The American Moving & Storage Association has named the top van operators and safest company fleets in the U.S. moving industry as parts of its annual awards.


The Super Van awards recognize drivers who provide safe, reliable, and customer-oriented household goods truck transportation. Judging criteria include miles driven, accidents (preventable or non-preventable), lifetime driving record, time out of service for any hours of service or equipment violations, financial responsibility, community involvement, customer service, driving awards and outside interests and activities.

The winners of the Super Van Operator Awards include:

* Roy Doty of Jacksonville, N.C., who won the 2009 Super Van Operator Lifetime Achievement Award. Doty drives for American Red Ball Transit Co. of Indianapolis.

* David Cambell of Norman, Okla., who drives for Safeway Moving Systems of Indianapolis, was named Super Van Operator for Special Commodities.

* John H. Vautier of Northborough, Mass., a driver for S& M Moving Systems of Phoenix, Ariz., picks up Super Van Operator honors in the Household Goods category.

* Laura VanVleet of Ontario, Calif., has been named the 2009 Rookie Super Van Operator. She drives for American Relocation & Logistics of Santa Fe Springs, Calif, and is the first woman to receive the rookie recognition.

AMSA also gave out six annual fleet safety awards. Fleet awards are given to carriers demonstrating the best combination of the lowest accident rate per million miles of vehicle operation and lowest vehicle and driver out-of-service rate during the year.

The fleet safety award winners include:

* Atlas Van Lines of Evansville, Ind., wins the 2009 Safety Improvement Award, given to the carrier demonstrating the best two-year improvement in its accident rate.

* Graebel Van Lines of Aurora, Colo., took home the Safety Initiative Award, which recognizes a carrier's leadership and creativity in one component of its safety program. The company created a comprehensive safety plan which greatly reduced its number of violations.

* United Van Lines of Fenton, Mo., was the 2009 Fleet Safety Award winner in the over 60 million miles category.

* Wheaton Worldwide Moving of Indianapolis, the 2008 winner, again receives the award in the 15 million to 60 million miles category.

* Chicago's New World Van Lines received the award in the five to 15 million miles category for a second year in a row.

* Fry-Wagner Moving & Storage of Lenexa, Kan., is also a repeat winner, picking up an award in the under five million miles category.

All awards will be presented during AMSA's 2010 Education Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 21-24, 2010.