LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Bison Transport has won the inaugural Volvo Trucks Safety Award for fleets accumulating more than 10 million miles.

The award was presented today at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition. Winning the award for small fleets was Virginia-based Food City.

“Food City and Bison Transport represent extraordinary ongoing achievements in the safe operation of trucks,” said Scott Kress, Volvo’s senior vice-president, 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.” 

Participating companies were judged on accident frequency using US DoT definitions of a “recordable accident” in addition to fleets’ accident prevention programs.

Bison boasts an accident rate of 0.19209 per million miles travelled, while operating 1,050 tractors and delivering 3,200 loads per week, Volvo reported. Bison provides drivers with a ‘toolbox’ that contains promises such as the selection of safe equipment, a safe working environment, in-depth training and accountability “so that we don’t lose sight that safety is in fact a priority,” according to Bison president and CEO Don Streuber.

“Bison has an intense focus on safety,” said Streuber. Bison provides ongoing training for drivers using 15 different courses and four simulators. It also performs risk assessments on every driver and uses targeted training to improve drivers who are identified as being high-risk.

Each of the winning fleets received $25,000 from Volvo to put towards their safety programs.