ATA recognizes top fleets, managers at annual safety banquet
The Alabama Trucking Association Safety and Maintenance Management Council showcased its safest fleets, drivers and fleet managers at the group’s annual Fleet Safety Awards Banquet held March 25 in Birmingham, Ala.
The event, co-sponsored by Carrier Transicold South, McGriff Tire and Service Co., Nextran Truck Center, Southland International Trucks and Vertical Alliance, honors ATA member fleets for having the lowest accident rates for miles traveled within Alabama for the previous calendar year. Meanwhile, fleet managers, drivers and other employees of ATA member firms are also recognized for career excellence and professionalism. Likewise, the ATA Comp Fund also showcased its best clients with awards in several categories.
According to ATA Director of Safety Tim Frazier, to ensure fairness and transparency, winners are chosen by an independent panel of fleet safety experts from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit.
“Our awards promote safety and professionalism at all levels of trucking from truck cab to boardroom,” said Frazier. “ATA places safety at the very top of its priorities. It has been a tenet of our mission for more than 80 years, and the winners of these awards have gone far beyond what’s required of them by state and federal regulation. These companies and individuals care tremendously about this Association, the motoring public and the communities in which they live and work. Each has helped to ensure workplace and public safety for betterment of Alabama and beyond.”
Driver of the Year
The evening’s highlight was the announcement of FedEx Freight veteran truck driver Dan Thompson as the Alabama Trucking Association Professional Truck Driver of the Year, sponsored by Nextran Truck Center.
With an impressive 38-year career, Thompson has logged more than 3 million miles without an accident. In that time, he’s earned several awards and accolades, including FedEx Freight’s 25-year master driver award, was named to its President’s Safety Team, and currently serves on FedEx’s Road Team.
Thompson is also a member of the Alabama Trucking Association’s Road Team, speaking to hundreds of students each year about road safety and how to drive safely near large trucks. He’s competed at Alabama Truck Driving Championships 13 times, winning his division six times and won the Grand Champion trophy in 2016.
Away from his truck, Dan enjoys running, hiking and kayaking, but his true passion is chess, volunteering as a chess coach at several schools in his area for more than 17 years.
Thompson said each time he logs into his truck he thinks about what is at stake. “The public is counting on me to drive safely under any condition or circumstance; my family is counting on me to return home safely each evening, and my employer and co-workers are counting on me to protect their image.” He said. “I cannot let any of them down – that’s been my mission my entire career.”
And for his career choice as a truck driver Thompson said very few people can truly say they love what they do for a living, “but as a professional driver I can say without hesitation I have lived a dream come true. I am extremely proud of what I do and especially proud to be an ambassador for the trucking industry.”
Driver of the Year First Runner-up was William Brown of Blair Logistics in Birmingham who’s logged more than 2 million safe miles in 31 years as a professional truck driver. Brown has been with Blair Logistics for more than 11 years, receiving several safe driving awards and was recently tapped the fleet’s 2018 Driver of the Year.
Other Individual Awards
ATA honored several individuals for excellence in fleet management, safety and maintenance, including Alabama Fleet Manager of the Year (sponsored by Vertical Alliance Group) Vance Stevens of Vulcraft Carrier Corp.; Maintenance Professional of the Year (sponsored by Carrier Transicold South) Duke Monroe of Church Transportation and Logistics, Inc.; Safety Professional of the Year (sponsored by Southland International Trucks and Trailers, Inc.) Avery Baine of Vulcraft Carrier Corp.; and Safety Professional of the Year 1st Runner Up Deborah Trickey of Shelton Trucking, LLC.
Fleet Awards
President’s Award sponsored by McGriff Tire Co. (ATA’s safest overall fleet)
Dolphin Line, Inc.
Hazardous Materials
1st Place Georgia Tank Lines, LLC
Tank Truck
1st Place J & M Tank Lines, Inc.
Miscellaneous Category 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place Massey Hauling Co., Inc.
Miscellaneous Category Over 10 Million Miles
1st Place FedEx Ground Package System, Inc.
Household Goods
1st Place Motivated Movers
2nd Place Changing Spaces Moving, Inc.
Heavy Haulers Category
1st Place Scott Bridge Co., Inc.
Private Carrier Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Golden Flake Snack Foods, Inc.
2nd Place New South Express, Inc.
3rd Place Scott Bridge Co., Inc.
Private Carrier Over 5 Million Miles
1st Place River Valley Ingredients
General Commodities Local Under 100,000 Miles
1st Place Montgomery Transport, LLC
2nd Place RCA Trucking, Inc.
General Commodities Local under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
2nd Place BR Williams Trucking, Inc.
3rd Place Church Transportation & Logistics, 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 Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
2nd Place AAA Cooper Transportation, Inc.
General Commodities Local 5-10 Million Miles
1st Place Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc.
2nd Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
General Commodities Linehaul Under 100,000 Miles
1st Place National Strategic Transport, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc.
2nd Place Greenbush Logistics, Inc.
3rd Place RCA Trucking, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place R M Logistics, Inc.
2nd Place DT Freight, LLC
3rd Place Benny Whitehead, Inc.
General Commodities Linehaul 3 to 5 Million Miles
1st Place Wright Transportation, Inc.
2nd Place Shelton Trucking, LLC
3rd Place Montgomery Transport, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul 5 to 10 Million Miles
1st Place P&S Transportation, Inc.
2nd Place BR Williams Trucking, Inc.
3rd Place Blair Logistics, LLC
General Commodities Linehaul over 10 Million Miles
1st Place Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
2nd Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
3rd Place Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC
General Commodities Combined Under 1 Million Miles
1st Place RCA Trucking, Inc.
General Commodities Combined 1 to 3 Million Miles
1st Place Dolphin Line, Inc.
2nd Place Greenbush Logistics, Inc.
3rd Place Church Transportation and Logistics, Inc.
General Commodities Combined 3 to 5 Million Miles
1st Place Montgomery Transport, LLC
2nd Place Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc.
3rd Place Watkins Trucking Co., Inc.
General Commodities Combined 5 to 10 Million Miles
1st Place ABF Freight
2nd Place P&S Transportation, Inc.
3rd Place BR Williams Trucking, Inc.
General Commodities Combined over 10 Million Miles
1st Place FedEx Freight, Inc.
2nd Place Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
3rd Place AAA Cooper Transportation, Inc.
ATA Comp Fund Awards
The Alabama Trucking Association Workers’ Compensation Fund showcased its safest members for workplace safety. Winners are chosen by the fund’s stable of safety engineers using parameters and performance numbers for OSHA compliance and accident prevention. For more information on the fund, please visit atacompfund.org.
Safety Excellence Award (ATA Comp Fund’s top overall fleet)
P&S Transportation
Moving, Storage and Delivery
Admiral Movers
Allied
Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment
Small Fleet
LB3 Trucking
Medium Fleet
J&P Trucking
Large Fleet
McElroy Truck Lines
