Rocha Transportation and Bison Transport were the grand prize winners of the Truckload Carriers Association’s National Fleet Safety Awards, presented at TCA’s convention at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla. Rocha Transportation, of Ceres, Calif., won the award for truckload companies in the small carrier division (total annual mileage of less than 25 million miles), while Bison Transport, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, won in the category for truckload companies in the large carrier division (total annual mileage of 25 million or more miles).
The 36th annual awards, sponsored by Great West Casualty Co., were accepted by Corrie Toste, corporate secretary for Rocha Transportation, and Rob Penner, vice president for Bison Transport. Another recognition ceremony will take place during TCA’s upcoming Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting, to be held May 20-22 at the Embassy Suites Norman-Hotel & Conference Center in Norman, Okla.
“Each year, the trucking industry makes great strides toward improving its safety record,” said Chris Burruss, TCA president. “It takes companies who are dedicated to trying new technologies and implementing the latest safety strategies – like these grand prize winners – to make that happen.”
The two grand prize winners were selected from among 18 division winners in the National Fleet Safety Division Awards, announced in January. In order to be granted the grand prize, both companies had to demonstrate that they strive to meet stringent standards in their overall safety programs, on and off the highway, and were judged to be the best in their commitment to improving safety on our nation’s highways.
The judging process began with the determination of the top companies in each of six mileage-based divisions. The division winners were selected based on accident frequency only; the top three winners in each division then were able to compete for the two grand prizes. During the judging, some of the factors considered included safety program organization, employee driver/independent contractor selection procedures, training, supervision, accident investigation, inspection and maintenance of equipment, and outside activities, including general highway safety.
In an effort to ensure the highest level of integrity in the contest, all grand prize finalists were audited by independent auditors not affiliated with TCA or the carrier.
