We’re finalists at the Motor Transport Awards
We have been named a finalist for Specialist Operator of the Year at this year’s Motor Transport Awards.
It is an honour, a testament to the team’s dedication, and a mark of recognition in an industry where being nominated alongside leading specialist operators in motor transport carries real weight.
When I purchased Keep It Cool in 2014, the business had a turnover of £200,000. Today, that figure stands at over £3 million, with the ambition to grow further still. The business has been built on a no-contract commitment, and every customer that works with us does so because they trust the team to be there, whether through our 24/7 Immediate Response, Flex Support or as an Embedded Partner.
Travelling the journey from a small operator to a sizable Bradford-based business being recognised on a national stage is a genuinely proud moment for me and for every member of the team.
Recognised across every part of the business
The Specialist Operator category covers everything from customer service and agility to sustainability, safety, staff welfare, commercial strategy and operational standards. To be recognised in a category that touches every part of how a transport business operates is significant. It means that the way we work, across the board, has stood up against the best in the industry.
Of the 85 customers who have used Keep It Cool over the past 24 months, all have remained active. None are tied to a contract; they stay because the service earns its place. One of those customers shared:
“I have worked with Nikki and the Keep It Cool team directly for a little over two years, and through a third-party agent for around four years. I find them reliable, honest and upfront in their approach. Exactly what I need.”
It speaks to the wider operation too. We employ our drivers directly, we invest in technology like Axtec vehicle weighing to keep the fleet safe and accountable, and we’re actively working towards DVSA Earned Recognition. These are deliberate choices, made because they’re the right way to run a transport business, not because anyone asked us to.
Another customer put it like this:
“Nikki is always responsive and understanding of the pressures we work under, and the team consistently goes the extra mile to help, even when changes come at short notice.
It feels very much like working with an extension of our own team rather than an external supplier.”
A recognition that reflects our team
What makes this nomination especially meaningful is the inclusion of staff welfare in the judging criteria. The culture at Keep It Cool has been built deliberately, person by person, since 2014. We support our team through life, not just through work.
One of our drivers shared:
“At the beginning of 2025, I had a significant amount of time off sick, and I was fully supported financially. Nikki was very understanding and checked in with me regularly and did not rush me back to work.”
This is the kind of business I have always wanted to build, and being recognised for it nationally is a massive moment for me the legacy I want for Keep It Cool.
More than a nomination
Awards are not the reason we do any of this. We do this because our customers deserve a transport partner they can trust, our drivers deserve to be looked after, and our industry deserves operators who take the work seriously.
But being shortlisted against established operators across the sector is a real milestone for the business. It tells me that the way we have chosen to grow Keep It Cool – with flexibility, honestly and with people at the centre of every decision – is the right way.
Whatever happens on the night, we are already proud to be finalists. Thank you to every customer who has trusted us, every driver who has shown up, and every member of the team who has helped get us here.
Here’s to what comes next.
About Keep It Cool
Keep It Cool is a specialist refrigerated transport business serving B2B food businesses across the UK. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the business provides dedicated same-day temperature-controlled transport with no consolidated loads, no contracts and no compromises.
Founded in 2014 by Managing Director Nikki Redhead, Keep It Cool has grown from a standing start to a £3 million operation, built on reliability, responsiveness and a team that takes responsibility when it matters most.