The American Trucking Associations selected Kevin Scott Harris as the 2002 National Driver of the Year. Harris is the second ABF Freight System driver to receive this honor in the last three years. In 2000, ABF driver William M. Whim was named the National Driver of the Year.
The ATA driver of the year award is based not only on accident-free driving, but also on the driver’s other contributions to highway safety. Harris, a city driver in Albany, N.Y., was previously selected as the 2001 New York Driver of the Year, having driven 17 years without an accident. In addition, he has placed first three times in state championship driving competitions. In 1999, Harris was named to both the ABF and the ATA America’s Road Teams. Members of these Road Teams make presentations about highway safety to community groups, schools and professional associations.
As the ATA National Driver of the Year, Harris received a cash prize, trophy and diamond lapel pin.
More Home Time
Marten Transport has announced it will offer its drivers holiday incentive pay, guaranteed home time, as well as increased home time. The increased home time, previously one day for every seven days out, now allows drivers to earn one day for every five days out.
New Airfreight Line-Haul Service
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., announced the LTL carrier’s introduction of a new airfreight line-haul service named OD Air Express.
The program will initially offer service to 51 airport locations nationwide and will provide nightly schedules, track and trace visibility, electronic measurement reports and centralized customer service. OD Air Express will begin this service with eight regional sales managers who will call on airfreight brokers, forwarders and airlines.
Joey Holiday and Jim Henderson
4-wheeler Winner
Singer/songwriter Joey Holiday drew Jim Henderson’s name as the winner of Transport America’s 2001 Polaris Trailblazer 4-wheeler at the Great American Trucking Show in September.
Transport America held the drawing for CDL holders who stopped by the company’s booth to register for the all-terrain vehicle at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., the International Trucking Show in Las Vegas and GATS in Dallas.
Henderson, a trucking industry veteran from Trinity, Texas, owns his own business where he repairs trucks and heavy equipment. He also owns a few trucks and hires drivers to run for him.
FedEx Honors
Four operating companies of FedEx Corp. were recognized for exceptional service, reliability and on-time performance in the 2002 Quest for Quality survey.
The survey, the largest customer-satisfaction study in the transportation and logistics field, reflects responses from more than 3,000 buyers of transportation services across the nation.
FedEx Express earned the top spot among Air Express Carriers. FedEx Ground won accolades in the Surface Package Carriers category for the third consecutive year. FedEx Freight East was the reader’s choice in the Multiregional/Interregional Less-than-Truckload category for the 17th consecutive year. FedEx Freight West earned its 11th Quest for Quality award in the Western Regional LTL Carrier category. FedEx Freight West received the highest marks in the category for its information technology. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. FedEx Supply Chain Services captured the top honor in the Third-Party Logistics Providers category.
Barbara and Kim Sorrell
CFI Drivers of the Month
Contract Freighters Inc. recently named its July 2002 drivers of the month.
Company Driver of the Month was Sergio Olivas of Laredo, Texas, who joined CFI in 1998. Company Team Driver of the Month was awarded to Kim and Barbara Sorrell, who joined CFI in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
Contractor of the Month was Jon Smith of Joplin, Mo., who joined CFI in 1984. Contractor Team of the Month was Jesus Medina, who joined the company in 2000, and his cousin German Hidrogo, who followed in 2001. Both live in El Paso, Texas.
Winners are automatically nominated for the 2002 year-end award in their respective category.
Million-Miler
Thomas Canilla, an owner-operator leased to Transport America, received the American Trucking Associations Million Mile Award for safe driving. Canilla started driving for Transport America in 1989 as a company driver. In 1992, he became an owner-operator. Since then he has owned six trucks and has always contracted with Transport America.
He received a plaque, a Million Mile patch, belt buckle and pin from the ATA.
The company honored Canilla with Transport America Million Miler gold watch.
North American Award
North American Van Lines, Inc. has received Logistics Management magazine’s Quest for Quality Award in the Household-Goods Carrier and High-Value Goods Carrier categories. The winners were selected by shipper readers of Logistics Management, who completed questionnaires ranking their carriers’ performance in five key areas: on-time performance, value, information technology, customer service and equipment and operations.
