FleetOwner 500 Award: Fuel South Express / Circle K
Fuel South Express, ranked No. 394 on the 2026 FleetOwner 500: Private list, took home the top honor for large fleets. Operating a massive fuel hauling network with more than 1,000 company drivers and more than 500 power units, the bulk hauler’s primary metric for customer service is outage prevention.
By leveraging predictive maintenance, advanced route optimization, and rigorous winter-weather protocols, Fuel South ensures Circle K retail locations remain supplied with fuel, even during the most severe weather conditions.
Aaron Huffaker accepted the award on behalf of the fleet and Circle K, emphasizing that the honor ultimately belongs to the workforce behind the wheel.
“This really is a tribute to our over 1,000 drivers that safely load and deliver fuel each and every day—regardless of the extreme heat, extreme cold, ice, snow, and even in disaster recovery situations,” Huffaker said on stage during the closing luncheon of NPTC 2026.
He also credited “the support team members that set them up for success each and every day.”
Medium-Sized Fleet of the Year: ProVia Logistics
ProVia Logistics’ more than 170 drivers operate a diverse mix of equipment backed up by logistics and safety leaders who demonstrate a master class in innovation and positive reinforcement.
In a challenging economic environment, ProVia reduced operational costs by 2.6% last year, largely driven by an internal load board custom-built by its IT team to improve backhaul capacity.
The private fleet is the transportation operation behind ProVia, an American manufacturer specializing in high-quality, durable exterior building products, including fiberglass and steel entry doors, vinyl windows, siding, manufactured stone, and metal roofing.
Rather than rely on punitive safety measures, ProVia implemented a 2.5% mileage incentive for non-speeding, which drastically reduced speeding and harsh braking events. Off the road, the company’s Prepare for Success program provided 1,200 backpacks full of school supplies to local students.
Accepting the award, Wyman Miller, director of logistics for the door, window, and stone fleet, noted that ProVia’s success is deeply rooted in its team and in a foundational philosophy of “hire up” to find the best people to help the company grow. He also highlighted the carrier’s faith-based purpose to let their light shine through good works in the community.
Small-Sized Fleet of the Year: Ross Transportation Services
Operating in the high-stakes, hazardous-waste-hauling sector, Ross Transportation Services proved that flawless execution is possible. With 25 drivers, the fleet achieved a perfect 0.0 DOT Recordable Accident rate over the past year.
The internal transportation operation serves the family-owned Ross Environmental Services, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Chris Fada, the Ross Transportation VP, credits early adoption of telematics coaching and an uncompromising safety culture for the company's zero-accident record. It also drives deep community impact through the philanthropic Ross Foundation.
In accepting the award, Fada cited the strong leadership support his team receives, which enables it to be a “profitable and efficient” contributor to the organization as a whole, rather than just a cost center.
“We contribute, and we take a lot of pride, but most importantly, their support allows us to do all these things safely and compliantly,” Fada said on stage.
About the FleetOwner 500 and the Private Fleet of the Year Awards: The full 2026 FleetOwner 500: Private list is available now to FleetOwner.com members.
