The South Carolina Trucking Assn. presented New South Express Inc., a Myrtle Beach-based company, with the industry's top safety award.

New South had the lowest accident frequency rate of the many South Carolina fleets considered for the award. The company’s trucks ran 3.4 million miles in 2003.
Debbie Sand, Vice President for the Myrtle Beach-based company says, "Safety is the number one priority for New South Express. Our partnership with SCTA, and the learning experience that this affords us, greatly assists us in this effort."
Ard Trucking Co. Inc. of Darlington won the Most Improved Award for its accident reduction efforts.
At the trucking association's ceremonies in Columbia, Chairman O. L. Thompson, III, said truckers have worked very hard and have spent substantial resources on driver and public safety awareness.
"We are working to spread the 'Share the Road' message to car drivers," he said.
J. Richards Todd, president and CEO of the association credits industry safety efforts, stepped-up enforcement by the Department of Public Safety reduced speed limits in some areas and public awareness programs by state and federal agencies with helping to reduce the truck-related deaths in South Carolina.
First-place awards for various categories of operations were also presented to the following companies with in-state fleets:
General Commodities Division: Ard Trucking Co. Inc.; Standard Corp.; Bulldog Hiway Express; FedEx Freight East; G & P Trucking Co. Inc.; StarTrans Inc.; Wilson Trucking Corp.; Southeastern Freight Lines Inc.; Rhode Trucking Inc.; East Coast Truck Lines Inc.; and TCW, Tennessee Express Inc.
Private Carrier Division: Springs Industries Inc.; New South Express Inc.; Capital Group of SC Inc., Milliken and Co.; Bi-Lo LLC; Diamond Hill Plywood Co.; and W. Lee Flowers & Co. Inc.
Tank Division: Southern Tank Transport Inc.; StarTrans Inc.; and Associated Petroleum Carriers Inc.
Aggregate Hauler Division: J. Grady Randolph Inc.
Heavy Hauler Division: Tidewater Transportation Inc. and Superior Transportation Inc.
For more information on the trucking industry and its safety programs, contact SCTA at (803) 799-4306 or visit www.sctrucking.org .
The South Carolina Trucking Assn. is a 72-year old trade group with more than 800 company members operating truck fleets in the state.