The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has awarded Jetco Delivery’s Vice President of Safey, Jeff McKinney, as its 2024 TCA Safety Professional of the Year Award winner. The announcement was made during TCA’s 43rd Annual Safety & Security Meeting in Indianapolis, IN.

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.

Jeff brings over 25 years of experience in the trucking industry, starting as a driver and night warehouse manager. He joined Werner Enterprises in 1994, rising from company driver to Safety Supervisor, where he managed DOT compliance and safety meetings. From 2001 to 2002, Jeff worked as a lead trainer at United Driver Services, providing CDL training and defensive driving courses. As Director of Safety and Operations Manager at General Logistics from 2002 to 2007, he significantly reduced accidents and costs. At Jetco Delivery since 2007, Jeff’s initiatives, including early adoption of Elogs, cut accident frequency by 50%. He earned his Certified Director of Safety designation from the North American Transportation Management Institute in 2007. Jeff has led Jetco to numerous safety awards and is an active participant and presenter at industry conferences. His leadership has also improved regional road safety, significantly reducing distracted driving, commercial vehicle, and intersection crashes.

Through his outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to safety, Jeff has left a lasting impact on the transportation industry, ensuring the well-being of drivers and promoting a culture of safety within organizations.

“One of the things that makes Jeff shine is his ability to make Safety approachable and accessible to all. Jeff maintains a “see, say, do” mentality. I frequently spot him out with our professional drivers, diesel technicians, office staff, and more. His example helps us all live and breathe safety every single day, across all departments of the company.” said Jetco’s Strategic Maintenance Director, Amanda Schuier, who nominated Jeff for the award.

Jetco Delivery President Kyle Kristynik agrees.

“Accountability is critical to any organization and one of our core values at Jetco. I appreciate how Jeff incorporates accountability into Jetco’s safety culture. He partners well with our Operations team, encouraging a culture in which everyone – not just a single department – owns safety. Jeff also recognizes that for everyone to be successful at their jobs, they must have the training and tools to execute.

Jeff has been in the industry for over 30 years, as a professional driver himself, and was born into the “old school trucker” mentality. Despite that, he has truly embraced the changing environment of safety, using data and analytics to make first Jetco, and now the whole GTI Group, a safer company.

We couldn’t be more proud of this recognition for Jeff, he is certainly deserving of this honor.”