Fleet insider

Driver Award
Earl R. Martin Inc. recently honored driver Kenneth E. Koser for driving 4 million accident-free miles during his 33-year career.

The Ephrata, Pa., resident logged his miles with the dump division of the company, transporting primarily agriculture-related feed ingredients throughout eastern United States and Canada.

Koser previously has been honored at state and national levels for his safe-driving record. In 2003, he was selected as National Driver of the Year by the National Association of Small Trucking Companies and in 2004, he was chosen as Driver of the Month by the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association.

Earl R. Martin also honored the following employees for reaching Years of Service milestones: Edward Shoop, Paul Yingling, Kurt Zimmerman, Vernon Miller, Rita Good, Wanda Sauder, Dana Fox, Brenda Miller and David Ruppert. Safety Awards were presented to Edwin Weaver, Paul Statts and James Cornell.


Pay Raises
KLLM: KLLM Transport Services initiated a pay increase of 2 cents per mile for its over-the-road drivers in March.

The increase included drivers with a minimum of one year experience. The new mileage rate will allow KLLM single drivers to earn up to 42 cents per mile and teams up to 50 cents per mile. KLLM also raised the pay for students in training to $400 per week.

Triple Crown Services: Triple Crown Services has increased the pay rate for its systems fleet division.

This hike raised pay to $1.15 per mile. The systems fleet division already offers contractors scheduled home time with flexibility and a generous fuel surcharge, according to the company.


Per Diem Increase
On March 7 Millis Transfer increased the company’s per diem rate from 8 cents per mile to 10. Drivers can earn two additional weeks of vacation during their first year with the company, enjoy holiday pay, larger safety bonuses and increases in vacation pay.


January Driver
Michael Burton is Wil-Trans’ January 2006 Driver of the Month.

Burton began working for the company in 2004 as a graduate student. In November 2005 he made the move to lease-operator.


PTL Drivers
Paschall Truck Lines’ December 2005 Owner-Operator of the Month is William Harmon.

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The December 2005 PTL Company Driver of the Month is William O’Connor.

Harmon is a first-time Owner-Operator of the Month.

O’Connor has 12 years of driving experience with eight completed at PTL. He has 900,000 safe driving miles and was the September 2003 Driver of the Month.


Safety Winner
Boyd Bros. was named the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety Contest winner in the area of General Commodities Line Haul Division. Boyd also won in 2003.
The award is sponsored by the ATA worker’s compensation fund. The award winner is based on the amount of miles traveled in the state of Alabama.


Smithway Driver of the Month
Smithway Motor Xpress named Terry Lehman of McPherson, Kan., its December Driver of the Month.

A flatbed owner-operator, Lehman has been with SMX since September of 1999. He has 29 years of driving experience.


Sitton Driver of the Year
Sitton Motor Lines named Eddie McBride of Henryetta, Okla., as the 2005 Driver of the Year. He has been driving with Sitton since April of 1986. As the Driver of the Year, McBride will receive a new truck with special graphics marking his achievements. He will also be awarded a savings bond, an embroidered jacket and a plaque.

The first runner-up was Ron McConnell of Broken Arrow, Okla.. He has driven for Sitton since April of 1988. The second runner-up was Raydell Banker of Buffalo, Mo. He has been with Sitton since December of 1991. Both McConnell and Banker will receive special graphics for their trucks, savings bonds, a jacket and other rewards.


Smith Transport Top Driver
Smith Transport named Brian Musselman of New Enterprise, Pa., the 2005 Driver of the Year.

Musselman, who has been with Smith Transport for nine years, met all of the award criteria. He had been named Driver of the Month, delivered all his loads safely and on time and had an excellent customer service record.

As part of the award, Musselman will drive a new 379 Peterbilt decaled with his name and Driver of the Year 2005, a leather jacket, a crystal trophy and $1,500.


Celadon Among Best Workplaces
Celadon Trucking Services has been selected among the “Best Places to Work in Indiana” by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

In its first year, the “Best Places” program was created to identify outstanding employers in the state as determined through extensive employer evaluations and comprehensive employee surveys. Winners were selected from two categories: small- to medium-sized companies of between 25 and 199 employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 200 or more employees.

Celadon was one of only 15 large companies chosen for the award. In all, 36 companies were chosen for the list.


30 Years of Service
Baylor Trucking honored Ron Stano in December for his 30 years of service with the company. The driver, a resident of Dillsboro, Ind., was given a diamond ring and a week’s paid vacation of his choice for two. This year he chose a Mexican seven-night cruise to be taken the week of his birthday. Ron is the father of three daughters and two grandsons. He is an active member of the American Legion, where he has served as a past commander. He started with Baylor Trucking as a student and spent his entire driving career there. He has many safety awards and was chosen Indiana driver of the month for several years.


Owner-Operator of the Year
Steve Jacoby is Sunco Carriers’ 2005 Owner-Operator of the Year. Jacoby, a Sunco partner since June 2002, is currently in the Florida Intrastate fleet.


YRC Makes Fortune List
YRC Worldwide, formerly Yellow Roadway, leads Fortune magazine’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies in the Trucking category.

The magazine lists more than 300 companies in its annual list. For the March 6 issue, 10,000 executives, directors and analysts were asked to rate companies in various industry groups on eight attributes. Markers included financial soundness, quality of products and services, innovation, long-term investment, employee talent, use of corporate assets, quality of management and social responsibility.

Respondents also were asked to select the 10 companies they admired the most within each industry. YRC led the Trucking category; Expeditors International of Washington topped the Transportation and Logistics list.

Additional companies on the Most-Admired Trucking or Transportation and Logistics lists are: Alexander & Baldwin, Americo, Arkansas Best, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, CNF, EGL, FedEx, Hub Group, J.B. Hunt Transportation, Laidlaw International, Landstar System, Pacer International, Ryder Systems, Sirva, Swift Transportation, UPS, USF and Werner Enterprises.

FedEx was No. 2 on the overall Most Admired Companies list, behind General Electric.