PHILADELPHIA, PA — Searcy Trucking Ltd. was awarded one of two 2015 Volvo Trucks Safety Awards this week at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, PA.

The Manitoba carrier, along with U.S.-based Ruan Transportation, was honored for its exemplary safety records and training programs, each receiving US$25,000 for future safety initiatives.

“By making safety a priority every day, Ruan Transportation and Searcy Trucking were able to deliver an outstanding safety performance during the past year,” said Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “Their investments in industry-leading safety programs and training show a dedication to driver safety, and we congratulate them on this achievement.”

The Volvo Trucks Safety Award program, now entering its seventh year, recognizes the outstanding safety performance of North American fleets.

Searcy Trucking Ltd. is a family-owned company based in Winnipeg and won the Volvo Trucks Safety Award in the under 20 million miles category.

A division of Canada’s Bison Transport since 2013, Searcy was established in 1969 and specializes in flatbed transportation services. The company also has a distribution division for freight handling logistics.

With 88 trucks in its fleet, Searcy’s safety practices include a “right to decide” policy that empowers drivers with the right and the responsibility to temporarily discontinue a trip when conditions are too hazardous to drive safely.

Searcy’s drivers logged more than 6.8 million miles in 2014 and had an accident frequency rate of just 0.58.

“Safety has been a core value at Searcy Trucking for as long as we’ve been in the trucking business, and was a key factor in Bison’s interest in acquiring Searcy back in 2013,” said Norm Blagden, president, Searcy Trucking.

Ruan Transportation Management Systems, based in Des Moines, IA is the 2015 winner in the over 20 million miles category.

Founded in 1932, Ruan is one of the top 10 privately owned transportation companies in the U.S. with 270-plus locations, according to Volvo. With more than 3,900 trucks in its fleet, Ruan hauls freight for a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, food and dairy, chemicals, medical supplies and waste.