2025 Shortlist

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Motor Transport Awards 2025.

Congratulations to all of our finalists and thank you to those who took the time to enter this year. You will be able to read more about each of the finalists in the 23 June issue of Motor Transport.

Please note there is no shortlist for the Service to Industry Award and the winner will be revealed at the ceremony. You can book your tables on our website by clicking here.

If you have any questions about the awards please do email mtawards@roadtransport.com

6
Best Use of Technology Award

Partnered with


This Award is for a project that used the latest technology (whether in vehicles, components, infrastructure or IT) to enhance service and resulted in a clear benefit to customers and/or improvement in efficiency.

DPD UK

Expect Distribution

Flexible Power Systems

Gregory Distribution

Palletline

XPO Logistics

3
Business Excellence Award
Partnered with

This Award is designed to reward business best practice and excellence for companies working in the road freight transport sector with a strong business strategy rather than day-to-day firefighting just to survive.

Knowles Logistics

Malcolm Logistics

Pall-Ex (UK)

3
Contract Hire and Leasing Provider of the Year

Partnered with


The soaring price of new trucks and vans has ruled out outright purchase for growing numbers of operators in recent years and the contract hire and leasing sector has stepped up to the plate to provide affordable, flexible means of vehicle acquisition. This new category recognises the vital role this sector plays in funding the future of the industry.

Enterprise Flex-E-Rent

NRG Riverside

TIP

3
Customer Care Award

Partnered with


Customer care isn’t just about having a call centre to answer customer queries – this Award is for those fleet operators who live and breathe customer service throughout the organisation.

DFDS Logistics

DPD UK

Malcolm Logistics

3
Fleet Truck of the Year

Partnered with


This Award is for the tractor unit that offers the best overall package for fleet operators. It should be versatile enough to cover a broad range of fleet operations from tramping to urban distribution and from tankers to doubledeck curtainsiders. This Award is made by a panel of fleet operators based on prese4ntations by the OEMs.

DAF XF

IVECO S-Way CNG

Volvo FH

5
Haulier of the Year

Partnered with


This, the most coveted Award in the road transport industry, is for the outstanding road haulage or 3PL company of the past year that can show outstanding success in navigating an increasingly complex business and regulatory environment.

A.D.D. Express

DFDS Logistics

Knowles Logistics

Malcolm Logistics

R Swain and Sons

3
Home Delivery Operator of the Year

Partnered with


The rise and rise of online retail has meant a boom in home delivery and this Award is for the best operator in this fast-growing innovative sector.

AIT Home Delivery

ArrowXL

DPD UK

5
Innovation Award

Partnered with


Necessity is the mother of invention and the incredibly tough economic environment of recent years has created the need for new and innovative ways of working. This Award is open to transport operators and product and service manufacturers or suppliers who can show outstanding innovation in developing a product or service for road freight transport in 2024.

Geotab

GYS

Pall-Ex Logistics

Sunswap

Voltloader

6
Livery of the Year

Partnered with


Trucks are mobile billboards seen by millions of people every year. This Award is for the fleet operator who shows a strong, positive image of the company and the transport industry to the public with a stylish, visually striking and impactful livery that gets across its message clearly and effectively.

Arla Foods

Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland

Fresh Direct (UK)

Hallam Express

Jewson (Trading as STARK Building Materials UK)

Swain Group

6
Low Carbon Award

Partnered with


The Low Carbon Award will be given to the operator who has made significant progress in reducing its carbon emissions by: significantly improving the efficiency of a diesel or gas vehicle fleet; reducing empty running or improving load fill; reducing fuel consumption through improving driver performance; using alternative low carbon fuels such as biofuels, hydrogen or electricity.

Arla Foods

DFDS Logistics

DPD UK

Gist

Gregory Group

HIVED

2
Network of the Year
Partnered with


This category makes a return for 2025 and is open to any national transport or logistics operator with a network of DCs or depots, including but not limited to 3PLs, pallet networks, parcels carrier and own account operators. Ownership structure is immaterial; the network can be a wholly-owned, partnership, consortium, franchised or licensed operation.

DPD UK

Menzies Distribution Solutions

4
New Talent Development Award

Partnered with


This award is for the transport operator that has come up with successful methods to recruit, develop and retain the best new talent to meet the company’s future business needs.

DPD UK

Explore Plant and Transport Solutions

GXO

TruckEast

3
Operational Excellence Award

Partnered with


The operations department contains the key people who make the logistics world work. This award is for the often the unsung heroes of any operation, during the pandemic the pressure to juggle the need for the business to make a profit, the demands of customers for high service levels and the absolute requirement to run legally at all times has never been greater.

Jet Plant Hire

M&H Carriers

Speedy Hire

4
Partnership Award

Partnered with


This Award is open to genuine partnerships between: operator(s) and a customer; two or more operators working together; or operator(s) working with a major supplier or consultant. The maximum number of partners that can be cited in the entry is three.

CS Ellis Logistics & Coles Nurseries

Knowles Logstics & The Silver Spoon Company

Malcolm Logistics & Edrington UK

Project Jolt

5
Safety in Operation Award

Partnered with


The primary goal of every operator must be to make sure staff, customers and the general public go home safe and well at the end of every day. Entrants for this Award will need to show either an exceptional commitment to all-round operational safety or describe a specific successful initiative designed to improve safety in a particular area of the operation.

Arla Foods

CLEAN Linen & Workwear

Müller Milk and Ingredients Distribution

Palletline

XPO Logistics

6
Specialist Operator of the Year

Partnered with


Another new Award for 2025, it is designed to recognise the fact that the road freight transport industry is incredibly diverse, with niche players focused on highly specialist markets playing a significant role. This Award will be made to either a standalone company operating in a specialist sector or a division of a larger 3PL focusing on just one category of operation.

Explore Plant and Transport Solutions

MTS Cleansing Services

Muller Milk and Ingredients Distribution

Prigmore Haulage

Swain Group

TRUCKINGBY

4
Sustainable Transport Award

Partnered with


A truly sustainable operator will have a detailed environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy in place. The winner of this award will ensure the business is: working towards carbon-neutrality in its entire operation; protects the health and well-being of its employees and the public and is able to recruit and retain the people it needs; and can achieve these laudable aims while making enough money to reinvest in the future.

DFDS Logistics

DPD UK

Knowles Logistics

Malcolm Group

4
Team of the Year

Partnered with 


Open to any team of any size in any part of a transport or logistics operation, the Team of the Year Award will be made to the group of people able to demonstrate that they have worked closely together to either deliver a major project on time and to budget or consistently over-achieved in their field of operation.

Collett & Sons

DFDS Logistics

Menzies Distributions Solutions

Palletforce

3
Training Award

Partnered with


Entrants in this category must show how they have improved the performance of their company or operation through training staff. An excellent staff training regime is essential for any successful operator to give its people the skills they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. It is also vital to give staff a proper career development path to motivate and retain the best people.

Dawsongroup

Pall-Ex Group

TIP