Fremont Contract Carriers of Fremont, Neb., and Wannemacher Enterprises of Lima, Ohio, are the winners of the first annual Best Fleets to Drive For survey and contest,
conducted by The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge. Fremont was selected in the category for fleets with over 100 power units and Wannemacher was selected for fleets with under 100 power units.

Best Fleets to Drive For is an annual survey and contest identifying the North American for-hire trucking companies that provide the best workplace experiences for their drivers. Nominated carriers are evaluated on the range and depth of offered programs, the overall effectiveness of those programs across key metrics, and the responses of surveyed drivers. The top finishers are identified as Best Fleets to Drive For, and the highest scoring fleet in each category is named overall winner.

Both companies were officially presented with their awards at the TCA Annual Convention at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Fla., this week.

Fremont Contract Carriers, which operates 312 trucks, won its category with a range of programs closely aligned to driver needs. For this fleet, investments in technology to improve safety and efficiency, along with profit sharing, driver wellness, and flexible performance rewards, combined to deliver strong results in safety, retention and overall driver satisfaction.

Wannemacher Enterprises, which operates 56 trucks, won its category through a combination of innovative programs, such as its public safety video series - ongoing videos that address general issues of road safety and are aired as a public service on local television stations. The program has helped Wannemacher drivers maintain a safety focus, while extending the Wannemacher brand and promoting the trucking industry in general as a partner in safety.

The Best Fleets to Drive For survey and contest was open to any fleet operating 10 trucks or more (whether TCA members or not). Fleets had to be nominated by at least one of their drivers (either a company driver or an owner operator). Nominated fleets were evaluated in areas such as driver compensation, pension and benefits, professional development, driver and community support, safety record, etc.