ORLANDO, Florida—FleetOwner honored three private fleets for their stellar transportation operations during the National Private Truck Council’s annual conference on Tuesday.
Coinciding with this week’s release of the 2025 FleetOwner 500: Private ranking of the largest U.S. transportation operations, FleetOwner editors recognized winning fleets in three categories: FleetOwner 500, midsize, and small carriers. The awards are sponsored by Descartes.
Marathon Petroleum, which ranks No. 211 on the FO500: Private, won the FleetOwner 500 Private Fleet of the Year. Brakebush Transportation was named the midsize FleetOwner Private Fleet of the Year. Occidental Chemical won the small carrier FleetOwner Private Fleet of the Year.
"Descartes is extremely proud to help FleetOwner shine a light on these private carriers that embody the spirit of our trucking industry,” Cyndi Brandt, VP of fleet solutions for Descartes, said. “These fleets are early adopters of technology, operate very safely and efficiently, and give back to the communities in which they reside. These attributes align with Descartes’ primary mission of supplying best-in-class technology solutions to our fleet customers."
About the 2025 FleetOwner Private Fleets of the Year
FleetOwner 500 winner: Marathon Petroleum
Marathon Petroleum, a nationwide downstream energy company with the nation’s largest refining system, has more than 1,000 power units operating nationwide in its private fleet with nearly 1,200 company drivers (including Donald “Todd” Young, who was inducted this week into the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame) who haul tankers of gasoline, diesel, crude, and renewable fuels.
Katie Zalat, west transport operations director, and Jocko Langlois, east transport operations director, accepted the award on behalf of Marathon.
“Thank you to FleetOwner magazine and NPTC,” Langlois said from the stage at the Orange County Convention Center. “We’re certainly very grateful for this award on behalf of our Marathon Transportation Group. It’s a large coast-to-coast operation and a very large team that we work with every day to continue to get better. Attending conferences like this certainly helps drive that improvement by meeting new vendors and building new relationships with other fleet owners.”
With an exceptional DOT safety record and high technology adoption rate, Marathon achieved a 99.75% delivery reliability rate in 2024. The fleet did this while cutting operational costs by 13.5% year over year. The fleet also boasts an 85.5% driver retention rate, which its leaders attributed to good pay, benefits, and recognition programs.
Midsize carrier winner: Brakebush Transportation
Celebrating 100 years in business, Brakebush Transportation is the dedicated private fleet for family-owned chicken processor Brakebush, which has five production facilities making high-quality chicken for large and small foodservice kitchens.
Brakebush Transportation team leaders Mike Schwersenska, VP of transportation; Chris Armstrong, fleet manager; and Norlene Gray, HR and safety manager, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“We’re greatly appreciative of NPTC and, of course, FleetOwner,” Armstrong said on stage. “We’re celebrating 100 years of business, so it’s very exciting to present this award to the company’s ownership. But it really is a celebration of our team and amazing group of drivers that we have.”
The reefer fleet has demonstrated a deep commitment to its 97 company drivers, who in return scored a 98% on-time delivery rate. The driver-centric culture, which includes innovative referral bonuses and comprehensive wellness support, is a cornerstone of Brakebush’s success and a key reason it has such an excellent DOT safety record.
Small carrier winner: Occidental Chemical
The small private fleet, known nationally as Oxy, supports its chemical manufacturing parent company, Occidental Chemical. With 32 company drivers, the fleet has only one recorded at-fault accident in the past decade.
“Most importantly, I want to thank my drivers who make it happen,” Kevin Crowder, Oxy’s truck operations manager, said when he accepted the award on behalf of the company. He also credited the NPTC conference for helping him improve his fleet’s operation and safety.
Occidental’s operations focus intensively on customer service, boasting a 99.6% on-time delivery rate. The nimble fleet is supported by a 24/7 dispatch office ready to react to emergencies or needs when third-party carriers fall short.
About the FleetOwner Private Fleet of the Year awards
America’s Service Line, the private fleet for American Foods Group, was the 2024 FleetOwner Private Fleet of the Year. Other past winners include CRH Americas, AutoZone, Standard Logistics, Pacific Gas & Electric, Meijer Logistics, Hillyard, Dot Transportation, Tyson Foods, Safelite, and Frito-Lay.
NPTC describes a private fleet as an in-house truck fleet operation, often incorporated as a separate company, in service to a parent corporation whose primary business, such as manufacturing or retailing, is not trucking. However, private fleets may have their own operating authority to act as a for-hire carrier to produce revenue and lower net operating costs by selling the capacity of the private fleet not used or required by the parent company.
Nominations are open to any private carriers and transportation operations and can be made by customers, suppliers, drivers, or the fleet itself. FleetOwner editors select winners of the annual awards based on private fleets’ accomplishments, safety records, technology adoption, community outreach, and other factors. It’s all about appreciating excellence in trucking by the fleets that keep retail, construction, food service, utility, and other businesses running.
