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The Tyne and Wear Freight Quality Partnership (FQP) has beaten off eight other competitors to win an award for improving the lives and working conditions of freight operators in the region. The FQP, which launched in 2005, has developed freight maps, implemented signage on the trunk and local road network and installed an online truck information point for drivers at Durham Services. It has also been instrumental in naming a junction  in the area, which has been important for identifying specific navigational points.

The Freight Transport Association's FQP award was presented to the partnership at a recent conference. The FTA's regional policy manager James Firth, who is involved in the Tyne & Wear FQP, says: "It's well-run by consultants. They produce a work plan for the year and then they review it at the end of the year. It's very focused and isn't a 'talking shop'."

Jonathan James, project director at consultants Faber Maunsell, says: "It has been a pleasure to work with so many enthusiastic partners from the freight industry and the local authorities. This is a true example of how understanding problems and a partnership approach can lead to tangible benefits for the freight industry."