The Truckload Carriers Association has named FTC Transportation and Bison Transport the overall winners of its Fleet Safety and Best Fleets to Drive For awards.

The awards were presented at TCA’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas. The two carriers were chosen from a list of the top 20 finishers in the Best Fleets to Drive For survey and contest. Oklahoma City, Okla.-based FTC won in the small carrier category while Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Bison Transport was for the large carrier category.

This is the fourth time that FTC has landed a spot in the top 20 and the first time it was named the overall winner. It was also the smallest fleet to make the top 20 Best Fleets list. The carrier earned high marks for its employee benefits, combining health insurance coverage, 401K and above-average vacation allowances that were uncommon in fleets of a similar size, according to TCA.

This was the second time that Bison Transport was named an overall winner of Best Fleets, and the sixth time the company has made the top 20. Bison was noted for its ability to keep employees engaged through a variety of committees and online tools.

Both of this year’s overall winners recorded driver satisfaction rates above 90% and turnover under 30%. 

“Both have taken a holistic approach to improving fleet operations and working to build a more efficient, more inclusive fleet that all drivers can benefit from,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “As a result, they have happier drivers, who focus on doing their jobs better, leading to better safety and more efficient operations. This, in turn, makes everyone happier… and the cycle continues.”

In addition to being recognized as the Best Fleets to Drive For, these two fleets were also honored as the winners of the Fleet Safety Award. This is the second year that both of these carriers were given the award. 

The application process for the National Fleet Safety Awards begins with fleets submitting their accident frequency per million miles driven. TCA then selects the top three winners for each of six mileage-based divisions and has the results audited for accuracy by an independent expert.

The grand prize winning companies had to demonstrate that they strive to meet standards in their safety programs both on and off the highway and were judged by their commitment to improving safety.

“Due to the tight competition, it is extremely difficult to earn the grand prize in this contest once— let alone the same two companies two years in a row,” said John Lyboldt, TCA president. 

The award was divided into two categories based on the annual mileage of each carrier with FTC winning in the small carrier division and Bison Transport winning for the large carriers. Carriers with a total annual mileage of less than 25 million miles were considered small carriers while 25 million miles and above were considered large.

Both carriers were found to have extensive safety programs with company cultures that emphasized safety and incentives that encourage participation.

“These fleets have well-crafted and carefully implemented safety programs that not only work, but take these companies to a higher level," said Lyboldt. "They absolutely deserve the honor a second time."