Top petro product haulers awarded

by Jim Bray

CALGARY, Alta. -Call it a twofer for Wheeler Transport.

The Port Moody, B.C.-based hauler snagged the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute Western Division’s 2009 Best Carrier Performance award, the second year in a row it was awarded that particular honour.

Other CPPI Western Division Fuel Carrier Safety Awards went to companies from Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.

At a luncheon ceremony in Calgary on April 22, CPPI’s Western Division v.p. Ted Stoner noted that the CPPI’s benchmark target for incidents was lowered for 2009 in recognition of a declining frequency of incidents overall. Yet, he pointed out with satisfaction, the carriers’ actual performance came in below that, with 0.34 incidents per 1,000 deliveries compared to the new benchmark of 0.4.

“CPPI members certainly congratulate and appreciate the carriers’ work, and it’s showing up in their performance throughout the year,” Stoner said at the ceremony. “These awards are our appreciation in recognition of that.”

The Common Carrier Awards Program was started by the CPPI Western Division in 2004 to encourage and recognize contracted common carriers for reducing the frequency of incidents compared to the previous calendar year. It also stresses overall safety performance and promotes driver and fleet safety within the transportation industry.

Awards were also handed out to ECL Transportation for Most Improved Mixes, Denwill Enterprises for Most Improved Spills, Mantei’s Transport for Most Improved Vehicle Accidents and Petrohaul for Most Improved Personal Injury.

As for what Stoner referred to as the “Grand Poobah” award given out each year, he said it went to “The best overall carrier who excelled in all safety areas” and noted with satisfaction that it was the second year running that Wheeler Transport had earned it. Tony Spring and Kelly Stead, who had flown in that morning for the awards luncheon, accepted the plaque and obelisk and hard hat stickers on behalf of Wheeler. “Our employees are a real asset to the company,” Stead remarked, “and one of the things we really strive to do is reinforce all our training. At the end of the day we just want them to all go home safe.”

Stoner said the CPPI hopes to expand the awards throughout all of Canada and challenged the carriers in the room to become national winners when that happens.


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