Freight Transport Association Van Excellence partners ARI, ATS Euromaster, Bott, Hertz Van Rental, Lex Autolease and TomTom Telematics have been awarded gold status in recognition of their support in promoting Van Excellence to all sectors of industry.

They were presented with plaques to announce their new status at the briefing in Nottingham on Tuesday, April 5.

The Freight Transport Association’s 2016 Van Excellence Operational Briefings got under way last week with events taking place in Nottingham and Weybridge. 

High on the agenda at this year’s briefings is the way drivers’ actions can impact on how a fleet operation works, the ramifications – often serious and sometimes catastrophic – of something going wrong, and how putting the correct strategies and processes in place can improve the way they work and the image of the van driver in the UK.

Van Excellence is an industry-led initiative which promotes the safe operation of vans, celebrates operators that demonstrate excellence and represents the interests of the van industry.

Each Gold Partner is from a different service sector within the van industry and supports the scheme in all its initiatives, including the Van Excellence Operational Briefings, Van Excellence Supplement, Van Excellence Report and by promoting best practice in van operations.

Stephen Turner, sales director for Bott, said: “We’ve worked with the Van Excellence scheme since launch - for us, becoming a Gold Partner is a natural next step in our relationship.

"At Bott, we work closely with vehicle operators to drive standards in the industry and we fully support the FTA’s work in establishing a clear set of operating practices which have become the gold standard for van fleet operators.

"As well as supporting the scheme we also run a Van Excellence accredited fleet and can testify to the benefits of adopting the Van Excellence processes.”

Van Excellence Bronze and Silver Partnership grades will be announced later in 2016.