Zero Accidents and Commitment to Safety
Earn MacKinnon Transport and Upper Lakes
Foods the Volvo Trucks Safety Award

High standards and demonstrated commitments to safety in the trucking industry were recognized when MacKinnon Transport, Inc. and Upper Lakes Foods, Inc. were named winners of the 2010 Volvo Trucks Safety Award.

The awards were announced at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix.

For the second straight year, Volvo Trucks decided to find the safest fleets in North America and celebrate their achievements with the Volvo Trucks Safety Award.

Michelin America Truck Tires joined Volvo Trucks in 2010 as a supporting sponsor of the award.

“I am proud to say that our industry has continued to invest in safety – even during the difficult economic times we have been through recently,” said Ron Huibers, Volvo senior vice president, sales and marketing.

“As it is at Volvo Trucks, safety is an integral part of the corporate cultures at both MacKinnon Transport and Upper Lakes Foods, and that doesn’t happen without consistent, sustained effort at every level.”

“Michelin is pleased to stand alongside Volvo Trucks in recognizing fleets truly committed to safety,” said Tim Fulton, Michelin vice president, strategic accounts.

“Upper Lakes Foods and MacKinnon Transport have shown that investments in drivers, equipment and processes pay off in terms of safety.”

At the beginning of 2010, Volvo Trucks invited all U.S. and Canadian fleets with more than five units to apply for the awards.

The awards are given in two categories, one for fleets with less than 20 million miles of annual operation and the other for those with more than 20 million miles.

Fleets were ranked by their accident frequency rates, using the U.S. Department of Transportation definition of a “recordable accident,” as well as their accident prevention programs.

The accident frequency rates accounted for the major portion of each fleet’s ranking.

MacKinnon Transport of Guelph, Ontario (www.mackinnontransport.com) won the Volvo Trucks Safety Award in the over 20 million mile category.

A family-owned transport solutions provider for more than 75 years, MacKinnon operates approximately 270 trucks, and in 2009 had a remarkable zero recordable accidents during more than 25,162,133 miles of operation.

Established in 1967, Upper Lakes Foods is a family-owned, full-line foodservice distributor covering the upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Upper Lakes Foods has focused on driver selection and training, enforcing safe operational practices, and creating an environment that values safety – from top management to each driver in the fleet. In the past couple of years, the company has put even more time and resources into driver and employee safety. Accident prevention, both on the road and at distribution points, has boosted employee morale and helped the company’s bottom line.

Volvo Trucks North America’s operations and products are guided by the company’s three core values: Safety, Quality and Environmental Care. The Volvo VN and VHD trucks are assembled in the United States at the New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Virginia, while Volvo engines for North America are assembled in Hagerstown, Maryland. Both plants are certified to ISO14001 environmental and ISO9001 quality standards.