ATA honors state’s safest drivers, managers and fleets
Alabama Driver of the Year Larry Parker
The Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety & Maintenance Management Council honored dozens of the state’s safest trucking fleets, managers, and drivers Monday night in Pelham, Ala. during the group’s Alabama Fleet Safety Awards Banquet.
[For photos of the event click here]
The Association honored several individuals for outstanding performance in fleet safety management and professional driving. Candidates are nominated by ATA members, and an independent panel of judges composed of troopers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit ranked and choose winners.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of Larry Parker, a driver for Buddy Moore Trucking, Birmingham, Ala., as the Alabama Driver of the Year. The award is sponsored by Nextran Truck Center.
Parker has more than 37 years of professional driving experience, with more than 4.6 million career miles. He’s worked for Buddy Moore Trucking for the past 16 years as an independent contractor. His supervisor Connel Coggins says, “Larry is first and foremost a man of integrity and character who live his Christian faith every minute each day. He has a great relationship with his fellow drivers and is willing to share his knowledge and expertise as a 36 year veteran,”
Not only is Parker a professional driver with an impeccable safety record and work ethic, he is also quite an accomplished diesel technician, performing all of his own repairs, including major engine overhauls.
He’s also an activist for the industry, regularly writing letters to his congressman regarding issues that the trucking industry faces.
He and his wife Dorothy are active in Union Baptist Church in Meridian, Miss., where he serves as Sunday school teacher and Church Deacon. The couple also manage an active cattle farmers, running a herd of about 50 cows. Being a model “trucker’s wife”, Dorothy takes care of the cattle while Larry is on the road. “I could not do this kind of work without her support,” he says. “She and I drove as a team for many years until she decided she’d had enough. She told me one day she was ready stay home, and she has been ever since.”
Larry is still surprised by the honor. “This award really means a lot to me,” he says. “It’s not something a driver really ever thinks about reaching. There’s just so many years and miles involved that you only so focused every day on doing all you can to make sure you and everyone around you gets home safely. This job is such an important responsibility. All you know to do is work hard, do the right things, and provide for your family. If you do that you’ll be alright.”
Parker says he owes his success to so many. “By His grace I’m so thankful for this honor,” he says. “Nothing is possible without the grace of God.”
He also is thankful for the faith the Moore family and the team at Buddy Moore Trucking has placed in him all these years. “They’re such awesome people – really the whole company is outstanding. I have enjoyed working with them.”
Individual Award Winners
President’s Award (Safest Overall Fleet) – Sponsor, McGriff Tire Co.
Golden Flake Snack Foods, Inc.
Driver of the Year – Sponsor, Nextran Truck Corporation
Larry Parker – Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
Driver of the Year 1st Runner Up – Sponsor, Nextran Truck Corporation
Tim Flack – American Proteins, Inc.
Safety Professional of the Year –Sponsor, Southland International Trucks, Inc.
Johnathan Marshall, P&S Transportation, Inc.
Safety Professional of the Year 1st Runner Up – Sponsor, Southland International Trucks, Inc.
Avery Baine – ABC Transportation, Inc.
Maintenance Professional of the Year – Sponsor, Vertical Alliance Group
Keith Allred – American Proteins, Inc.
Fleet Manager of the Year – Sponsor, Birmingham Freightliner
Randy Watkins – Watkins Trucking, Inc.
Fleet Safety Awards
These following trucking businesses maintained the safest accident frequency rate for miles driven within the state of Alabama during the previous calendar year.
General Commodities Linehaul Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place ABC Transportation, Inc.
2nd Place Red Mountain Transport, LLC
3rd Place Greenbush Logistics, Inc.
General Commodities Linehaul 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place R M Logistics, Inc.
2nd Place Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc.
3rd Place Watkins Trucking Company, Inc.
General Commodities Linehaul 3 to 5 Million Miles
1st Place Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
2nd Place ABF Freight System, Inc.
3rd Place Montgomery Transport, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul 5 to 10 Million Miles
1st Place P&S Transportation, Inc.
2nd Place AAA Cooper transportation, Inc.
3rd Place Blair Logistics, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul over 10 Million Miles
1st Place Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
2nd Place Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC
3rd Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
General Commodities Local under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
2nd Place BR Williams Trucking, Inc.
3rd Place Watkins Trucking Company, Inc.
General Commodities Local 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place Greenbush Logistics, Inc.
2nd Place ABF Freight System, Inc.
General Commodities Local 3 to 5 Million Miles
1st Place AAA Cooper Transportation, Inc.
2nd Place Southeastern freight Lines, Inc.
3rd Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
General Commodities Local 5-10 Million Miles
1st Place Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc.
General Commodities Combined Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Church Transportation & Logistics, Inc.
General Commodities Combined 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place Watkins Trucking Company, Inc.
2nd Place Greenbush Logistics, Inc.
General Commodities Combined 3 to 5 Million Miles
1st Place Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
2nd Place Montgomery Transport, LLC
3rd Place Wright Transportation, Inc.
General Commodities Combined 5 to 10 Million Miles
1st Place Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc.
2nd Place P&S Transportation, Inc.
3rd Place BR Williams Trucking, Inc.
General Commodities Combined over 10 Million Miles
1st Place Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
2nd Place AAA Cooper Transportation
3rd Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
Tank Truck
1st Place J & M Tank Lines, Inc.
2nd Place Action Resources, Inc.
Hazardous Materials
1st Place Georgia Tank Lines, LLC
Miscellaneous Category 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place Massey Hauling Company, Inc.
Household Goods
1st Place Changing Spaces Moving, Inc.
Private Carrier Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Golden Flake Snack Foods, Inc.
2nd Place Scott Bridge Co., Inc.
Private Carrier Over 5 Million Miles
1st Place American Proteins, Inc.
Heavy Haulers Category
1st Place Scott Bridge Co.
President’s Award – Sponsor, McGriff Tire Co.
Golden Flake Snack Foods, Inc.
ATA Workers’ Comp Fund Awards
The ATA Workers’ Comp Fund also honored several of its Fund members for excellence in workplace safety and risk management. The Fund has served Alabama trucking firms since 1993. Today, it ranks among the top workers’ comp self-insured funds in the U.S., and its staff is as committed as ever in providing affordable coverage for all members.
Small Fleet
B & T Mineral, LLC
Dora, Ala.
Medium Fleet
Johnston Trucking, LLC
Brundidge, Ala.
Large Fleet
Southern Haulers, LLC
Calera, Ala.
Allied
Four Star Freightliner, Inc.
Montgomery, Ala.
Engineer’s Award
TeamOne Logistics
Alpharetta, Ga.
