ORLANDO, FL. The grand prize winners of the 2005 National Fleet Safety Awards were announced here at the Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) annual convention. The award is given in two categories that consider fleets operating above and below 25 million miles annually, of which Canadian carrier Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Modesto, CA-based Rocha Transportation won, respectively.
Bison Transport does not subject safety expenditures to a cost-benefit analysis based on its assumption that avoiding even a single accident could make a huge positive impact, said TCA. Through the company’s “The Right to Decide Policy,” drivers are given the leeway to make their own judgement on whether a trip can be made safely and legally. In turn, drivers are given financial incentives to stay safe. According to TCA, the carrier was the first in Canada to employ stationary and full motion driving simulators as part of their training program.
Rocha Transportation also places safety as its top priority, as it correlates safety with profitability, said TCA. The carrier has worked to achieve a safe work environment, seeking out and correcting safety concerns, and awarding safe behavior. This includes tracking statistics and employing an outside vendor to monitor driving speed. According to TCA, the carrier rapidly responds to safety issues. For example, upon recognizing a high frequency of backing accidents, the company required drivers to get out and look before backing—which yielded an 80% reduction in such accidents.
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