GREENSBORO, NC. — For the fifth year in a row, Volvo is looking for the safest fleet in North America. Make that two.

The truck maker, along with Michelin, is sponsoring the Volvo Trucks Safety Award to celebrate the importance of highway safety for the trucking industry and other road users.

Two fleets will each receive $25,000 to be used toward safety-related activities.

The award is open to all U.S. and Canadian fleets operating at least five Class 8 units. Fleets must be running at least one Volvo unit to be eligible. Entrants will be ranked by their accident frequency rates.

Participating fleets will also be judged on their accident prevention activities.

The deadline for entry is July 31, 2013.
 
Complete rules and entry forms are available at www.volvotrucks.us.com/safetyaward.

The two grand prizes will be awarded to the fleets with the best records in two divisions based on annual vehicle miles traveled: less than 20 million miles and more than 20 million miles.

The truck maker itself was feeling a winner this week.

On Thursday Volvo reported a surprise uptick in orders.

According to Reuters news service, “after a year of slumping demand for commercial vehicles, there are tentative signs that activity in the hardest-hit region, Europe, has bottomed out, though only Latin America among major truck markets is yet showing any solid growth.

“Volvo, the dominant global player in the industry alongside Germany’s Daimler said order bookings of its trucks rose in several of its key markets to support a group-wide increase of 30 percent compared to the fourth quarter.

“‘That being said, the second quarter of 2013 will pose a challenge for us and our suppliers, with respect to the changeover to new products and the ramp-up of the industrial system to higher volumes,’ CEO Olof Persson said in a statement,” Reuters reported.