BIFA Announces the Opening of Entries for its 2016 Awards

British haulage companies can start getting ready for the 2016 BIFA Awards ceremony to be held at a gala BIFA luncheon at The Brewery in London on the 19th of January 2017.

BIFA (the British International Freight Association) recently announced that it was accepting entries for its 2016 Freight Service Awards.

The aim of the Freight Service Awards is to encourage international haulage companies to adopt higher standards and become more professional. Winning one of these coveted awards is considered by many in the industry to be the ultimate accolade testifying to a company’s total commitment to providing excellent service at a competitive cost.

So, Why Enter and For What?

If you’re proud of your company and the level of service you provide your clients, then there really isn’t any doubt that you should put your company forward for an award.

A look at the BIFA site shows that there are 11 awards divided into 4 categories – General, Modal, Specialist and Individual.

Categories this year include:

The General Category with five awards:• Project Forwarding Award (Sponsors - Lole Insurance Brokers).?• Specialist Services Award (Sponsors - Forward Computers).• Staff Development Award (Sponsors - Albacore Systems).• Supply Chain Management Award (Sponsors - BoxTop Technologies).• Sustainable Logistics Award (Sponsors Red Recruit).The Modal Category with three awards:• Air Cargo Services Award (Sponsors - IAG Cargo).• European Logistics Award (Sponsors - TT Club).• Ocean Services Award – (No sponsor yet announced).The Specialist Categories:• Cool award (Sponsors - American Airlines Cargo).• Extra Mile award (Sponsors – Descartes).Individual category:• Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award (Sponsors – Virgin Atlantic Cargo).Judges for all categories (apart from the Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award) include one judge from each sponsoring organization plus two independent judges. The Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award is judged by a representative of the sponsor plus two judges from BIFA.

The Grand Prize – Prestige and Publicity

There are, of course, other reasons for entering your company for an award other than the recognition by more than 1500 UK haulage companies that you are the best at what you do.

Winning a BIFA Award makes you stand out from the crowd and is recognition of your company’s professionalism. Being able to display your award and publicise it will, in all probability, help you maintain your client base in an incredibly competitive market and, hopefully, attract new clients thanks to the industry’s seal of approval.

BIFA in a Nutshell

BIFA is a non-profit organisation funded entirely from the subscriptions paid by its members - 1500 UK haulage companies. BIFA members carry freight to and from the UK by air, road, sea and rail. The association aims to provide support for its members and the UK in four major areas:• Representation and lobbying in governmental and international organisations.• Technical information and guidance via its website and monthly newsletter, BIFALink. BIFA also organises conferences and seminars throughout the year to keep members up to date.• Training and development with courses in topics such as customs, transport of dangerous goods and substances, security and more.• Industry promotion. Recognising that UK haulage companies face a chronic and worsening professional labour crisis, BIFA seeks to publicise the industry and encourage interest in logistics as a career.For more information about the 2016 BIFA awards, go to their website at: http://www.bifa.org/awards/

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.