– FORS honours outstanding achievements with first FORS Fleet Operator Awards
– Fox Group / Hurt Plant, Pump App and Wilson James scoop awards
– Awards sponsored by Ford; first-time exhibitors at FORS Annual Conference
FORS has proudly revealed the winners of its inaugural Fleet Operator Awards at its FORS Annual Conference, held on 23 October 2025 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. The eighth edition of the event brought together hundreds of commercial transport professionals from across the UK, all dedicated to shaping the future of road transport through best practice, innovation and collaboration.
Safety category winner – Fox Brothers
(L-R) John Moran, FORS GSAG Chair and P. Flannery Plant Hire Transport Director; Simon Colderley, Transport Manager; Craig Banks, Driver Recruitment & Onboarding Manager; Liam Baldachinno, Transport Performance Supervisor; Neil Wilson, FORD of Britain, Fleet Director; Andy Salter, FORS Conference Chair.
FORS was also thrilled to welcome Ford as its awards sponsor, and the first time the leading automotive manufacturer presented its products and services within the conference’s hugely popular exhibition zone.
For the first time, FORS introduced a dedicated awards ceremony to recognise its accredited operators who have excelled across its three pillars of safety, efficiency and sustainability:
Safety Award: Fox Group and Hurt Plant Hire were commended for ‘Project LENS,’ an ambitious safety initiative retrofitting over 250 fleet vehicles with AI-powered dashcams. The project delivered real-time driver monitoring, substantial reductions in mobile phone use, inattentive driving and collisions, and led to major savings in claim costs. Embedding a proactive safety culture and leveraging full-time safety audits, saw operators set industry standards in risk reduction and incident prevention.
Efficiency category winner – PumpApp
(L-R) John Moran, FORS GSAG Chair and P. Flannery Plant Hire Transport Director; Tavi Pampareu, Head of Transport at PumpApp; Mehdi Mohtasham, Director at PumpApp; Neil Wilson, FORD of Britain, Fleet Director; Andy Salter, FORS Conference Chair.
Efficiency Award: PumpApp was celebrated for its ‘Fuel without Friction’ solution, streamlining fleet refuelling with mobile, on-site overnight services. This project eliminated costly detours and congestion, reduced non-productive mileage, and resulted in measurable operational benefits for fleets of all sizes. By combining digital tracking, consistent pricing, and contract-free scalability, PumpApp empowered operators to optimise drive time and cost-efficiency.
Sustainability Award: Wilson James received recognition for its ‘Business as Usual’ programme, which replaced 20% of diesel van fleet with electric vehicles, installed a network of depot charging stations and used comprehensive fleet data to optimise operations. The firm’s commitment to Section 60 obligations, urban air quality improvement and electrification, positions Wilson James as a responsible partner in green logistics and compliance-led innovation.
Sustainability category winner – Wilson James
(L-R) John Moran, FORS GSAG Chair and P. Flannery Plant Hire Transport Director; Tony Lenihan CMILT, Transport and Compliance Manager, Wilson James Ltd.; Marta Horawska, HLI Operations Lead Manager, Wilson James Ltd.; Gary Sullivan, Chairman, Wilson James Ltd.; Neil Wilson, FORD of Britain, Fleet Director; Andy Salter, FORS Conference Chair.
Future focus: equipping fleets for tomorrow
The 2025 conference – themed ‘Future focus: equipping fleets for tomorrow’ – delivered wide-ranging insights on technology, professional development, compliance and sustainability, setting a new benchmark for industry engagement and networking. With dynamic panel discussions, keynote addresses, and a vibrant exhibition hall, delegates experienced the very best that FORS and its partners have to offer.
Kevin Rooney, Senior Traffic Commissioner, and Ross Moorlock, CEO of Brake, headlined a full day of conference sessions joined by industry leaders and FORS Affinity Partners. The event showcased innovation and technology, championed operator achievement, and strengthened FORS’s role in promoting safer, smarter, and more sustainable fleets.
“The debut of the Fleet Operator Awards at this year’s conference underlines FORS’s commitment to raising standards across our industry,” said Geraint Davies, FORS Concession Director. “We’re delighted to recognise accredited operators who have gone above and beyond, and grateful to all participants – and especially all our sponsors – for making this conference our most successful yet.”