjuries.40%moduleswith“Therecompleted”.Anothercommented:ishighengagement,morethan5,000trainingcompleted,andareductioninlosttimeThesearegreatthatareshowingresults.”
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By keeping safety at the core of its driver training programme and near-miss reporting processes, Air Products has demonstrated impressive commitment to meeting its goal of zero accidents and incidents and has already achieved a commendable 40% reduction in lost-time injuries
The Air Products team collects the trophy from TVS Interfleet commercial director Phil Ashton (second right) Air Products manufactures and supplies industrial gases so it touches virtually every aspect of modern life – from medical oxygen to food, automotive, welding, wastewater, agriculture and fizzyAirdrinks.Products’ goal is to be the safest industrial gases company with a target of zero accidents/incidents. Safety is at the core of its approach to driver training and near-miss reporting, and the company continuously evolves its training programmes and addresses safety concerns raised by drivers.
The new system, Driver Observation Reporting Automation (DORA), was introduced in 2021 and ensures seamless and paperless tracking of feedback as well as providing drivers with automated updates.Oneof our judges said it was “refreshing to read a succinct submission showing improvement on driver observation reports, with automation showing great results and a 139% increase in reports with 99% of reports
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“I had no idea. Thank you. This isn’t something you put yourself forward for, so to be recognised by your peers is amazing. I am very humbled”
William Stobart, deputy group CEO, Culina
William Stobart (centre) collects the trophy from Guy Reynolds, director of Aquarius IT William Stobart, deputy group CEO at Culina, was born in Cumberland in 1961, the fourth child of Eddie and Nora Stobart. After starting out as a teenager working in the family business, 45 years on he is now deputy group CEO of the £2.2bn a year Culina Group.After many years working alongside his late brother Edward at the family firm, where he was credited as the unsung hero running the business behind the scenes, in 2004 William and Andrew Tinkler (then brother-in-law)William’sbought the company before it was split into two, Stobart Group and Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL). William Stobart was chief operating officer of ESL between 2007 and 2014 and took over as chief executive from 2014 to 2017. In 2019 William was credited with saving the business when he backed a £75m bailout of ESL by private equity firm DBAY Advisors.Hethen served as executive chairman of ESL parent GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions from 2019 to 2021 and was made deputy group CEO of Culina in July 2021 when it bought GWSA. With over 2,700 trucks on the road in its famous green and red livery – all with their own unique names – Eddie Stobart is the only haulage company with the distinction of having a fan club and featuring in the Channel 4 documentary Eddie Stobart: Trucks & Trailers, which ran between 2010 and 2014. The show made William Stobart into something of a ‘poster boy’ for the haulage industry, albeit a reluctant one as he is normally camera shy.For over 40 years William has been a pioneering force in the industry, leading the development of driver safety and compliance through the introduction of telematics and digital fleet management. Despite his success, he is still a humble man who thinks nothing of jumping behind the wheel on a snowy Boxing Day to make sure a load of food and drink gets delivered on time.Itis a testimony to his longevity that after more than 40 years he is still playing a leading role within the transport industry and is described by those who know him as a haulage ‘legend’.
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ServiceStobarttoIndustry Award Winner sponsoredprofileby
As if he wasn’t already enough of a legend, William Stobart has been honoured with the Service to Industry Award after 40-plus years in the UK road transport sector that have seen him play pivotal roles at firms like Eddie Stobart Logistics, GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions and Culina Group
Express Logistics Team of the Year
Getting to the point where you can provide a high quality service at a competitive rate with a high level of flexibility is something of a Holy Grail in haulage. And to get there within two years of starting up, as Express Distribution has done, requires a truly impressive level of team motivation
The team from Express Logistics collects the trophy from Ian Mitchell, MD of Hiab UK (far right) Express Logistics provides a quality offering at competitive rates while supplying a totally flexible and compliant 24/7 service.This‘Holy Grail of Haulage’ has been achieved in just two years since the company was established, primarily by deploying a diverse and motivated team to go from a turnover of £1.4m in 2021 to £1.2m in only the first four months of 2022. Express has had to tackle a host of immediate pressures since its launch, including lockdown issues, staff absences, driver shortages and rising However,costs.byadopting a unique approach to team management and morale it has not only survived but thrived in this challenging managementmarket.Thecompany’shas shown fortitude, creativity and determination in successfully achieving its ambitious goals. It has built a solid platform and replicable model which it believes will continue to grow because its managers understand that safety, compliance, customer service and profit are mutually inclusive.Thejudges agreed that great teamwork had helped deliver an “incredible business transformation” at the company and that putting people at the heart of this was key to its success. “They had clear initiatives and targets for everyone to follow and consulted experts where needed to help guide them,” said one judge. “This is a great submission and a very impressive set of financialAnotherresults.”said:“This is a new, ambitious, enthusiastic team who have started well and are gaining traction within their chosen market. They have been able to reference direct quotes from employees and have detail which supports the submission.“Operating throughout the pandemic was hard enough for most established businesses, but as a true 'start-up' even more so. Express showed great evidence of teamwork and colleague engagement.”
“It’s fabulous to win and it’s recognition of the last 12 months of hard work where we’ve put a lot of emphasis on compliance”
Nick Winder, co-owner, Express Logistics
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Winner sponsoredprofileby
The Brakes team pick up the trophy from Vic Bunby, divisional director of Road Transport Media (far right)
TrainingBrakes Award
Faced with recruitment problems due to Brexit, Covid-19 and the driver shortage, Brakes decided to change the way it worked, launching a comprehensive programme of driver engagement. The result was ChangingLaunchedGears.inMay 2021 with a simple goal – to create a training programme that not only trained non-HGV drivers to acquire their professional C licences, but that also supported them with the emotional and practical support to transition to professional drivers. Changing Gears rolled out across Brakes’ UK network of 25 sites as a critical lifeline to support the organisation and customer proposition at its hour of greatest need. It also provided development opportunities for staff and external candidates, creating a unique platform to train and retain drivers while maintaining service commitments to customers.
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A panel expert added that the initiative was “a wellthought out and planned driver training programme that has delivered well with strong support for trainees. “Ongoing support is excellent and the employee retention rate is very high, no doubt down to the focus on quality rather than cost.” The same view was echoed by all the judges who felt that Brakes had a very impressive entry overall that illustrated its actions had help solve the company’s driver shortage.
Food service giant Brakes created a bespoke training programme to address a chronic driver shortage. But rather than just churn out new employees, the Changing Gears initiative takes a holistic approach to develop engaged staff who are keen to continue to learn for the long term
The training programme supports throughoutcandidatestheirlearning and then on into their professional career. Continual support means drivers can maintain the high standards they achieve. One judge said the work was “absolutely fantastic” and added “I love the resultsprogramme'sRetainObtain-Train-Sustain-approach.Theexcellentspeakforthemselves”.
The strong support for trainees throughout the process, with training that wasn’t rushed, has had a positive impact on the industry.
Gareth Wightman-Smith, GM, Brakes
“We brought new drivers to the market, along with van drivers who were disillusioned by Covid, and we came up with a programme to support them”
local2020.milepurchasedendwillthroughoutall-electricDPDmileage.nowdeliversin10citiestheUKwhichbeextendedto30bytheof2023,andithasnotanewdieselfinal-deliveryvehiclesinceIthasworkedcloselywithcouncilstosupport their initiatives to improve air quality, too. For example, earlier this year Oxford introduced the UK’s first zero-emission zone and in preparation for this, DPD opened its Bicester depot, a net-zero-carbon construction building in July 2021, and now operates only all-electric vehicles in the city of Oxford, delivering over 15,000 parcels everyDPDweek.hasalso continued its work trialling new technology, such as a partnership with electric vehicle tyre innovator ENSO to conduct full road trials of a tyre product designed to reduce air and microplastic pollution. The DPD/ENSO trial is a part of TfL’s FreightLab Innovation Challenge, which will tackle London’s air pollution and roadThecongestion.judgessaid: “A clear, bold strategy. Very impressive that it has stuck to buying no more diesel vehicles since 2020 – this demonstrates real leadership.“Thesubmission shows the approaches taken to mitigate emissions and enhance DPD’s reputation as the leading sustainable delivery company through operation of a broad portfolio of all-electric vehicle types, alongside an active focus to supporting its driver population to take on BEV products.“Inaddition, by bringing in micro-depots equipped with BEVs, the green focus is totally embedded within the DPD corporate culture.”
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DPD
DPD is transforming its urban operation in a drive to become the UK’s most sustainable delivery company. It now has a fleet of 1,500 all-electric vehicles which are replacing its existing diesel models and delivered 16.5 million clean and green parcels in 2021.
With 1,500 all-electric vehicles on its final-mile fleet, a commitment to avoid diesel-powered trucks for this operation from now on, and a micro-depot model that cuts down on wasted mileage, parcels carrier DPD has demonstrated real leadership in transforming urban deliveries
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Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications, and sustainability, DPD UK
“We love the MT Awards. This is a great way to showcase our industry”
The DPD UK team led by Tim Jones (centre) and CEO Elaine Kerr (holding trophy) collect their third trophy of the evening from Paul Wilson, FORS account director (far right)
UrbanUKOperator of the Year
The company’s pioneering micro-depot operation has also slashed unproductive urban
