Voyager Express, Inc. and Hogan Transports, Inc. Win
TCA's Grand Prize Fleet Safety Awards
Orlando, FL - The Truckload Carriers Association
(TCA) is pleased to announce the winners of the highly-coveted
Grand Prizes in the 2002 National Fleet Safety Awards:
Voyager Express, Inc., of Denver, Colorado, and
Hogan Transports, Inc., of Saint Louis, Missouri.
The awards were presented at the March 11th Annual
Banquet & Awards Dinner to Jeff Digby, owner and
president of Voyager Express, Inc., and to David Hogan,
president of Hogan Transports, Inc. Voyager Express,
Inc. won the award for truckload companies operating
under 25 million miles annually, while Hogan Transports,
Inc. won for the category of over 25 million miles annually.
The Truckload Carriers Association and the truckload
industry are dedicated to improving the safety of all
fleets and our nation's highways. All participants in
this award program must prove their commitment to safety,
and each Grand Prize winner is recognized nationally
for making safety the number one priority.
This is the second time that Voyager Express, Inc.
has received the Grand Prize award for its exceptional
safety program (it also won in 2001), due in part to
its commitment to "sweat the details" and
care for every driver including sending birthday cards
to every driver from the owner, providing logo jackets
and shirts, and holding an annual Santa Day in December.
"People who care are safe," the company wrote
in its Grand Prize award application. "Our program
shines... from the top all the way down... because of
the people who care... all living, working and breathing
safety in everything we do... from start to finish."
Voyager Express's safety program includes a strict
no-touch freight policy, guaranteed weekly home-time
for all drivers, and actual road patrols monitoring
driver skills and tendencies. The company also works
to keep their safety staff educated by promoting attendance
in continuing education seminars and classes. Voyager
Express drivers are carefully selected and complete
a thorough orientation program including a one-on-one
session with a driver trainer, a 10 to 20 mile road
test, and a complete orientation with the truck and
trailor. Voyager writes of its safety training, "A
major portion of the 'training' that we do involves
instilling a mindset in the drivers that they are now
part of something different, something better. They
are employed by a company whose biggest goals and objectives
are to promote overall highway safety and to protect
their safe driving records because it directly reflects
on our safety record."
Hogan Transports, Inc. strives to ensure safety by
providing an extensive program that meets both the driver
and company needs. The safety department includes a
Fatigue Supervisor who monitors all drivers on the road
between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Since the addition
of this supervisor Hogan's fatigue-related accidents
have been reduced from 24 to 4, an 83% improvement,
pleasing both drivers and the company. Hogan employes
technology to promote safety as well. Trucks are equiped
with an electronic device that determines driver abuse
from hard breaking, over-speeds, or engine failure.
Additionally, Hogan Transports convenes a monthly safety
committee of the President, Operations Management, Safety
Management and insurance consultants to review and analyze
accidents and work injuries.
Drivers appreciate Hogan Transport's Winter Weather
Shutdown Policy which sends a fleet-wide message shutting
down any area deemed unsafe for driving. Hogan praises
safe drivers through a rewards program that includes
shirts, watches, and rings, the Hogan "Wall of
Fame" recognizing drivers with one or more years
of safe driving and the prestigious Million Mile Club.
The seriousness with which Hogan Transports approaches
safety is obvious in its Grand Prize application "As
a motor carrier, we have the ultimate responsibility
to perform our work and driving skills in a professional
manner. It is our duty and ethical responsibility to
drive in a manner that reflects a genuine concern for
the motoring public."
The judging process began with the determination of
the top companies in each of six mileage divisions.
The division winners (listed below) were selected based
on accident frequency only. The top three winners in
each division were then able to compete for the two
grand prizes. The grand prize-winning companies were
judged on their excellent overall safety programs, both
on and off-highway. 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 to the contest, all grand
prize finalists were audited by independent auditors
not affiliated with TCA or the carrier.
The top divisional winners based on low accident frequency
per million miles were:
Division I Winners (under 5 million miles)
First Place
Excargo Services, Inc.
Houston, TX
Marcia Fashingbauer, President
Second Place
ICON Transportation Company
Terre Haute, IN
Allen Furrer, President
Third Place
Jefferson Transport Service
Jefferson, WI
Glenn Dempsey, President
Division II Winners (5 - 14.99 million miles)
First Place
Hoekstra Transportation, Inc.
St. Anne, IL
Steven Hoekstra, Vice President
Second Place
Voyager Express, Inc.
Denver, CO
Jeff Digby, President & CEO
Third Place
Trailwood Transporation
Mounds View, MN
Larry Tyson, President
Division III Winners (15 - 24.99 Million Miles)
First Place
Freymiller Trucking
Oklahoma City, OK
David Freymiller, President
Second Place
Kriska Transportation
Prescott, ON
Mark Seymour, President
Third Place
Atlas Carriers, Inc.
Searcy, AR
Larry Megel, President
Division IV Winners (25 - 49.99 Million Miles)
First Place
Raven Transport Company, Inc.
Jacksonville, FL
Stephen Silverman, Chief Operating Officer
Second Place
Erb International, Inc.
New Hamburg, ON
Vernon Erb, President
Third Place
O & S Trucking, Inc.
Springfield, MO
James O'Neal, President
Division V Winners (50 - 99.99 Million Miles)
First Place
J & R Schugel Trucking, Inc.
New Ulm, MN
Jerry Schugel, President
Second Place
May Trucking Company
Salem, OR
David Daniels, President
Third Place
Hogan Transports, Inc.
St. Louis, MO
David Hogan, President
Division VI Winners (Over 100 Million Miles)
First Place
Celadon Trucking Services, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
Robert Goldberg, President
Second Place
Smithway Motor Xpress, Inc.
Fort Dodge, IA
William G. Smith, President
Third Place
Marten Transport, Ltd.
Mondovi, WI
Randy Marten, President
Editor's Note: After March 17, 2003, please contact
Aimee Cirucci at 703/838-8859 or acirucci@truckload.org
to receive an electronic photograph of the grand prize
winners accepting their awards.
Click here
to download a copy of this press release in Microsoft
Word format.
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