The company impressed the judges with its employment relations, which includes regular training sessions and social functions, and use of technology to prevent petrol vapours being released into the atmosphere.

Its compulsory training that includes a one-on-one buddy training programme for the first two to four weeks of employment also helped win the award.

The award was presented at the Institute of Road Transport Engineers of New Zealand’s (IRTENZ) bi-annual conference.

The IRTENZ Transport Industry Awards received entries from five transport operators for the Fleet Operator of the Year award.

Jackie Carroll and Greg Pert have owned and operated Tranzliquid Logistics for 10 years.

Miss Carroll said it was the first time the company had entered into that category.

“[I am] thrilled to get the award. It’s good for putting the business out there and setting a benchmark against other businesses.”

The award comes four years after the company received awards for business innovation and the judge’s commendation at the Tauranga Business Awards in 2006.

Miss Carroll said the award showed the company was leading in industry standards.

“We aim to meet and exceed industry standards.

“It’s a bit like doing a business review.”

The criteria for choosing the winner included safety improvements, relationships with customers, employment procedures and applying new technologies.

“A key theme of the conference was productivity and efficiency,” Miss Carroll said.

“We had to demonstrate how we were productively operating our fleet.”

Miss Carroll said two of the aspects that helped win the award were the company’s  information about employee training and the standards the firm  set with
safety compliance.

As news of the award filtered through the company the reaction of the employees has been very positive she said.

“A lot of them didn’t know we had entered.”

“Reliability, safe operation, representing the Gull brand and cost were all factors in the tender. Competition was steep.
“Full Logistics provision is the key to Gull and Tranzliquid’s success. It’s not just trucking fuel, it’s the full service that Tranzliquid offers,” says Bodger.
“Monitoring the stock on site, determining the best load to send where, the best rig to cart it and when to send to beat traffic is a fine art; a lot more than simply load, drive, and deliver. We give Tranzliquid a lot of responsibility in our processes and they completely run the logistics side of the business for us. “Our sites are never dry of fuel. Tranzliquid’s involvement in our business means that we can pass delivery savings on to our customers, and have enough fuel on hand to meet demand on even the busiest of days. TLL make a great contribution to Gull, and we’re proud to have them as part of our team for at least the next five years.”
Based at Mt Maunganui, adjacent to Gull’s fuel terminal, Tranzliquid is a specialised bulk fuel and dangerous goods transport and logistics company owned and operated by Jackie Carroll and Greg Pert. The company has a team of 20 and operates a fleet of ten rigs, with a further two on order.
Collectively Tranzliquid trucks travel approximately two million kilometers on Gull business each year, delivering fuel to service stations, quarries, cruise liners, fishing boats and other transport operators around the North Island.