CarriersEdge announced the 2026 Best Fleets to Drive For overall winners, with Crawford Trucking, Fortigo Freight Services, and FTC Transportation receiving top awards.

The Best Fleets to Drive For program, now in its 18th year, is an annual survey and contest that identifies the for-hire carriers providing the best workplace experiences for their company drivers and independent contractors.

CarriersEdge, which runs the program, is a provider of online driver training. Awards were presented at the Best Fleets to Drive For Education & Awards Conference held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in North Carolina.

Best Overall Fleet: Small Carrier

Crawford Trucking of Des Moines, Iowa, won a Best Overall Fleet award for the first time. This was the company’s third year making the Top 20.

Best Overall Fleet: Large Carrier

Fortigo Freight Services, of Etobicoke, Ontario, was also a first-time winner of a Best Overall Fleet award. This is the company’s seventh consecutive year in the Top 20, making the fleet eligible for the Hall of Fame if it qualifies in 2027.  

“Our winning fleets this year exemplified the hard work and commitment needed to find a way to make a difference for drivers in a continuing difficult market,” said Jane Jazrawy, CarriersEdge CEO.

“While all of our Top 20 winners are leaders in the industry, these two fleets stand out with great programs, and exceptional safety and retention scores.”

FTC Transportation Named Stratosphere Award Winner

CarriersEdge also presented The Stratosphere Award, which recognizes the top-scoring fleet in the Best Fleets Hall of Fame. This year’s award went to FTC Transportation of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, fleets must be named as a Best Fleet for 10 consecutive years, or seven years with at least one overall winner award. Fleets in the Hall of Fame must requalify each year to retain the distinction.

“Our Best Fleets Hall of Fame members represent the best of the best for their ongoing demonstration of excellence,” said Jazrawy. “FTC Transportation has been a Hall of Fame member for five years and a Best Fleets winner for 14 consecutive years.

“Over the years, we’ve watched them continue to grow and innovate, and they are deserving winners of our third annual Stratosphere Award. As a fleet with 23 drivers, they are also proof that you don’t need to be big to offer great programs.”

How Does the Best Fleets to Drive For Program Work?

To be considered for the Best Fleets program, for-hire carriers operating 10 or more tractor-trailers must be nominated by a company driver or independent contractor working with them.

Nominated fleets are then evaluated in areas such as driver compensation, pension and benefits, professional development, driver and community support, and safety record.

The highest-scoring fleets are identified as the Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For and then grouped according to size. The highest-scoring fleet in each size category is named an overall winner.

The Best Fleets to Drive For contest accepts nominations from Labor Day to Halloween each year and reveals its Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For winners in late January or early February.

The highest-scoring fleet in each size category and top-scoring Hall of Fame member are named overall winners during the Best Fleets to Drive For Education & Awards Conference.