The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge Monday at Truckload 2022: Las Vegas – TCA's annual meeting – recognized eight fleets entering its newly-launched Best Fleets to Drive For Hall of Fame.
Currently in its 14th year, Best Fleets to Drive For is an annual survey and contest that recognizes the North American for-hire trucking companies who provide the best workplace experience for drivers. Fleets are evaluated against a range of different criteria, including programs for drivers, driver satisfaction, and results in safety and retention. The top scoring participants are named Best Fleets to Drive For.
Expanding on that recognition, the Hall of Fame, sponsored by EpicVue, identifies carriers who have been named a Best Fleet for 10 consecutive years, or 7 consecutive years plus an overall award.
The fleets entering the 2022 Best Fleets Hall of Fame are Bison Transport Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba; Boyle Transportation, Billerica, Massachusetts; Central Oregon Truck Company, Redmond, Oregon; FTC Transportation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Grand Island Express, Grand Island, Nebraska; Halvor Lines, Superior, Wisconsin; Nussbaum Transportation Services, Hudson, Illinois; and Prime Inc., Springfield, Missouri
“Congratulations to the eight fleets who have earned this prestigious honor,” shared TCA President John Lyboldt. “It’s important that we applaud the efforts of those companies who go above and beyond for their professional truck drivers year after year.”
Ray Haight honored with TCA's top honor
Ray Haight has amassed more than 30 years of experience in the trucking industry.
Also during Monday’s general session TCA bestowed its Past Chairmen’s Award upon long-time industry professional Ray Haight of Lambeth, Ontario, Canada. The Past Chairmen’s award is TCA’s highest honor. Recipients are leaders who have made a significant contribution to the business community, the trucking industry, and the organization. Contrary to the name of the award, the awardee does not have to be a past chairman of the Association.
Haight has amassed more than 30 years of experience in the trucking industry. Most recently he joined Dunbar, Pennsylvania-based truckload carrier, JLE Industries, as its Executive Performance Impact Coach. This role spurs from his successful stint as TCA Profitability Program’s (TPP) Carrier Retention Coach, where he was instrumental in creating the TPP’s Driver Retention Project Plan – an educational series that resulted in reduced driver turnover in numerous fleets throughout the trucking industry.
Haight was also the co-founder of StakUp Inc, an online transportation benchmarking service and the operating platform of TPP.
Haight served as TCA’s chairman from 2008-2009 and spearheaded the change of the Professional Truck Driver Institute’s (PTDI) Board of Directors to a fully-functioning Board that took an active role in moving PTDI forward.
Additionally, he also served as chairman of the PTDI; North American Training and Management Institute (NATMI); Industry Committee for Apprenticeship; as well as a Commercial Tractor Trailer Driver appointed by The Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities.
Aside from serving as the Chairman of TCA’s Recruitment and Retention Human Relations Committee, he has been an active member of the association’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, and Membership Committee.
Haight has received numerous awards for his contributions to the industry including the 2008 Lee Crittenden Award for his service and dedication to the Professional Truck Drivers Institute (PTDI).
Other personal and professional accolades include: Alumni of the UWO’s Ivey School of Business’s Quantum Shift Program; Winning team member of the Top 50 Best Managed companies of Canada for 2002 through 2007; Winning team member of the Shipper’s Choice award for 2003 through 2007; Winning team member of the Truckload Carriers Association’s National Fleet Safety Award for 1999, 2001, and 2003; and winning team member of the Over the Road Retention Award for 2003.
Haight is second-generation trucker as his parents ran a small four truck fleet operation, which worked for a local shipper into the U.S. market. Haight took to the road for 10 years as a driver and an owner operator, logging over one million accident-free miles prior to starting his own company, Southwestern Express Inc. based in London, Ontario, in 1984, which serviced long haul lanes with both dry van and refrigerated equipment. In 1990, MacKinnon Transport Ltd. was brought in as a partner and Southwestern Express moved from London to Guelph, Ontario. Shortly after in January of 2000, MacKinnon Transport Ltd. and Southwestern Express Inc. were amalgamated. Haight held the position of President and COO until May of 2005; at that time MacKinnon Transport Inc. was a 275-truck fleet, warehousing and logistics company.
