CRH Americas, AutoZone, and Standard Logistics are three different fleets with the same goals: to provide their companies with efficient, safe, and reliable goods movement across the nation. Those goods vary from consumer auto parts to construction and building materials. The companies' recent successes despite supply chain and capacity challenges led them to win the 2023 FleetOwner 500 Private Fleet of the Year awards.
FleetOwner and award sponsor Isaac Instruments presented the awards to fleet executives during a luncheon at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando during the National Private Truck Council's annual convention in May. The June edition of FleetOwner magazine features profiles of each fleet, which will also be featured on FleetOwner.com this week. Click here to subscribe to FleetOwner and our newsletters.
2023 private fleet profiles
Find links to the Private Fleet of the Year honorees' profiles:
Winner: CRH Americas: 'Having a private fleet just keeps getting better every year'
Finalist: AutoZone: The 'transportation stars' who keep stores stocked
Fleet to Watch: Standard Logistics: Creating a driver-focused culture to spur growth
CRH Americas, which ranks No. 14 on the 2023 FleetOwner 500: Top Private Fleets, was named the overall 2023 winner by FleetOwner editors. "CRH is the leading provider of building materials solutions that build, connect, and improve our world," said Randy Maddox, CRH's mobile equipment category manager, who accepted the award on behalf of his team.
Maddox said CRH delivers a resilient and sustainable built environment through its offering of materials, products, and value-added services in the transportation and utility infrastructure, as well as in commercial building projects and outdoor living solutions.
Also honored was AutoZone, a leading retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. The Private Fleet of the Year finalist has more than 6,200 U.S. retail locations. The award was accepted by David Fontana, senior transportation manager for the company. AutoZone is No. 497 on this year's FleetOwner 500: Top Private Fleets.
Catherine Gammill, AutoZone's director of supply chain transportation, credited her team with meeting the fleet's objectives of delivering from AutoZone distribution centers across the U.S. to its stores safely and on time.
"We do this with an amazing team of transportation professionals in our distribution centers and store support centers who manage rigorous schedules to deliver the right merchandise on time to our stores," she told FleetOwner before the awards presentation. "They train drivers on our safety culture so every AutoZoner can go home the same way they came to work and always look for ways to be more efficient in every operation."
Standard Logistics, which has 300 tractors and about 330 company drivers, was named the 2023 FleetOwner Private Fleet to Watch.
"Over the last year, we have worked extremely hard to grow our commercial business to optimize routing and grow revenue while still maintaining our core shipper relationships," John Robbins, Standard Logistics' senior director of operations, told FleetOwner. "We had a wildly aggressive goal of doubling our fleet size over the last 18 months and accomplished this even with the supply chain challenges on new and used equipment."
As the private fleet of Standard Industries, it moves raw materials and finished products associated with building materials, primarily roofing materials for commercial and residential projects, according to Robbins, who accepted the award on behalf of his fleet.
About the FleetOwner 500 and awards
For over two decades, FleetOwner has compiled and published the most comprehensive listings of the top private fleets in the U.S. The FleetOwner 500: Top Private Fleets rankings are based on power units reported to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Editors select winners of the annual FleetOwner 500 Private Fleet of the Year awards based on fleet accomplishments, safety records, technology adoption, community outreach, and more. All companies on the FleetOwner 500: Top Private Fleets list are eligible, along with all NPTC member fleets.
