ATA honors trucking organization, LTL carrier with safety, security awards

The Arkansas Trucking Association received the American Trucking Associations’ State Excellence in Safety Award, and ABF Freight, a less-than-truckload carrier of Fort Smith-based ArcBest, was presented the Excellence in Claims and Loss Prevention Award.

The organization and LTL carrier were two of many trucking industry leaders the American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council recognized at the Safety, Security and Human Resources National Conference and Exhibition in Memphis, Tenn.

“Safety is a reward in and of itself, but at ATA we also believe in recognizing the people and organizations who pursue excellence in their approaches to safety,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO for the American Trucking Associations. “Safety is what defines our industry, and one must look no further than a 4-million-mile, accident-free driver or a company that dedicates substantial resources to safety investments, to see that safety is what guides trucking’s dedicated professionals.”

Gary Plant, a truck driver for Walmart Transportation, received the National Driver of the Year award. He’s worked 27 years for the private fleet of the Bentonville-based retailer and 41 years as a professional truck driver. He has 4.4 million safe miles, equivalent to 176 trips around the world, and has not been cited for a traffic violation or been involved in an accident.

The safety award the Arkansas Trucking Association received is given annually to a state trucking association “making innovative and impactful progress on promoting safety to their members,” according to a news release. “Arkansas Trucking Association hosted eight safety council meetings, five education sessions, operates an Arkansas Road Team and Share the Road program, and hosted a state truck driving championship for 156 drivers representing 18 companies.”