Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/388078
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2014 59 INNOVATORS PARAMOUNT FREIGHT SYSTEMS Jeff ersonville, Ohio Flexibility, safety key Paramount, launched in 2008, offers long-haul, dedicated, expedited and regional service. About 130 owner-oper- ators haul dry freight in the United States and Canada. The company targets opportunities in high-service markets and strives to apply technology to meet customer require- ments. Paramount stresses safety, top- notch customer service and honesty and integrity in its business activities. In-cab scanning allows drivers to send documents to the back offi ce immedi- ately to turn billing and payroll around quickly and accurately. Drivers receive their weekly settlements by Wednesdays at noon via email and know what will be deposited into their accounts on Friday, providing enough lead time to work with the company's payroll department if they fi nd any problems. Paramount's innovative bonus program is designed to compensate for the fact that contractors do not receive holiday pay. The program also provides more than a week of training per year to contractors. Dye believes the company's benefi ts also help make it stand out. Drivers re- ceive about 10 to 30 cents off fuel at select national truck stop chains, and the com- pany also offers a parts discount program, allowing drivers to purchase parts and tires at prices usually below what parts and tire distributors pay. "Since we're 100 percent owner- F lexibility and incentives for its drivers are two big reasons why Paramount Freight Systems continues to be recognized as an award-winning driver-friendly company. Last March, the Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge announced Para- mount as the overall winner of the annual Best Fleets to Drive For award in the owner- operator category at TCA's annual convention in Grapevine, Texas. Best Fleets to Drive For, now accepting nominations for the seventh year, identifi es North American for-hire trucking companies that provide the best workplace experiences for their drivers. Nominated carriers are evaluated on the range and depth of offered programs, the overall effectiveness of those programs across key metrics, and the responses of surveyed drivers. Factors include the fl eet's total compensation package, commitment to employee development, an- nual turnover rate and safety record. The top 20 fi nishers are identifi ed as Best Fleets to Drive For, and the highest scoring fl eet in both the owner-operator and company driver categories are named overall win- ners. Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was announced as the overall winner in the company driver category. It's the third time in the last four years that the overall owner-operator award went to Paramount, which received the highest driver-satisfaction score in the program this year. "Being named in the Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For list acknowledges the work we have done to build our organization, and being named the best overall for the third time gives us validation that our work is benefi ting our owners and customers," says Trent Dye, Paramount's director. "We will continue to build upon these successes to strengthen our company for their benefi t. We have a great team, and I can't thank them enough for working together to achieve this honor." The owner-operator fleet implements a bonus program and provides more than a week of training per year. Paramount's benefits, communication with drivers garner attention BY TARA BULLOCK AND DEAN SMALLWOOD