Photo courtesy of Love's Travel Stops

Photo courtesy of Love's Travel Stops

Gemini Motor Transport, the fuel hauling fleet for Love’s Travel Stops, has awarded $1.8 million in bonuses to 78 of its safest drivers.

The bonuses came through the Gemini Safe Driver Credits program, which recognizes drivers who remained accident-free and adhered to the company’s stringent safety policies and procedures for five years. This is the second class of Gemini Safe Driver Credits recipients to be awarded through the program.

“We’re proud to reward our professional drivers for their hard work and maintaining Gemini’s reputation as one of the safest hazardous materials carriers in America,” said Brent Bergevin, vice president of transportation for Gemini. “Our safety numbers have improved for three straight years. We’ve also reduced turnover, increased our gas mileage, have better and safer equipment, improved truck aerodynamics and more. We love rewarding our drivers because we wouldn’t be able to accomplish those things without them.”

Safety credits are awarded to drivers on an annual basis. To earn a safety credit, drivers must have no accidents, tickets, or fuel-related incidents over the period of one year. Drivers must also pass all U.S Department of Transportation and Gemini inspections. Once drivers collect five safety credits, they’re eligible to receive the bonus. In its first class of winners last year, Gemini awarded $3.4 million to 135 drivers.

Gemini credits the program for helping the company keep preventable accidents per million miles to 0.5. This is less than the national average for private fleets, which was around two accidents per million miles between 2007 and 2015, according to the National Private Truck Council.

“This program has been well received,” said Bergevin. “Not only are we helping our professional drivers plan for their futures, but they help us advertise all of the good we are doing at Gemini. Their safe driving in our yellow tankers truly makes them rolling billboards.”

Going into this year, an additional 110 Gemini drivers are on track to receive their five-year payout in 2018. Beginning in 2021, Gemini will present higher payouts to the first-class of drivers who’ve earned 10 safe driver credits.

Newly hired drivers are required to complete a minimum of two weeks of Gemini-specific training and education before they can begin driving. They may undergo additional training based on experience and background. Drivers also attend quarterly safety meetings and adhere to the Gemini Code of Conduct, a set of guidelines designed to reduce chances of having any sort of incident while driving.

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