The Truckload Carriers Association has selected 18 companies as division winners in its 37th annual National Fleet Safety Awards.

Sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, the awards recognize trucking companies that demonstrate a superior commitment to safety and accident reduction.

“These division winners are examples of what to do right when it comes to operating safely,” said Harry Kimball, chairman of TCA’s Safety & Security Division and vice president of risk management for Western Flyer Express. "Being named the safest truckload carriers in the nation is not easy. They should be very proud of their achievement.”

Fleets applying for the awards have completed the first of a two-step process. First, their accident frequency per million miles driven was calculated for each of six mileage-based divisions. The top three division winners were selected and have been audited by an independent expert to verify their accident frequency numbers.

All division winners are now eligible to compete for two grand prizes, one in the “less than 25 million annual miles” category and one in the “25 million or more annual miles” category.

To win the grand prize, companies will be judged on their overall safety programs, both on- and off-highway, including employee driver/independent contractor selection procedures, training, supervision, accident investigation, inspection and maintenance of equipment, and outside activities including general highway safety.

As with the division winners, the two grand prize winning companies will be honored at an awards ceremony to be held during TCA’s Annual Convention and then again during TCA’s Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting.

Below are the names of the 2012 top divisional winners based on low accident frequency ratios per million miles. Companies are listed according to the order that they placed within each category.

Division I Winners (Less than 5 million miles)

1. FTC Transportation, Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.

2. Weinrich Truck Line, Inc., Hinton, Iowa

3. AAT Carriers, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Division II Winners (5-14.99 million miles)

1. Fortune Transportation, Windom, Minn.

2. Southland Transportation Co., Boonville, N.C.

3. Brian Kurtz Trucking, LTD, Breslau, Ontario

Division III Winners (15-24.99 million miles)

1. A&A Express, Inc., Brandon, S.D.

2. Convoy Systems LLC, Kansas City, Kan.

3. Fleetmaster Express Inc., Roanoke, Va.

Division IV Winners (25-49.99 million miles)

1. Halvor Lines, Inc., Superior, Wis.

2. N. Yanke Transfer Ltd., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3. Fremont Contract Carriers, Inc., Fremont, Neb.

Division V Winners (50-99.99 million miles)

1. Groupe Robert, Inc., Rougemont, Québec

2. Hirschbach Motor Lines, Inc., East Dubuque, Ill.

3. Navajo Express, Inc., Denver, Co.

Division VI Winners (100 million or more miles)

1. Bison Transport, Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba

2. Gordon Trucking, Inc., Pacific, Wash.

3. FFE Transportation Services, Inc., Lancaster, Texas