The Virginia Trucking Association presented its 2022 Safety Awards during its recent Safety and Human Resources Conference, held at the Virginian Hotel in Lynchburg.
Tommy Clapsaddle of Covington and a driver for Houff Transfer Inc. in Weyers Cave was named the 2022 Virginia Truck Driver of the Year. Clapsaddle, a Navy veteran, has been a professional truck driver for 42 years. During his career he has accumulated over 3 million miles of accident-free driving with zero traffic violations or citations. He also performed a deed of heroism by rescuing a motorist from their car that had run off the road into a swamp on Interstate 95 in North Carolina.
J.D. Newman Inc. of Elkwood was presented the 2022 Grand Trophy for Fleet Safety in Virginia. This award is presented to the company that was judged to have had the state’s most effective motor carrier safety program during 2021. J.D. Newman Inc. won the award in their division with a DOT recordable accident frequency rate of 0 in Virginia and 0 lost workday cases. In 2021, J.D. Newman’s fleet travelled 2.3 million accident-free miles in Virginia and had 15 roadside safety inspections with no violations.
Chris Taggart of Atlantic Bulk Carrier in Providence Forge was named the Safety Professional of the year. This award is presented to a person responsible for directing or supervising safety activities of a VTA member trucking fleet and be of high moral character and devoted their career to the field of highway and industrial safety. Under Taggart’s leadership, Atlantic Bulk has reduced its crash frequency to 0.063 and injury rate to 0.674. He has given his time and efforts to support safety in trucking as a member of the VTA’s Safety and Human Resources Committee, including service as chairman.
Jilly Tolley of Hot-Z Transport Company in Salem was named the Human Resources Professional of the year. This award recognizes an outstanding HR Professional’s achievements and contributions to the advancement of HR in the trucking industry. Tolley has led the transition of Hot-Z Transport’s transition to an online system for driver applications, onboarding, and initial training. She has also provided valuable assistance and resources to the company’s drivers and employees regarding their benefits.
Fleet Safety Awards were presented to the following companies that had the lowest 2018 Virginia accident frequency rate in their class of competition:
- InterChange Express Inc. – Harrisonburg
- Houff Transfer Inc. – Weyers Cave
- PITT OHIO – Pittsburgh, Pa.
- FedEx Freight Inc. – Harrison, Ark.
- CLI Transport LP – Altoona, Pa.
- J.D. Newman Inc. – Elkwood
- Associated Asphalt Transport LLC – Roanoke
- Interstate Van Lines Inc. – Springfield
- CarMax Auto Superstores Inc. – Glen Allen
Improvement Awards for the fleets which had the greatest percentage of improvement in their accident frequency over the previous contest year were won by Fleetmaster Express Inc. of Roanoke and CLI Transport LP of Altoona, Pa.
Fleet Safety Certificates were awarded to the following companies who had an improved safety record over the previous year:
- Houff Transfer Inc. – Weyers Cave
- Fleetmaster Express Inc. – Roanoke
- PITT OHIO, Pittsburgh, Pa.
- FedEx Freight Inc. – Harrison, Ark.
- Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. – Thomasville, N.C.
- Payne Trucking – Fredericksburg
- CLI Transport, LP – Altoona, Pa.
- R.O. Harrell Inc. – South Boston
- Hilldrup Companies Inc. – Stafford
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