The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge, a provider of online driver improvement programs, announced the overall winners of the third annual Best Fleets to Drive For survey and contest. Fremont Contract Carriers Inc. of Fremont, Neb., was selected as the Best Fleet for Company Drivers, sponsored by Marsh Inc. Paramount Freight Systems of Ft. Myers, Fla., was selected as the Best Fleet for Owner-Operators.
Best Fleets to Drive For is an annual survey and contest identifying the North American for-hire trucking companies that provide the best workplace experiences for their drivers. Nominated carriers are evaluated on the range and depth of offered programs, the overall effectiveness of those programs across key metrics, and the responses of surveyed drivers. The top finishers are identified as Best Fleets to Drive For, and the highest scoring fleet in each category is named overall winner.
Both companies were presented with their awards Tuesday, March 15, as part of the TCA Annual Convention at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention Center in California. “All 20 of the companies named as Best Fleets finalists in January have outstanding driver programs, but FCC and PFS, in particular, have risen above the rest,” says John Kaburick, outgoing TCA chairman and president of Earl L. Henderson Trucking Co. of Salem, Ill. “We are pleased to be able to honor them for excellence within the trucking industry.”
In 2009, when the first Best Fleets to Drive For program was launched, Fremont Contract Carriers was named the overall winner in the “Over 100 Power Units” category (the contest no longer classifies carriers by size). Today, the company continues to excel, boasting one of the most comprehensive bonus programs of any fleet in the 2011 survey. FCC rewards its drivers for mile production, customer service (on-time performance), fuel performance, minimizing out-of-route miles and company profitability, in addition to the standard safety and referral bonuses. It balances compensation with strong driver/dispatcher relations, solid maintenance programs and continuing investments in safety technology.
Paramount Freight Systems stands out because of the exceptional way the company takes care of its independent contractors. In addition to providing steady miles and home time, PFS also serves its owner-operator partners by providing a range of different insurance options at reasonable rates, quarterly surveys to collect input on the effectiveness of company programs, and an innovative “buddy” system that ensures a smooth transition for new contractors.
The Best Fleet to Drive For survey and contest was open to any fleet operating 10 or more trucks, regardless of TCA membership status. Fleets had to be nominated by at least one of their drivers (either a company driver or an owner-operator). Nominated fleets were evaluated against a broad range of criteria reflecting current human resources best practices, such as driver compensation, pension and benefits, professional development, driver and community support, and safety record.
“The 2011 overall winners of this contest are clearly doing all the right things to provide a desirable workplace for their company drivers and owner-operators,” says Mark Murrell, president of CarriersEdge. “The testimonials that were collected through our survey demonstrate that despite a recession, innovation and high standards can still attract and retain satisfied drivers.”
