Terry Bickerton, Australia Postal Corporation head of fleet and equipment, was presented the 2022 Fleet Manager of the Year Award at the Australasian Fleet Management Association’s (AfMA) recent annual networking dinner and fleet awards ceremony.

Bickerton joined Australia Post in 2012 as national fleet manager. The corporation delivers 20 billion items to 11 million addresses across Australia every day. Each item is transported by road at some point on its journey, often via multiple types of vehicles. The fleet comprises16,000 vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, vans, small and large trucks, and prime movers.

“I was honored to be named as AfMA’s fleet manager of the year for 2022, but I could not achieve this without the great work done by my fleet team and support from senior management,” Bickerton said.

Cited for his focus on fleet safety, particularly in determining fleet policy, Bickerton said, “Australia Post goes to exhaustive lengths to ensure the vehicles are as safe as we are able to make them, adding many of the additional safety features as possible to the vehicles; we also carry out exhaustive testing and consultation with drivers prior to any vehicles taking to the road.”

Under Bickerton’s leadership, in-cab safety cameras for heavy vehicles were installed and fleet management coaches drivers on road safety, measures that have helped reduce collision-leading risk by 64% and heavy vehicle collisions by 21%. Vehicles are also equipped with telematics to assist in better vehicle management, driver safety, and maintenance.

Sustainability is another key element in Bickerton’s fleet management. Since 2017, Australia Post has lowered vehicle emissions through ZEV and hybrid technology and today deploys more than 2,500 zero-emission delivery vehicles.