A culture of safety, driven by our people
The true success of the Safety Cup lies in the overwhelming buy-in from our drivers. From depots across the country, drivers wholeheartedly embraced the competition, engaging with the Safety Charter and utilising our reporting systems with unprecedented consistency.
The results speak for themselves:
- 25% reduction in collisions per million kilometres.
- 59% surge in hazard reporting, proving proactive use of safety systems.
- 45% decrease in contamination incidents.
- 17% drop in spillage frequency.
- 3% improvement in Lost Time Injury Frequency.
These statistics translate directly into safer, happier drivers, significant cost savings that can be reinvested into further safety improvements, and less downtime for our tankers – allowing us to maintain consistent delivery to customers and even increase capacity
A company-wide commitment
This transformation was a team effort in the truest sense. Senior leadership provided the vision and resources, transport managers embedded safety into daily routines, and our sponsors offered invaluable support. Most importantly, our drivers have been the real champions of this culture shift.
Rewarding excellence
A celebration, held at Oulton Park, was a fitting finale for our top-performing drivers. The event delivered thrills on the track, while offering a valuable opportunity for drivers, managers, and suppliers from across the country to connect.
Conversations about best practice, safety innovation, and operational efficiency continued long after the engines cooled – running on through dinner and into the evening at the hotel. From refining safety practices to sharing ideas on efficiency, the event strengthened unity within NWF Fuels and reinforced our shared commitment to continuous improvement.
Voices from the day
Luke Armitage Operations Director: “The Driver of the Year Awards event was a true celebration of excellence, brought to life by Alan Greenhalgh, Fleet Manager, who transformed the idea of recognising drivers performing safely and at the highest level into a fantastic spectacle.
“A huge thank you goes to all the drivers who attended, whose phenomenal performance throughout the past year truly set the standard for success. It was a pleasure to spend the day and evening together, not only celebrating achievements but also gathering valuable feedback and ideas on how we can continue to improve the business moving forward.”
Alan Greenhalgh, Fleet Manager: “I couldn’t be prouder to spend the day with our Safety Cup winners and sponsors. Their dedication to safety and compliance has really paid off, and they truly deserved their recognition as ambassadors for their depots and regions. Each showed professionalism throughout the event, and the message of safety will now spread even further across the business.”
Drivers also felt the impact as Damien Jones from Babbinswood, shared: “To reach the top of the league table after only three years as a tanker driver is an incredible achievement.
“Being recognised for safe and efficient driving has given me the reassurance and confidence that I am doing a great job. This experience has motivated our entire depot, and we can’t wait to compete again next year.”
The support, partnership and shared values of our sponsors have been instrumental to the success of the Safety Cup:
Gordon Hyland, Head of Sales at Touchstar, said: “Driver safety is one of our core values, so it was a perfect and natural alignment. It was great to hear such universally positive feedback from the drivers about the FuelStar system.”
Brad Wilkie, MD at MechTronic, echoed this:
“It was a great pleasure to support such a fantastic cause – one we are more than happy to support moving forward.”
His colleague, Ben Firth, added: “It’s always rewarding to hear that what we are doing is really making a difference… it was great to catch up with the drivers and hear how OptiMate has helped improve their daily tasks.”
Together, these voices highlight the strength of collaboration across our industry, reinforcing that the Safety Cup is not just a competition but a movement that benefits drivers, partners, and the business alike.
The road ahead
The Oulton Park event wasn’t the end – the momentum is only building. With the success of the inaugural Safety Cup creating a buzz, planning is already underway for the next one.
It has evolved from a simple competition that helps to reward and communicate our Safety Charter, into a cornerstone of our culture and is driving us forward as a safer, stronger and more united company as the winning drivers testify.
“Winning felt really good and reassuring. It’s definitely sharpened up my driving, and I check my mirrors non-stop now! I’m aiming for another win next year and will encourage other drivers too.” Gavin Spriggs.
“I was very proud to be chosen for being a safe and competent driver. I’ve always been careful, but the extra training was useful to help guard against complacency.” Josh Levy
“Winning felt like I’d achieved something to be proud of, and it was great to be recognised for it. I’ve always been a conscious, safe driver, but the Safety Cup really fine-tuned my driving and encouraged me to make sure my teammates are staying safe too.” Pete Rich.
“It felt really good to be recognised; the event was brilliantly organised. To next year’s winners, I’d say enjoy it and throw yourself into it. These experiences don’t come along often.” Martin Darch.
“I was really glad to see some proper recognition for the hard work drivers put in. It’s a great initiative that encourages every delivery to be carried out to a high level of safety. it was brilliant meeting drivers from across the country and people from our partner companies and I’d thoroughly recommend everyone gives their best to win the Safety Cup!” Adam Whitehead.
The message is clear: at NWF Fuels, safety is not just a priority – it’s a core value that we celebrate and reward.
Image courtesy of NWF
