Fleet Safety takes centre stage
SHEQ Management, the largest magazine on the African continent within the fields of occupational health and safety, as well as environmental and quality issues, served as the official media partner for MasterDrive’s recent Fleet Safety Awards.
This alignment spoke to the publication’s core mission: safeguarding people at work and on the road. “We cover safety, health, environment, and quality in our bimonthly magazine and fortnightly newsletter, and there’s a stark truth we can’t ignore,” says Jaco de Klerk, editor of SHEQ Management. “For many employees, the single most dangerous part of any job is the daily drive to, from, and for work. That’s why championing fleet safety is non-negotiable.”
The Fleet Safety Awards, held for the fourth time this year, recognised organisations, fleet professionals, and drivers who demonstrated measurable excellence in road safety – advancing standards across South Africa through rigorous benchmarking and national visibility.
The 2025 ceremony was held on 29 October at Gallagher Convention Centre, underscoring the programme’s role as a convening point for public- and private-sector leaders. Apart from being crowned for their stellar strides in safety and sustainability, entrants also stood a chance of winning their share of R250 000 in cash and other prizes.
For SHEQ Management, the partnership is both editorial and ethical. “Our readers look for credible, practical ways to reduce harm,” De Klerk explains. “The Awards give us access to audited case studies, datasets, and practitioners who show how they’ve cut incidents, improved near-miss reporting, strengthened fatigue management, and used technology to change behaviour. We can then distil those lessons for SHEQ managers and operations teams across every fleet size.”
Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, says media partners were critical to converting momentum into movement. “SHEQ and FOCUS* amplify the Awards’ impact,” he notes. “They challenge complacency and celebrate credible progress. Importantly, they also keep the conversation going long after trophies are handed over. That’s how you transform isolated best practice into an industry baseline.”
Beyond coverage of finalists and winners, SHEQ Management will cross-examine the building blocks of safer fleets: lead indicators and culture. “We’ll focus on the habits that actually prevent crashes: maintenance discipline, speed governance, data-driven coaching, and fit-for-duty controls,” De Klerk says. “If a fleet can prove cause and effect, we’ll give it a platform – so others can follow.”
Herbert sums up the shared purpose succinctly: “The Awards are a national push to reduce road fatalities and improve fleet performance. When specialist media insist on evidence and transparency, everyone benefits – drivers, companies, and the public.”
As De Klerk notes, for SHEQ readers, the message is clear: “The road to, from, and for work is part of the workplace. Aligning with a proven national programme keeps that reality front and centre, helping to turn commitment into measurable results.”
* The Fleet Safety Awards had two official media partners: SHEQ Management and its sister publication, FOCUS on Transport and Logistics – Africa’s oldest and leading transport and logistics magazine.
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