This story appears in the Nov. 1 print edition of Transport Topics. Dean Newell, vice president of safety and training for Maverick Transportation, was recently honored as National Safety Director of the Year by American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council.
The award, presented at the 2010 Safety & Human Resources National Conference & Exhibition in Rogers, Ark., is given annually to a motor carrier safety executive “whose professional qualifications, safety programs and achievements are deemed most outstanding among his or her peers.”
“The environment in which this professional works is one of the most challenging in the industry, but that doesn’t deter [him] from maintaining an amazing safety record,” said presenter John Jones of Great West Casualty Co., which is a sponsor of the award.
Newell first joined motor carrier Maverick, North Little Rock, Ark., in 1985 as an over-the-road truck driver and has been the company’s top safety executive since 2000.
The Safety Management Council’s President’s Trophy for a large fleet was awarded to ABF Freight System Inc., Fort Smith, Ark. The midsize fleet winner was Dupré Logistics LLC, Lafayette, La.; and the small fleet winner was TCW/Tennessee Express Inc., Nashville, Tenn.
The President’s Trophy recognizes the three companies whose fleets have been judged by the Truck & Industrial Safety Contests to have the best overall safety programs. The contests judge motor carriers from across the United States on their safety accomplishments and records relative to other fleets within their operations’ type and size.
The ATA National Driver of the Year award was given to Anthony Jones, Central Freight Lines, Houston.
Jones, who has been a driver for 34 years, has more than 4.2 million miles of safe driving and a career-long record of no workplace injuries.
The council gave its Leadership Award to Patti Gillette of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association as the individual “who has gone above and beyond in supporting and promoting the council.”
The Colorado Motor Carriers Association was the council’s Excellence in Safety recipient.
