NPTC makes headlines at annual conference

Regional operations (Small fleet – less than 50 vehicles)
First Place: Jerico Services Inc.
Second Place: Valleydale Transportation Co.
Third Place: Hospira Fleet Services LLC

Regional operations (Large fleet – 50 vehicles or more)
First Place: Hittman Transport Services Inc.
Second Place: Contract Transportation System

Mixed operations (Small fleet – less than 50 vehicles)
First Place: Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
Second Place: Clinton’s Ditch Coop Co. Inc.
Third Place: South East Express Inc.

Mixed operations (Large fleet – 50 vehicles or more)
First Place: New South Express Inc.
Second Place: General Nutrition Centers
Third Place: Targa Midstream Services LP

Also recognized were those fleets with outstanding and/or improved safety records based upon their crash rates. Winners of the Gold Seal, awarded to fleet experiencing zero crashes in 2008, include ADM Trucking Inc., Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Dominion Virginia Power, Hittman Transport Services Inc., Jerico Services Inc., Linde, Moen Inc., Targa Midstream Services LP, Trimac Transportation Inc. and Valleydale Transportation Co.

Winners of the Silver Seal, presented to those companies whose fleets reduced their vehicle crash rates by 40 percent or more compared to the previous year, were ADM Trucking Inc., CVS/Caremark, Frito-Lay Inc., Orgill Inc., Shaw Industries Inc., South East Express Inc., Staples Inc., Trimac Transportation Inc. and Walgreen Oshkosh Inc.

The Bronze Seal recognition is presented to companies who have reduced their vehicle crash rates by 20 percent to 39 percent from the previous year. The winners of the Bronze Seal are ADM Trucking Inc., Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC, Clinton’s Ditch Coop Co. Inc., Frito-Lay Inc., General Nutrition Centers, Hospira Worldwide Inc., New South Express Inc., PV Transport Inc., Trimac Transportation Inc. and Walgreen Oshkosh Inc.

Dodi Reagan Humanitarian Award

NPTC presented Mervin Elam, a 28-year veteran driver for Batesville Casket Co., with its Dodi Reagan Humanitarian Award, named in memory of the former NPTC director of safety programs who died tragically in 1997. The award recognizes those individuals who share her extraordinary commitment to helping others.

Elam, who has logged more than 3.3 million accident-free miles, received the award for his efforts with learning-disabled students and their family. In 2004, Elam’s 22-year-old son, Dusty, was killed in a motorcycle accident. At the time, he was studying to become a special education teacher. To ensure that Dusty’s goals lived on, Elam and his family launched the Dusty Elam Foundation, which has raised more than $110,000 to help provide resources for learning disabled students and underprivileged children, as well as their families. In addition, Elam remains an active volunteer with Trucker Buddy in the New Union Elementary School in Manchester, Tenn., and also has served as a member of Highway Watch.

Driver Hall of Fame

Four truck drivers who have logged more than a combined 146 years and 13.4 million miles of safe driving were inducted into the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame. The drivers are from NPTC member companies and have met the minimum qualifications of 20 years, two million miles or 50,000 hours of driving without a preventable accident. Many of the drivers have far exceeded these qualifications and are known for having made significant contributions to their industry and their communities. Since its inception, 92 drivers have been installed in the Driver Hall of Fame.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are Jose Amor, Army & Air Force Exchange Service, El Paso, Texas; Melvin F. Hobden, Lance Inc., Commerce, Texas; Oscar Hymons Jr., Gwaltney Transportation division of Smithfield, Portsmouth, Va.; and Mark R. Kaiser, Batesville Casket Co., Batesville, Ind.

Private Fleet Professional Leadership Awards

Since 1990, the Private Fleet Professional Leadership Awards have been given to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to NPTC, their profession and the private trucking community:

The Private Fleet Executive of the Year, NPTC’s highest individual award, went to Harry J. Haney III, associate director of logistics operations for Kraft Foods Inc.

The Private Fleet Safety Professional of the Year Award went to Randy Perry, CDS, Southern Division fleet safety manager for Frito-Lay Inc.

The Private Fleet Member of the Year Award was presented to George Carpenter, CTP, director of warehouse management system project for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).

This year’s Allied Member of the Year Award went C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. for helping to launch the Fleet Optimization Center, a service designed to assist private fleet members maximize asset utilization by eliminating empty and unprofitable miles.

The NPTC Membership Development Award honored Schneider National Inc. for its efforts to bring in 40 new NPTC fleet members in conjunction with the sponsorship of the Private Fleet Assessment Program.

Haig Dikijian, CTP, safety program director for Verizon Logistics, received the Daniel P. Smith Life Achievement Award, given to an individual who has made significant leadership contributions to NPTC in helping advance the goals and objectives of the council and whose personal traits of honor, integrity, tenacity and devotion to duty in making these contributions serve as an exemplary model for future NPTC-member private fleet professionals.

Certified Transportation Professionals

Thirty-five transportation professionals achieved the prestigious designation of Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) by the NPTC Institute. Since the CTP designation was first introduced in 1993, more than 600 fleet and transportation professionals have earned the right to add CTP after their name. According to NPTC, CTPs are raising industry standards, and in turn, increasing the respect and prestige of the fleet and transportation profession. This year’s Top Graduate was Amy M. Daley, CTP, mobile project manager for J.J. Keller & Associates Inc.