ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For in Canada and the US have been announced by CarriersEdge and the Truckload Carriers Association, and once again there's a strong Canadian contingent.
Six of the 20 best fleets are Canadian, including: Bison Transport; Celadon Canada; D.J. Knoll Transportation; Erb Group; Kriska Holdings; and Yanke Group. Rounding out the Best Fleets were: Best Cartage; Boyd Bros. Transportation; Don Hummer Trucking; Fremont Contract Carriers; Gordon Trucking; Grand Island Express; Landstar Systems; Motor Carrier Services; Paramount Freight Systems; Sammons Trucking; Steelman Transportation; Tennant Truck Lines; Trimac Transportation in Houston, Texas; and WTI Transport.
Also getting a nod this year as "Fleets to Watch" were: Liberty Linehaul of Ayr, Ont.; TimeLine Logistics International of Saskatoon, Sask.; American Central Transport; Epes Transport System; and Melton Truck Lines. These fleets were deemed to be worth watching as they boast some innovative driver-oriented programs.
The Best Fleets to Drive For program is administered by Canadian online training firm CarriersEdge along with the Truckload Carriers Association. To qualify, a for-hire trucking company with 10 or more trucks must be nominated by one of its drivers or owner/operators. Nominees then undergo a detailed screening and interviewing process conducted by CarriersEdge.
Considerations include: total compensation package; health benefits; pension plans; professional development opportunities; advancement opportunities; commitment to employee personal growth; commitment to continuous improvement; team-building activities; turnover rate; and fleet safety.
Mark Murrell, president of CarriersEdge and founder of the program said interest continues to grow.
"For 2012, we saw a heightened level of interest from the nominated fleets. It seems that everybody wants to be named a Best Fleet to Drive For," he said. "Some folks even called us before we began interviewing just to double-check that we had their current contact information."
"We saw a 35% increase in the number of fleets that not only agreed to participate, but completed all their interviews and paperwork on time to make it to the final segment of the competition," added Gary Salisbury, TCA chairman and the president and CEO of Fikes Truck Line.
Program administrators said more fleets seem to be offering profit sharing as part of their compensation packages lately. They also seem to be replacing some of their traditional safety-based bonus systems with more comprehensive programs. Drivers are increasingly being rewarded for things such as fuel efficiency, on-time delivery and training initiatives, organizers say.
Two grand prize winners - Best Overall Fleet for Owner/Operators and Best Overall Fleet for Company Drivers - will be announced at the TCA's annual convention March 4-7 at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla.
For more information, visit www.bestfleetstodrivefor.com. To read a feature on some of the best practices of last year's winners, visit here.