GP Transco, a trucking logistics company based outside Chicago, was named the top fleet to drive for by trucking technology company Samsara in its annual fleet awards.
“This fleet understands that an organization’s success starts with their drivers, and invests in technology to make a quantifiable, positive impact on their drivers’ day-to-day workflow,” according to the Samsara announcement on July 20.
GP Transco is the highest-paying for-hire trucking company in the U.S., according to TruckDriversSalary.com, which listed the company No. 3 on its 2019 list of the Top 10 Best Trucking Companies to Work For. That list is based on driver salary, benefits and quality of employment, which are also a reason the company has a low turnover rate.
“It is our priority to stay competitive with pay make sure our truck drivers are compensated well for their work,” Marija Jamontas, vice president of human resources and safety at GP Transco, said last year. “We think that the new OTP (outstanding trucking professionals) performance bonus program helps tremendously. This, combined with health benefits, 401k matching, life insurance, and other perks adds up to a compelling package.”
Last year, GP Transco launched a program that rewards its top 50% of drivers with a salary bonus each month based on fuel efficiency. The company saved 205,000 gallons of fuel — worth about $350,000 — to help fund the bonus program, according to Samsara.
The annual Samsara 2020 Top Fleet Awards honor exceptional fleets in the U.S. The fleet and industrial technology company said it received a record-breaking number of entries for the contest, which aims to show the fleets’ commitment to excellence, safety, and performance.
GP Transco Drivers told Samsara that the carrier is responsive to their requests and ideas. This has led the fleet to update safety policies based on driver feedback, such as a policy for dispatchers to confirm drivers are “hands-free” before engaging in phone conversations.
“The winners and finalists were selected based on their ability to drive tech-forward programs that delivered a considerable impact for their organization and community,” according to a Samsara blog post on July 20. “Our award categories recognize outstanding performance across safety, driver experience, innovation, efficiency and productivity, and the public sector.”
GP Transco beat out finalists Carter Logistics and Rock Solid Stabilization & Reclamation Inc.
Other winners included:
- Sprint Waste Services in the Safest Fleet category (finalists were Archer Daniels Midlands and Swire Coca-Cola)
- ArcBest won the Fleet Innovator award (finalists were MacAllister and Outwest Express)
- Goodfellow Bros. won in the Excellence in Performance category (KeHE was a finalist)
- Athens-Clarke County, Ga., won the Excellence in Public Fleet Management award (Massachusetts BayTransit Authority and the City of Auburn, Calif., were finalists).
