Scott Manthey, senior vice president of safety and compliance for Interstate Distributor Co. of Tacoma, Washington, has been presented the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) 2017 Clare C. Casey Safety Professional of the Year Award.

This honor is bestowed upon a trucking industry professional whose actions and achievements have made a profound contribution to enhancing safety on North America’s highways. Today’s award ceremony took place during TCA’s 36th Annual Safety & Security Division Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard for ten years, Scott Manthey has worked in the transportation industry for over 20 years, including the past three and a half years at Interstate Distributor Co. He has helped usher in a 45% reduction in preventable DOT accidents, a 40% reduction in total incurred exposure, and a 17% Loss Time Injury reduction, displaying his ability not only to teach professional truck drivers how to drive more safely, but to instill the values of safety into a company’s culture.

“In his first year with Interstate we would rarely find Scott in his office,” said Marc Rodgers, president & CEO of Interstate Distributor Co. “He was out in the yard talking to our drivers, teaching a class to our new operations staff, or in the driver lounge building relationships of trust with our associates. This was a testament to the loyalty Scott builds in his professional relationships and the responsibility he feels to build the future safety leaders in our industry.”

Manthey’s dedication to safety is never limited to his work with the company he works for — he also volunteers his time with other organizations to help spread safety to the industry as a whole. He has been an active member of the Washington Trucking Association (WTA) for over ten years, serving on the board of Safety Management Council for eight years, including as the council’s Chairman from 2013 to 2015. He was named the Chairman for TCA’s Regulatory Policy Committee in 2015, and has been actively involved in TCA’s Safety & Security Division since 2012.

In addition to the 2017 Clare C. Casey Award, Manthey has earned numerous awards honoring his dedication to safety, including the 2010 Safety Professional of the Year from WTA and the 2012 Safety Professional of the Year from the Oregon Trucking Association. Carriers for which Manthey was the company safety leader have earned Safe Carrier of the Year honors from Washington, Oregon, California, and Indiana.

“Scott represents the best of the best in the safety world,” said David Heller, vice president of government affairs at TCA. “He knows his stuff, and is always willing to share his vast knowledge. Everyone in safety can agree, Scott Manthey is incredibly deserving of this award.”

Fort Worth, Texas:

“Garth is a crusader for our people and our industry — always available and involved, advocating on behalf of safety.”

Garth Pitzel, director of safety and driver development for Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been presented with the 2016 Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Clare C. Casey Safety Professional of the Year Award. The honor is bestowed upon a recipient whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways. Today’s award ceremony took place during the organization’s Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting, held this year in Fort Worth, Texas.

Pitzel joined Bison Transport in October of 1994 and held various roles within highway and city operations before being promoted to his current position in June of 2001. He is responsible for company and driver safety, driver development, and company security. Under his leadership, Bison has established a safety culture that consistently wins awards throughout the trucking industry.

A well-known safety professional, Pitzel actively promotes the industry and furthers transportation and workplace safety initiatives. He appears at a variety of industry-related events as a speaker and presenter. He regularly contributes his expertise and resources to trucking associations and private industry, as well as to government and regulatory bodies. These have included initiatives in promoting and bringing new drivers to the industry, training for private fleets, and harmonization of regulations for long combination vehicles across provinces.

He is currently involved with TCA’s School Committee and has held several leadership roles within the Safety & Security Division. He is a member of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association’s board of directors, Qualcomm’s Safety Advisory Board, and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee. He also was inducted to the Manitoba Trucking Association’s Pioneer Club, which recognizes members of the local trucking industry who have been continually employed in the industry for at least 25 years and are actively and directly engaged in the formulation, direction, or execution of policy.

According to the application written to nominate Pitzel for the award, he “is an energetic and driven leader who engages and motivates people at all levels. He freely provides his time, direction, and resources to partners and competitors on many safety-related issues and initiatives. He believes that safety should be a common goal, which requires collaboration, perseverance, open dialogue and action. Garth is a crusader for our people and our industry—always available and involved, advocating on behalf of safety.”

Charlotte, North Carolina:

This morning, at the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) annual Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, the organization presented the 2015 Clare C. Casey Award to Dean Newell, vice president of safety and training for Maverick Transportation, LLC, of North Little Rock, Arkansas. The award is given to a safety professional whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways.

Newell has been employed by Maverick Transportation for more than 30 years. He began as a professional truck driver and then held positions in recruiting, driver services, and safety. Today, he manages a fleet of over 1,400 tractors and 2,000 trailers as well as oversees eight terminal/facility locations and eight on-site loading and securement locations that employ over 1,500 people. He continually seeks to develop new initiatives to address the ever-changing safety and driver training needs of the company.

Known as a strong leader, he has developed a reputation for assembling the best possible teams and making effective leadership decisions. He has won many distinguished awards, including the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Safety Director of the Year award, the Arkansas Trucking Association’s (ArTA) Safety Director of the Year, and numerous safety awards from Maverick during his years as a driver.

Under Newell’s leadership, Maverick Transportation has earned more than 30 industry awards from such organizations as ATA’s Safety Management Council, ArTA, the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission, as well as from several insurance companies.

According to Stephen Selig, the president and COO of Maverick Transportation and the author of Newell’s award nomination, “Dean is whole-heartedly committed to the improvement of trucking safety across the board … not just within the corporate structure of Maverick.” He outlined how Newell initiated and hosted the kick-start of a collaborative effort of flatbed safety meetings, in which he invited various flatbed carriers to attend and discuss safety ideas and concerns in a roundtable fashion. He also stated that Newell has made several presentations for conferences and seminars throughout the industry and has never hesitated to share his expertise with others.

Throughout the years, Newell has held numerous volunteer positions, most notably as chairman of the ArTA Truck Driving Championships, chairman of the ATA National Accident Review Committee, and twice chairman of the ArTA Safety & Loss Prevention Management Council. He has also been active with the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the North American Transportation Management Institute, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and the Transportation Research Board, among other organizations.

Outside of trucking, Newell is a golfer, duck hunter, certified Arkansas Hunter Education instructor, and an Olympic Level 1 Certified trapshooting coach. He has coached boys’ baseball and the local high school trapshooting team. He is married and has two sons.

Indianapolis, Indiana:

Each year, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) presents its prestigious Clare C. Casey Award to a safety professional whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive impact on safety on our highways. The 2013 recipient is Thomas Lansing, vice president of safety and driver services for Hogan Transports, Inc., of Bridgeton, Missouri. The announcement was made during the 32nd annual meeting of TCA’s Safety & Security Division at The Westin Indianapolis.

According to Harry Kimball, division chairman and the vice president, risk management, for Western Flyer Express, Inc., of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, “Within the truckload industry, there is no higher mission than striving for perfection in safety, both on the highways and within our own facilities. TCA has bestowed this honor upon Tom because he is a true leader with a vast knowledge of the safety field. His unselfish commitment to the betterment of our industry clearly places him as a thoroughbred in the transportation field.”

Lansing began his career in 1972 as a sort manager in charge of safety and operations for United Parcel Service. After a decade, he joined Hogan Transports as an operations manager. One year later, he took over responsibility for safety and recruiting; he has been with Hogan ever since.

Under Lansing’s leadership, Hogan has received TCA’s National Fleet Safety division award seven times. It won the grand prize in 2002. In 2004, the company was named “Innovator of the Year” by the Commercial Carrier Journal. When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration unveiled its Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) initiative, Hogan was selected as one of the test carriers for Missouri’s pilot program. Lansing worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation to develop procedures that would work for the industry and was willing to share his experiences with many colleagues, enabling them to get a head start on preparing for this “game-changing” program.

David Hogan, president of Hogan Transports, said that Lansing has brought several new and successful safety measures to the company, such as a driver fatigue monitoring program and a winter weather shutdown program.

“As anyone in the trucking industry knows, safety is an ongoing challenge that requires leadership that continually pushes an organization to improve its safety record,” said Hogan. “Tom is the perfect leader to get that job done.”

An active member of TCA, Lansing is a past chairman of the organization’s Safety & Security Division. He is active in the American Trucking Associations and the Missouri Motor Carriers Association. Outside of the trucking industry, Lansing is the president and founder of the Gateway Football League and has served as a high school football official for 16 years. He is a 25-year volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Norman, Oklahoma:

The Truckload Carriers Association’s Safety & Security Division has presented its 2012 Safety Professional of the Year Award to Jerry Waddell, safety director for Cargo Transporters, Inc. of Claremont, North Carolina.  The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented earlier today during the division’s 31st annual Safety & Security Meeting, held in Norman, Oklahoma, at the Embassy Suites Norman – Hotel & Conference Center.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways.  Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry, and the motoring public.

Waddell has been in the trucking industry for 37 years and his focus has been on safety for more than 21 years.  He began working as a driver in 1975 and moved into a safety position in 1991.  He joined Cargo Transporters, Inc. as safety director in 1999.

“We are in the people business,” said Waddell after the ceremony.  “Safety is always in the forefront; take care of your people and safety takes care of itself.”

Under Waddell’s leadership, Cargo Transporters has improved its year-over-year safety performance through implementation of improved safety and loss prevention techniques and safety technologies.

Waddell is responsible for numerous initiatives that have increased safety and health awareness and reduced costs at Cargo Transporters, including a robust training system that utilizes classroom, online, and simulator components. With a strong focus on accountability, Waddell implemented an extensive monthly safety analysis report that provides upper management with critical information pertaining to training, DOT recordable accidents, CSA scores, SafeSTAT, ISS, and insurance.

As an active participant in TCA, Waddell is the second vice chair of the Safety & Security Division.  He serves as product development chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Safety Management Council and as a pre-trip judge for the ATA National Truck Driving Championships. He is a board member with the Catawba Valley Traffic Club and a planning committee member of the North Carolina Statewide Safety Conference.

“Throughout his long career, Jerry has always given freely of his time and talents, making a lot of friends along the way,” said Dennis Dellinger, president of Cargo Transporters.  “His unwavering commitment to safety has shaped our company’s culture, and we are thankful and excited to have him representing us in the broader safety arena.”

Murfreesboro, Tennessee:

The Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Safety & Security Division has presented its 2011 Safety Professional of the Year Award to Don Lacy, director of safety for Prime Inc., of Springfield, Missouri. The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 16, 2011, during the Division’s 30th annual Safety & Security Meeting, held at the Hyatt Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel and Conference Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways. Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry, and the motoring public.

Lacy has been in the business of safety for more than 46 years. He originally worked for Prime from 1989-1991 as a consultant. In 1996, a retirement in Prime’s safety department opened the door for his return to the company as director of safety. Today, he is directly responsible for the safety initiatives and directives for almost 5,000 drivers and more than 4,000 trucks in Prime’s fleet.

Under Lacy’s leadership, Prime has vastly improved its DOT accident frequency ratio from above .80 in 1996 to just .57 in 2010 – the company’s best safety record in its 40-year history. Lacy is responsible for numerous initiatives that have increased safety awareness and cost savings at Prime, including the establishment of “Prime University,” the forerunner of the sophisticated training center that the company operates today. A strong believer in the power of communication, he convinced Prime’s management to hold weekly safety/communications meetings with drivers. He also led Prime’s efforts to fund and implement safety initiatives in areas such as safety technology, rollover prevention, and electronic log implementation.

An active participant in TCA, Lacy is a past chairman of the Independent Contractor and Safety & Security divisions. He has made presentations at TCA’s annual convention and Independent Contractor Division annual meeting and has served as a topic expert on multiple panels at the Safety & Security Division’s annual meeting. In 2010, he was part of a TCA delegation that articulated CSA concerns to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Anne Ferro and her staff. He is certified through the North American Transportation Management Institute as a director of safety and instructor and serves as TCA’s safety representative on the board of the Professional Truck Driver Institute.

Lacy holds the title of past chairman for the National Safety Council’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Section and the Oklahoma Trucking Association. He is a past national chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Council of Safety Supervisors. Some of his other activities include the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Blueprint for Safer Roadways and an alternative parking project, serving as a truck driver training advisor for Ozarks Technical Community College.

According to Robert E. Low, president of Prime Inc., Lacy has enhanced the image of trucking in addition to his efforts in the safety arena. “Don has accomplished a great deal to polish our image with truck drivers nationwide,” he said. “For six years, he has appeared as a guest on Road Dog, a weekly Sirius Satellite Radio segment that allows drivers to call in live. He was dubbed ‘The Voice of Reason,’ answering drivers’ questions about safety and regulatory issues. This helped in tough industry times.”

Gary Salisbury, TCA’s chairman and the president and chief executive officer of Fikes Truck Line, Inc., Hope, Arkansas, said, “TCA is pleased to recognize Don Lacy for a 46-year career that has had tremendous influence on the trucking industry and the safety rules and regulations that govern it. He is passionate about safety and has worked diligently both within his company and the entire industry to effect positive changes in this field.”

Kansas City, Missouri:

Harry Kimball, vice president of safety for Freymiller, Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., has been named 2010 Safety Professional of the Year by the Safety & Security Division of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 17, 2010, during the Division’s 29th annual Safety & Security Meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways. Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry and the motoring public.

Kimball has been responsible for safety and quality control at Freymiller since 2001. During his first year of employment, his company received the Most Improved Motor Carrier award from its insurance carrier. Since then — primarily because of his efforts — it has gone on to receive 12 additional prestigious safety awards, including numerous placements in the top three within its mileage category for both TCA’s and the Oklahoma Trucking Association’s Fleet Safety awards.

At Freymiller, Kimball has earned a reputation for giving his complete focus and expertise to every project, program, claim, accident or injury that he takes on. Devoted to staying ahead of an ever-changing industry, he is constantly educating himself. He has achieved certifications in everything from OSHA compliance and onsite inspections, to transportation claims management, to motor fleet safety basics. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Safety Institute has granted him its safety institute and masters certifications, while the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) named him a Certified Safety Supervisor, Certified Director of Safety and Certified Driver Trainer. He is also certified as a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) Trusted Agent.

An active member of TCA, Kimball has participated in the Lawsuit Reform Committee, Human Resources Committee and Transportation Committee. He is a past secretary/treasurer of the Safety & Security Division as well as a former Program Chair. His participation in other organizations includes the Oklahoma Trucking Association, the Trucking Industry Defense Association, and the Primerus Defense Institute (an organization whose member attorneys work to lower business litigation costs and reduce exposure to liability).

According to David Freymiller, president of Freymiller, Inc., “Mr. Kimball’s unwaivering passion for improving safety practices and his continued education and contribution to our industry and our company’s success has put him at the forefront of his peers. We can think of no finer choice for this prestigious award and are glad that TCA’s judges agreed.”

John Kaburick, TCA chairman and president of Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company of Salem, Illinois, said, “We are pleased to recognize Harry Kimball with our highest honor for safety professionals. The trucking industry is lucky to have him educating our drivers and advocating for safety advances.”

Louisville, Kentucky:

The Safety and Security Division of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named James Ransom, CDS, director of safety for Boyd Bros. Transportation, Inc., Clayton, Alabama, as its Safety Professional of the Year. The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 18 during the Division’s annual Safety & Security Division Meeting, held at the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have profoundly and positively benefited or contributed to safety on our highways. Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry, and the motoring public.

Ransom has been responsible for FMCSA safety compliance and risk management at Boyd Bros. since 1980. During his 29-year tenure, he has seen the company grow from 75 tractors to 672. Under his leadership, the safety department grew correspondingly, from two to six people.

His performance at Boyd Bros. can be measured by the sheer number of awards the company has received. In the most recent five-year period alone, Boyd Bros. has received more than nine safety improvement awards from TCA, the Safety Management Council of the American Trucking Associations, and the Alabama Trucking Association. Due in part to Ransom’s efforts, the company’s total accident frequency and DOT-recordable accident frequency ratios have declined dramatically over the past four years.

Ransom has served as an instructor for the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course since 1988. He is also certified as a director of safety through the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) and as a Highway Watch driver through Highway Watch Alabama. He has developed his education even further through countless professional seminars, workshops, and conventions on topics such as motor carrier litigation, alcohol/drug misuse, time management, negotiation, and hours of service regulations.

Ransom’s list of professional achievements is extensive. He has been chosen as the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety Professional of the Year four times. He has also served on that organization’s Truck Driving Committee and Safety & Management Council (SMC) steering committee (two different chapters) for more than nine years and eight years respectively. He has been a long-time member of NATMI, and a member and officer of the American Trucking Association’s SMC Awards & Image Recognition Committee and Safety Product Development & Review Committee. He has also been an active participant in TCA’s Safety & Security Division.

At Boyd Bros., Ransom serves as the chairman of the company’s United Way drive and is a supporter of the company’s Red Cross blood drive initiatives. In his personal life, he spends much of his time with community activities, such as ushering for his church, serving on the scholarship committee of his county’s chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and reading for his county’s schools through the National Education Association’s Read Across America program.

Last year’s Safety Professional of the Year, Doug Cook, who is also secretary and treasurer of TCA’s Safety & Security Division and vice president of safety for Covenant Transport, said, “I have known and respected James Ransom for many years, and I cannot think of a more deserving safety professional to receive this recognition.”

Charlotte, North Carolina:

The Safety & Security Division of Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named Doug Cook, vice president of safety for Covenant Transport, Inc., Chattanooga, Tennessee, its Safety Professional of the Year. The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 20 during TCA’s annual Safety & Security Division Meeting, held at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have had a profound and positive benefit or contribution to better safety on our highways. Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry and the motoring public.

Cook, who has 30 years of transportation experience and 18 years as a safety professional, boasts an extensive list of achievements. While working for Covenant, he oversaw a 26% reduction in vehicular accidents and a 60% reduction in accident cost-per-mile during the period from 2003-2007. He is a past recipient of the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Safety Professional of the Year award for the Transportation Division, as well as ASSE’s North American Occupational Safety and Health National Champion Award. He has also received numerous awards and certificates of appreciation from groups such as American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Safety & Loss Prevention Management Council (S&LPMC), the FedEx Corporation and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Cook’s list of memberships and community involvement are equally extensive. He is the current national chairman of ATA’s S&LPMC and a past chairman of that organization’s National Truck Driving Championships. His membership in the ASSE includes seven years in the Transportation Specialty Advisory Group. He also spent a year serving as the national administrator for the Transportation Specialty Practice, during which time he chaired a task force that developed and presented the Improving Fleet Safety Transportation Symposium, which was attended by 150 safety professionals in September 2007.

At Covenant, Cook is responsible for driver qualification, driver training, DOT compliance and the reduction of vehicular accidents. He holds two professional certifications: Certified Director of Safety from the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) and Professional Member certification from the ASSE.

“I have known Doug for many years and have always found him to be knowledgeable in all aspects of the Safety arena,” said Michael W. Smith, Covenant’s safety director and the person who nominated Cook for the award. “He is a great communicator and values his work and accomplishments very passionately.”