We asked leasing companies to list the brands with the fewest breakdowns on your fleet, based on the number of mechanical breakdowns or warranty claims per 100 vehicles.

Most reliable car manufacturer - BMW

Most reliable van manufacturer - Volkswagen

We spoke to the top 50 companies and asked them to nominate individuals and teams who exemplify why their company excels in customer service.

FN50 rising star award - Ben Creswick, business development director at Zenith

Our winner has made it to a director’s position at the tender age of 29 and is someone we expect to see continue rising through the leasing ranks in the coming years.

His manager described his “self-less commitment, drive and passion for the business” which has resulted in some of the company’s largest ever contract wins this year.

FN50 Customer Service Award - Individual - LCV Relationship Manager at Arval, Bill Bluer

All of our shortlist are winners, because they have stood out in their company for really making a difference.

Such was the high calibre of nominations that we decided to highly commend one person who will receive a framed certificate.

That person is Carol Shears, account executive at Alphabet.

Our winner is someone whose job entails supporting customers’ operational requirements and queries, matching their van fleets with suitable suppliers and developing network services.

His manager says: “There is no-one in our business more passionate about LCV network services. He is a massive support to our customers which strengthens our LCV proposition and supports customer loyalty and retention. He is a great asset to our business.”

Team of the year - Team HM – Corporate Customer Services North, Lex Autolease

Again the list of entries was very strong and we decided to highly commend one team – the BMW Group corporate finance business partnership development team which consists of Chris Berry and Peter Clarke.

However, they were just pipped by our winner.

This team was described by its manager as “self-motivated, self-sufficient and self-aware”.

“They are all extremely customer focused with a real desire to go the extra mile to resolve problems,” she said.

Fleet News Hall of Fame - Geoffrey Bray

This award recognises and honours those people that have made an outstanding contribution to the fleet sector during their career.

We make two inductions a year into the Fleet News Hall of Fame. At the Fleet News Awards in March we put the spotlight on fleet managers that have made a significant contribution to this industry.

At the FN50 we focus on people from manufacturers, leasing companies and other fleet suppliers.

Entering the Hall of Fame tonight is someone who has dedicated his working life to safety. His company helps fleets to manage risk and cut the cost – both financial and human – of crashes.

He encourages companies to care about road safety and make a real difference to the safety of their own drivers and other road users.

Along the way he has collected countless awards recognising those achievements.

Our winner is also a tireless safety campaigner, giving up his time to support road safety charities like Brake.