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20 carriers named as 2021 Best Fleets to Drive For


Sixteen repeat fleets have been named to the TCA and CarriersEdge 2021 Best Fleets to Drive For list, which honors for-hire trucking fleets identified as offering the best workplace experiences for drivers. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Sixteen repeat fleets have been named to the TCA and CarriersEdge 2021 Best Fleets to Drive For list, which honors for-hire trucking fleets identified as offering the best workplace experiences for drivers. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

TCA and CarriersEdge will name overall winners in 2 categories at upcoming TCA Truckload 2021: Las Vegas conference

Twenty carriers have been named to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge 2021 Best Fleets to Drive For list. This year’s Best Fleets includes four carriers new to the list and 16 carriers that were also named to the 2020 list.

Produced by CarriersEdge, in partnership with TCA, Best Fleets to Drive For is an annual survey and contest that identifies the for-hire carriers providing the best workplace experiences for their drivers.

“We are proud to recognize the winners of the 2021 Best Fleets to Drive For contest,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “In a year where the essential services provided by our industry have come into public focus, it is especially important to acknowledge those carriers who are going above and beyond in setting the standards for workplace satisfaction. Each of the Top 20 winners should take pride in the dedication they have shown to our essential workforce.”

All the carriers will be honored during TCA’s Annual Convention — Truckload 2021: Las Vegas — being held April 17-20 at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort.

Two overall winners in the large and small fleet categories will be announced at the conference. The overall winner awards are sponsored by EpicVue and TruckRight.

New additions to the list this year are Chief Carriers Inc. of Grand Island, Nebraska; Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada; Jetco Delivery, Houston; and Wilson Logistics, Springfield, Missouri.

Of note on the 2021 list are Grand Island Express and Garner Trucking. Garner has been named to the list for five consecutive years, while Grand Island Express has achieved the milestone for 10 consecutive years.

“2020 was a year like no other, and the 2021 Best Fleets showed that they were stepping up to address those challenges,” said CarriersEdge CEO Jane Jazrawy. “Even in the midst of a pandemic these fleets are focused on creating a great workplace experience for all their drivers, and with an average satisfaction rate over 90% their drivers clearly appreciate those efforts.”

To be considered for the Best Fleets program, companies operating 10 or more trucks had to receive a nomination from one of their company drivers or owner-operators. The fleets were then evaluated using a scoring matrix covering a variety of categories, including total compensation, health benefits, performance management, professional development and career path/advancement opportunities, among other criteria. Driver surveys were also conducted to collect input from drivers and independent contractors working with the fleets.

The complete list of 20 is as follows:

  • American Central Transport — Kansas City, Missouri

  • Bison Transport Inc. — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

  • Boyle Transportation — Billerica, Massachusetts

  • Central Oregon Truck Company Inc. — Redmond, Oregon

  • Challenger — Cambridge, Ontario

  • Chief Carriers Inc. — Grand Island, Nebraska

  • Erb Transport — New Hamburg, Ontario

  • Fortigo Freight Services Inc. — Etobicoke, Ontario

  • Fremont Contract Carriers Inc. — Fremont, Nebraska

  • FTC Transportation Inc. — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

  • Garner Trucking Inc. — Findlay, Ohio

  • Grand Island Express — Grand Island, Nebraska

  • Halvor Lines Inc. — Superior, Wisconsin

  • Jetco Delivery — Houston

  • Nussbaum Transportation Services Inc. — Hudson, Illinois

  • Prime Inc. — Springfield, Missouri

  • Thomas E. Keller Trucking Inc. — Defiance, Ohio

  • Transpro Freight Systems Limited — Milton, Ontario

  • Wellington Motor Freight — Aberfoyle, Ontario

  • Wilson Logistics Inc. — Springfield, Missouri

In addition to the 20 fleets named, TCA and CarriersEdge also identified five Fleets to Watch (honorable mention fleets). Those are:

  • AirTime Express — Mississauga, Ontario

  • Boyd Bros. Transportation — Clayton, Alabama

  • Carbon Express, Inc. — Wharton, New Jersey

  • K & J Trucking — Sioux Falls, North Dakota

  • Western Dairy Transport — Cabool, Missouri

Brian Straight

Brian Straight leads FreightWaves' Modern Shipper brand as Managing Editor. A journalism graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he has covered everything from a presidential election, to professional sports and Little League baseball, and for more than 10 years has covered trucking and logistics. Before joining FreightWaves, he was previously responsible for the editorial quality and production of Fleet Owner magazine and fleetowner.com. Brian lives in Connecticut with his wife and two kids and spends his time coaching his son’s baseball team, golfing with his daughter, and pursuing his never-ending quest to become a professional bowler. You can reach him at bstraight@freightwaves.com.