Elite Group has been named a finalist in the 2026 Fleet News Group Safe Fleet Award, with judges recognising the heavy vehicle operator for embedding safety throughout its recruitment, driver management, compliance, maintenance and day-to-day operations.
Based in Penrith, New South Wales, Elite Group operates a fleet of 62 tipping trucks delivering quarry products and aggregates across NSW and into Queensland.
Operating heavy vehicles in demanding environments creates significant safety and compliance responsibilities, and the Fleet News Group Awards judges were impressed by the way Elite Group has integrated these obligations into a single operating model.
The Safe Fleet Award recognises organisations that demonstrate leadership in reducing fleet risk through strong systems, technology, driver engagement, compliance management and continuous improvement.
Judges described Elite Group’s safety program as highly mature and practical, noting that safety appeared genuinely embedded in the business rather than treated simply as a compliance requirement.
“What stood out was the integration of compliance, technology, driver management and leadership oversight,” the judging panel noted. “There are effective controls around fatigue, driver competency, maintenance and behavioural risk, supported by clear accountability and regular management reporting.”
Driver safety begins before employment.
Elite Group checks licence histories and driving records, conducts drug and alcohol screening, and requires potential drivers to spend time with an experienced driver trainer before they are offered a position.
Once employed, drivers complete daily vehicle and fitness-for-work checks before receiving their first job.
The company also uses telematics to monitor speeding, seatbelt use, harsh driving and vehicle movements. Serious events can generate alerts that allow managers to speak with drivers immediately rather than waiting until the end of the month.
Judges highlighted Elite Group’s structured approach to driver behaviour, including non-conformance reporting, coaching and a clear escalation process for repeated breaches.
They also noted the introduction of QR codes inside truck cabins to make incident and defect reporting easier. The initiative has increased reporting and provided management with greater visibility of incidents, near misses and improvement opportunities.
Safety performance is reviewed through monthly, quarterly and annual reporting, with senior management and the company director involved in oversight.
Fleet News Group Managing Editor Marc Sibbald said the quality of the finalists demonstrated why the industry voting stage would be an important part of the inaugural awards.
“We’re extremely excited to have reached industry voting in the first year of the Fleet News Group Awards,” Sibbald said.
“I was humbled by the number of nominations from the fleet community. People wanted to put their organisations forward, share what they were doing and have that work recognised by their peers.
“When we moved into the interview stage, the quality of the shortlist became even clearer. There were some outstanding stories of people applying mature fleet management practices and producing genuine improvements.”
Sibbald also thanked the Fleet News Group Awards judging panel for the time invested in the selection process.
“The judges committed a significant amount of time to interviewing the shortlisted nominees and assessing the evidence. I want to thank them for taking the process seriously and helping us select finalists that deserve to have their stories shared with the wider fleet industry.”
He also acknowledged the organisations supporting the awards.
“I’d also like to thank all of our sponsors for their support and their willingness to recognise excellence in fleet management.
“Fleet management is often something that happens in the background of an organisation, so the support of our sponsors helps us recognise the people and teams that are setting higher standards and delivering better outcomes.”
Elite Group will now progress to the industry voting stage, where members of the fleet community will help decide the winner of the Safe Fleet Award.
The winner will be announced at the Fleet News Group Awards Night on 14 October in Sydney.
