The annual Best Fleets to Drive For contest, which allows drivers to recognize their companies, returns for a 15th year in 2023. Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge announced they are accepting fleet nominations through Oct. 31.
Fleets operating 10 or more tractor-trailers in the U.S. or Canada are eligible for nomination. A TCA membership is not required to participate. Winners will be honored during the TCA’s Truckload 2023 convention in March in Kissimmee, Florida. The program also created a Best Fleets to Drive For Hall of Fame in 2022 for some fleets that have constantly been among the 20 honored each year.
See also: Carriers that put people first win Best Fleets to Drive For honors
“The program evolves every season to match what is happening in the industry,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “Over the past two years, we watched carriers work hard to meet the unprecedented challenges that arose during COVID. Now, we are excited to see what new ideas fleets have come up with to transition from the pandemic and meet the challenges of a fluctuating economy.”
By nominating a fleet, a professional truck driver is formally recognizing his or her company’s culture, programs, and working environment. If the carrier chooses to participate, senior management takes part in a questionnaire and interview, while a selection of drivers participates in surveys, all of which dig deeper into the company’s policies and practices.
At the end of the evaluation process, the top 20 highest scoring fleets are identified as Best Fleets to Drive For and announced at the end of January 2023. From this pool, companies are divided into small and large carrier categories. Two overall winners are named during the TCA event in March.
“The Best Fleets to Drive For program started 15 years ago during the 2008 recession, surprising us with the unique ways fleets addressed the needs of their drivers during times of uncertainty,” said TCA President Jim Ward. “I look forward to seeing what new standards carriers have implemented since last year's program to better working conditions for professional drivers and the industry as a whole.”
