Truck insurer First Guard Insurance announced the four winners of its 2011 fleet safety awards.


The winners of the 2011 fleet safety awards are:

*Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging Co. (Cincinnati)

*Beelman Truck Co. (East St. Louis, Ill.)

*M C Tank Transport Inc. (West Chester, Ohio)

*Northwest Logistics Heavy Haul (Oklahoma City)

The number one factor in selecting winners was low claims experience during the past year.

First Guard also took into account the type of commodities each fleet hauled. In this case, the company says, each fleet hauls very sophisticated, if not dangerous, freight, which requires extreme care by the driver and regiment safety procedures and standards at the truck company level.

"These truck companies all have a cultural commitment to safety which is seen throughout the entire company, from the top-down - not just the safety department," says Courtney Wilson, director of marketing and corporate communications for First Guard. "All management is quite familiar with each person driving the truck - that is to say, they know their families, their concerns, etc. This is often harder for large fleets to accomplish due to size; that is why the winners chosen for the 2011 fleet safety award were all small to mid-size fleets."

Lastly, First Guard says, each truck company exhibits low driver turnover, which "speaks volumes in today's trucking environment."