‘While everyone in the trucking community is concentrating on keeping things afloat these days, here’s a vote for taking time to acknowledge excellence.’

That was the lead-in to a column I wrote about a year ago and, although I (and most of you) would have hoped that 12 months later we would all be looking at the recession in the rearview mirror, that has simply not come to pass.

While economists and politicos continue to tell us it’s getting better, good news in trucking is still difficult to come by.
But we can still enjoy success and excellence on many levels while we look forward to a return to ‘normal.’

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada is but one of many associations that have established annual awards to recognize those who contribute to the industry. We believe it is important to continue to celebrate the best in class, maybe even more important that we do it when the industry as a whole is suffering.

Thus, we’re pleased to announce that the 2011 PMTC awards season is open and receiving applications.

The PMTC’s annual conference in June each year is the venue for the presentation of our awards, but the time to prepare and submit entries is now. The conference combines educational forums and networking with the presentation of these awards as we recognize some of the people and fleets that contribute positively to trucking in Canada.

For this year’s conference, which will take place June 23-24, we are returning to Kingbridge Conference Centre in King City, Ont., just outside of Toronto. Last year’s event garnered a good deal of praise for both its educational value and the venue itself.

The PMTC’s annual awards are a feature part of the conference, and have become a pivotal event in the trucking community. They are some of the most prestigious in the industry, and have been offered by the PMTC for many years. They represent the commitment to excellence of PMTC, its members, and the sponsors that help us maintain the programs.

For those who may think that there are bigger issues than awards during difficult times, I suggest that despite the economy, there are those who continue to excel at what they do. Their efforts not only deserve to be recognized, but can provide some encouragement for others to help raise the bar throughout the industry.

The PMTC awards program recognizes excellence and, in some way may even contribute to encouraging others to reach for the top.

Here’s a brief overview of the awards and how to participate:

The Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers, sponsored by Huron Services inducts up to four professional drivers each year from PMTC member fleets. The Hall of Fame resides on our Web site at www.pmtc.ca and a visitor can review the outstanding records of the 38 members dating back to 1990.

The members of the Hall of Fame are there because they have compiled such extraordinary safety records and everyone in this industry should be proud of them.

Nomination forms are available on the PMTC Web site, along with a description of the criteria for entry. While the award winners are, in the estimation of the judges the best of the best, it is also a mark of distinction for any driver to be nominated, and we encourage the participation of all our members.

The Private Fleet Safety Awards, sponsored by Zurich, are open to all private fleets in Canada. Awards are available for fleets in three categories based on fleet size.

Awards take in to account the fleet’s on road safety record, and the safety management programs they have in place that deliver those results. The awards are as much about recognizing the whole package as they are about on-road performance. It takes a well-managed safety program built on solid principles to achieve long-term results.

Simply completing the application (available at www.pmtc.ca) will provide any fleet manager a clear direction for developing such a safety program. The awards program criteria is based on the best practices of private fleets and winning in any category is a significant achievement.

The Vehicle Graphics Design Awards, sponsored by 3M Canada adds the colour and drama to our annual awards luncheon. This marks the 26th year of these awards and the competition continues to attract entries from across the country. Awards are presented in a number of categories based on vehicle type, and are shared by the fleet and its graphics house.

The graphics competition is open to all truck fleets, private or for-hire, PMTC member or not, as we encourage the entire trucking community to put on its finest and show off just a little. Many of the entries come via the graphics industry and we welcome their role in making this such a great event.

Award winners are featured in the PMTC’s own magazine, The Counsellor, and other industry magazines such as Truck News. So join in and enjoy some free promotion, whether a fleet or a graphics house, we welcome your entries. Visit www.pmtc.ca and follow the links to submit your entries online.