Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/305892
38 | Overdrive | May 2014 Driver-focused Generous benefits, active communication with owner-operators help Ohio fleet win TCA honor BY TARA BULLOCK F lexibility and incentives are two big reasons why Paramount Freight Systems won the Best Fleets to Drive For award in the owner-operator cat- egory, says Trent Dye, director of the Jeffersonville, Ohio-based company. The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge announced Paramount's honor in March at TCA's annual convention in Grapevine, Texas. Also announced was the winner in the company driver category, Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's the third consecutive year that the owner-operator award went to Paramount. "The company has imple- mented an innovative bonus program that compensates for the fact that con- tractors do not receive holiday pay," says the TCA announcement of the award. "It also provides more than a week of training per year to contractors. Such perks may be the reason why Paramount received the highest driver-satisfaction score in the program this year." Launched in 2008, the fleet offers long-haul, dedicated, expedited and regional service. About 130 owner-op- erators haul dry freight in the United States and Canada. "Since we're 100 percent owner-op- erator, it's a little easier for us than a company who has both," says Trent Dye, director. "The flexibility we offer as a company is key. It gives the guys a lot of freedom to run the way they want to run." In addition to flexibility, Dye believes Paramount's benefits make the company stand out. Drivers receive about 10 to 30 cents off fuel at Love's and Flying J. The company also offers a parts discount program, allowing drivers to purchase parts and tires at prices usually below what parts and tire distributors pay. Driver David Vandiver of Lindberg, Ohio, says the program's perfect for him since he does his own maintenance on his 1997 Kenworth W900, with near- ly 2 million miles on it. Dye says the company pays for mandatory quarterly inspections. "It helps the drivers keep their equipment up," he says. If a driver has an accident or gets a speeding ticket, he or she completes immediate safety training through iGlobal Mobility, a PC/scanner available in the truck that runs on Wi-Fi. Drivers watch the required safety video via the Paramount website in their truck instead of waiting until they're at a computer at home. "It's an immediate remedial train- ing," Dye says. Paramount, which has received top safety awards from the Ohio Trucking Association, gives drivers $150 for every clean inspection. The King of the Road program rewards drivers every month they don't have an accident. For a driver's first accident-free month, he or she receives a hat, and other gifts are given for every consecutive safe month. After 12 consecutive months, Dave Vandiver enjoys discounts on parts since he does his own repairs on his Kenworth W900, which has nearly 2 million miles. BestFleet_0514.indd 38 4/30/14 4:01 PM