LAS VEGAS — Bison Transport’s safety record in 2008 earned the carrier top spot in a new safety award launched by Volvo Trucks North America.

The truck maker awarded Bison Transport and Food City the inaugural Volvo Trucks Safety Award during the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas.

At the beginning of 2009, Volvo Trucks invited all U.S. and Canadian fleets with more than five units to apply for the awards.

The awards are given in two categories, one for fleets with less than 10 million miles of annual operation and the other for those with more than 10 million miles. Fleets were ranked by their accident frequency rates for 2008, using the U.S. Department of Transportation definition of a "recordable accident," as well as their accident prevention programs. The accident frequency rates accounted for the major portion of each fleet’s ranking.

"Food City and Bison Transport represent extraordinary ongoing achievements in the safe operation of trucks," said Scott Kress, Volvo’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing. "Both of these companies have taken the concept of safety and made it the foundation of their fleets. They have focused significant resources and talent on recruitment, training, maintenance and equipment."

"The end result is that these companies year after year have outstanding safety records and are role models for others in the industry," Kress added.

Winnipeg-based Bison won the over 10 million mile category with a rate of 0.19209 accidents per million miles traveled. With 1,050 tractors and 1,400 drivers, Bison handles approximately 3,200 shipments per week across the U.S. and Canada.

Bison’s safety equation includes a "driver’s toolbox" that encompasses the selection of safe equipment, a safe working environment, in-depth training and the systems of accountability "so that we don’t lose sight that safety is in fact a priority," said Don Streuber, Bison’s president and CEO.

Bison’s training includes ongoing training for experienced drivers as well as new hires, using 15 separate courses and four driving simulators. The company also performs risk assessments on each driver and uses targeted training to improve those identified as high-risk.

Food City of Abingdon, Va., won the award for the under 10 million mile category with a remarkable zero recordable accidents in 2008 during 7.9 million miles of driving. The fleet serves 105 supermarkets in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. The fleet has 75 tractors and 129 drivers with a combined 1,193 years of safe driving, according to Food City.

Both Food City and Bison Transport said their drivers are empowered to decide when conditions are unsafe for driving, including weather, traffic or other factors.