NPTC inducts Driver Hall of Fame class, hands out annual safety awards

April 28, 2015

CINCINNATI. Among the many productive educational sessions and speakers the National Private Truck Council brings to its 2015 Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition, there are also plenty of awards to be handed out.

On Sunday, NPTC honored its 2015 CTP graduating class; Monday was set aside for its Professional Leadership Awards and the Driver Hall of Fame Induction ceremony; and Tuesday was dedicated to the NPTC/Lytx Fleet Safety Awards.

The four inductees into this year’s Driver Hall of Fame are William Bowley, Unifi Manufacturing; Stephen Edwards, Sherwin-Williams Co.; Mark Hannon, Upstate Niagara Cooperative; and Leon Turner, Batesville Logistics.

Brawley started his driving career in 1978 and has racked up 3.2 million miles of accident free driving hauling milk tanks through the mountains of North Carolina, petroleum tankers and pneumatic tanks with various employers. He joined Unifi in 1994, where he has racked up 1.8 million of those accident free miles. Among his awards are the 2012 National Safety Council Best South Atlantic, the 2010 Truck Renting and Leasing Assn. National Driver of the Year, and the 2007 North Carolina Trucking Assn. driver of the year.

Edwards has more than 40 years behind the wheel with more than 3 million miles of safe driving. He’s been with Sherwin-Williams for 28 years, averaging about 50 hours and 1,500 mi. per week without incident. He has served on Sherwin-Williams’ safety committee, conducted training for drivers of yard tractors and continues his own training.

Hannon has been with Update Niagara hauling milk and dairy products since 1979. Even with more than 2.1 million miles without an accident of moving violation, Hannon found time in 2005 to get a school bus endorsement.

Turner is a 38-year driving veteran and has accumulated 5.03 million miles of accident-free driving. He’s been with Batesville since 1990 and has been recognized as a Driver of the Month by the Indiana Motor Truck Assn. five years in a row and has been named a National Safety Council Safe Driver Award of Honor winner for the last three years.

The following are the winners of the Professional Leadership Awards:

Private Fleet Executive of the Year: Dan Norris, Pepsi Beverages Co.

Private Fleet Member of the Year: Joe Laskowski, Medtrans Inc.

Private Fleet Safety Professional of the Year: Nick Cindrich, CVS Health

NPTC Excellence in Membership: Keith McWilliams, Kellogg Company

Allied Member of the Year: Fleet Advantage

NPTC/C.H. Robinson Worldwide Excellence in Backhauling: Ashley Distribution Services

The Dan Smith Life Achievement Award: Tony Jolly, General Mills

The NPTC/Lytx 2015 Fleet of the Year Award winners are:

Local Operations

First place (tie): Dominion Virginia Power and Blain Supply

Third place: American Proteins

Regional Operations

First place: TMH Transport

Second place: AEP Industries

Third place: Contract Transportation Services/The Sherwin-Williams Company

Small Fleet, mixed operation (less than 50 vehicles)

First place: Metal Exchange Corp.

Second place: Sugar Foods Corp.

Third place: Marzetti Company

Large Fleet, mixed operation (50 vehicles or more)

First place: Baxter Healthcare Supply Chain

Second place: New South Express

Third place: Orscheln Farm and Home

Also handed out was the 2015 Fleet Safety Awards. Gold Seal Awards (certificate of achievement) are given to fleets that operated without a single accident in the past year. Silver Seal Awards (certificate of merit) are awarded to a company that reduced its accident frequency rate 40% or more compared to the previous year. Finally, Bronze Seal Awards (certificate of progress) are awarded to companies that reduced their accident frequency rate by 20-39% compared to the previous year.

Gold Seal Awards

  • ADM Alliance Nutrition
  • ADM Trucking
  • AEP Industries
  • Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
  • CVS/Caremark
  • Targa Transports
  • Upstate Niagara Cooperative

Silver Seal Awards

  • ADM Trucking
  • Bridgestone Americas Fleet Operations
  • Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
  • Frito-Lay
  • Harris Teeter
  • Targa Transports

Bronze Seal Award

  • ADM Trucking
  • Bridgestone Americas Fleet Operations
  • CHS
  • Frito-Lay
About the Author

Brian Straight | Managing Editor

Brian joined Fleet Owner in May 2008 after spending nearly 14 years as sports editor and then managing editor of several daily newspapers.  He and his staff  won more than two dozen major writing and editing awards. Responsible for editing, editorial production functions and deadlines.

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