Heavy Duty Trucking magazine has won two Jesse H. Neal honors for editorial excellence in the 2008 American Business Media competition. The Neal Award is regarded as the Pulitzer Prize of business publishing.
Newport Communications dominates the truck media with more awards for journalistic excellence than all its competitors combined.
This year, HDT's two Neal wins were for entire issues. The April issue was recognized in the Best Theme Issue category, and HDT November was honored in the Best Single Issue category. Here's an overview of each winner:

• Best Theme Issue, Heavy Duty Trucking April: Trucks are parked because there aren't enough qualified drivers to move them. The industry is 20,000 drivers short, and the crisis will get worse. In the next 10 years 539,000 new truckers - about 54,000 a year - will be needed to meet economic expansion. High turnover rates among existing drivers worsens the problem. When one quits, it can cost a fleet between $6,500 and $12,000. This special theme issue dedicated its entire feature section - nearly 50 pages - to giving fleet managers tools to cope, including: analysis of why drivers leave; recruiting and retention issues; new driver demographics; government impact; compensation packages; non-traditional methods of pay; technology solutions; equipment changes to please drivers; high-tech temptations in the cab, and how to keep peace between drivers and mechanics.

• Best Single Issue, Heavy Duty Trucking November: This issue covers a wide assortment of breaking news, features and analysis to help fleet managers operate effectively. Killer Trucks No More launched a series to help the industry deal with public image problems. The Monster That's Eating Your Rigs tells fleets how to cope with ice-melting chemicals that destroy equipment and cause accidents. As the only truck fleet publication with editors qualified to drive and evaluate equipment, this issue offers tests of a new Isuzu series, a Peterbilt hybrid and the Mack Pinnacle. Graphic Attraction outlines how advertising on trailers can raise revenue and build business for fleets. Hotline analyzes the China Factor and its potential impact on trucking here. Emissions Report looks at how European incentives spur adoption of eco-friendly equipment, problems with fitting diesel particulate filters and fleet evaluations of hybrid trucks. Other news, opinions and departments cover: safety tax incentives; tough clean air regulations; steel wheel corrosion, and air suspensions to protect vehicles and cargo.

Since this year's winners are in categories recognizing the excellence of the entire issue, individual editors are not named on the awards. They are given to the entire editorial team.

The awards will be presented at a luncheon ceremony March 14 at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.