The UK’s leaders in ‘greener’ fleet management have been announced at a London ceremony attended by the transport minister Norman Baker.

The Awards highlight public and private organisations that are successfully reducing their carbon footprints - and lowering their fuel bills - through fleet travel and transport policies. They also celebrate companies that supply the most innovative cost and fuel-saving products or services to car and van fleets.

Cutting fuel costs goes hand-in-hand with reducing carbon emissions. With fuel prices at their current high levels there has never been a more rewarding time to focus on good fleet management practices.

HMRC took the best large public sector fleet for the second year running, while West Oxfordshire District Council took the Award for smaller fleets in the same category.

The judges selected Addison Lee and Qdell & LHR Express Cars as the best private sector fleets (large and small fleet sections respectively). For the full list of winners and runners-up, please see below.

The Awards ceremony took place in the Nash Room at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, and or the first time in 2011, the Awards have a commercial sponsor – Harvest Energy, the UK's largest independent supplier of road fuels.

Transport minister Norman Baker MP said: "If the Government is to meet its carbon reduction targets we must decarbonise road transport and making fleet operations greener is a major part of that.

“So I am delighted to see such excellent progress in this area - big companies from both the private and public sectors have made huge strides in tackling this issue, using a range of measures such as reducing mileage, encouraging fuel efficient driving and using ultra low carbon vehicles. Not only is all this good for the environment - it makes economic sense too."

Nigel Underdown, the EST’s head of transport, said: “About half of all new vehicles purchased in the UK are used in fleet operations, so the sector plays a vital part in determining the environmental performance of road transport overall.

“We were encouraged by both the quality and number of entries (which exceeded previous years). There are clearly a large number of fleet operators working on a wide variety of fronts to minimise the environmental impact of their operations.”

Julie Jenner, chairman of ACFO and one of the Fleet Hero Awards judges, said: “Choosing the best entries was very difficult in some categories because of the intensity of competition.

“Fleet operators are increasingly aware of the fact that cutting costs and reducing carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions go hand-in-hand.”

Award winners and runners-up

Best Public Sector Fleet (Large)
Winners: HMRC
Runners-up: Northamptonshire Police

Best Public Sector Fleet (Small)
Winners: West Oxfordshire District Council
Runners-up: Hyndburn Borough Council

Best Private Sector Fleet (Large)
Winners: Addison Lee
Runners-up: West One Cars

Best Private Sector Fleet (Small)
Winners: Qdell & LHR Express Cars Limited
Runners-up: Hannaford

Grey Fleet Management
Winners: Lake District National Park Authority
Runners-up: Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust

Industry Supplier Award
Winners: Green Motion
Runners-up: Lex Autolease

Business Mileage Management
Winners: Lake District National Park Authority
Runners-up: Hyndburn Borough Council

Smarter Driving Award
Winners: Qdell & LHR Express Cars
Runners-up: GE Capital

Innovation in Van and Car Manufacture
Winners: Ford Motor Company Limited
Runners-up: BMW

Innovation in Fleet Services and Systems
Winners: Civica UK Ltd
Runners-up: Arval

Innovation in Fleet Management
Winners: Addison Lee
Runners-up: Office Depot

Leadership Award
Winners: Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Runners-up: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Van Fleet Management
Winners: Commercial Group
Runners-up: None

Motorvate Award
Winners: Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Runners-up: Hyndburn Borough Council

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