NPTC honors leaders, fleets, drivers

April 17, 2014

Cincinnati.  During the National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition here this week, NPTC presented awards to individuals and to fleets for their achievements and for their contributions to the private fleet industry.

Leadership Awards went to seven individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the NPTC organization itself. Gary Strausbaugh, vice president of transportation for Mennel Milling Co., was named Private Fleet Executive of the Year. Strausbaugh served as chairman of the Board of NPTC for two years and will stay on as a member of the Board.  “It has been a blessing to be a part of this group for so many years,” he told the audience as he accepted the award.

The Private Fleet Safety Professional award was presented to Randy Perry, who is responsible for the East Division of Frito-Lay’s fleet safety activities. He is also chairman of NPTC’s Safety committee and serves on the NPTC Board of Directors and on the Trucker Buddy International Board, among other activities.

David Gadberry of Toyota Quality Parts Express was honored with the Private Fleet Member of the Year award. He is responsible for motor carrier compliance and operations improvement for Toyota’s private fleet.

The Membership Development award went to Luann Dunkerley, national sales manager for truck fleet services at The CEI Group, Inc. In 2011, she was elected to the National Private Truck Council Institute Board of Governors and serves on its Safety committee.

Rick Foster, senior director, private fleet safety for Wal-Mart Transportation, received the Dan P. Smith Life Achievement Award from NPTC.  He has been a member since 1997 and has served on the Legislative and Regulatory Review committee since its inception. Foster is also on the NPTC Board of Directors Executive Committee and is a past chairman.  He is also active in ATA, the Arkansas Trucking Association and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Lytx, Inc. was presented with the Allied Member of the Year award and BCT, Inc. received the NPTC/C.H. Robinson Worldwide Excellence in Backhauling award.

NPTC Fleet of the Year awards were sponsored this year by Lytx, Inc. They are presented to companies whose fleets experienced the lowest ratio of accidents per million miles for the past year.

In the local operation category, American Proteins, Inc. earned the first place award; Clinton’s Ditch Cooperative Co., Inc. took second place and WilcoHess, LLC earned the third place award.

Contract Transportation Systems/The Sherwin-Williams Company earned the first place award in the regional operations division.

Among fleets with fewer than 50 vehicles, there was a tie for first place between Metal Exchange Corp. and Sugar Foods Corp. New South Express, Inc. took third place; there was no second place winner.

In the large fleet category, ADM Alliance Nutrition earned the first place award; Baxter Healthcare Supply Chain took second place and NEP Supershots received the third place award.

Eighteen gold, silver and bronze Fleet Safety awards, sponsored by Lytx, were also presented to fleets that had outstanding safety performances during the past year and/or that improved their safety performance. ADM Alliance Nutrition; ADM Trucking, Inc.; Cooper Tire Company; Staples, Inc.; and Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. were presented with Gold Seal Awards (certificates of achievement) for outstanding safety performance, having operated their private truck fleets without a single accident in 2013.

Lytx, Inc. also sponsored the Driver Hall of Fame awards. This year, four drivers were honored, including Roger J. Herron of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.; Robert Anthony Purcell of Contract Transportation Systems/The Sherwin-Williams Co.; Raymond G. Sanderson of Kraft Foods Group, Inc.; and Nathan Tandal of CPC Logistics, assigned to Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC.

About the Author

Wendy Leavitt

Wendy Leavitt joined Fleet Owner in 1998 after serving as editor-in-chief of Trucking Technology magazine for four years.

She began her career in the trucking industry at Kenworth Truck Company in Kirkland, WA where she spent 16 years—the first five years as safety and compliance manager in the engineering department and more than a decade as the company’s manager of advertising and public relations. She has also worked as a book editor, guided authors through the self-publishing process and operated her own marketing and public relations business.

Wendy has a Masters Degree in English and Art History from Western Washington University, where, as a graduate student, she also taught writing.  

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