Great West Risk Management honored Dart with its Award for Safety and Operational Excellence for 2007.
This is the third year in a row Dart received the award. It was presented to Dart representatives on July 22 at Dart's Corporate Office in Eagan, Minnesota.
Criteria for the award include loss results, prompt and fair claim settlement practices, timely reporting of serious claims to Great West, innovative loss prevention programs, and demonstrated operational excellence in 2007.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Dart receiving this award.

Cliff Yentes, Corporate Risk Manager; Tom Travis, Vice President of Claims; Dan Oren, Vice President; Dave Oren, President; Ron Lawson, President Great West Risk Management; Don Oren, Chairman of the Board; Gary Volkman, Vice President of Safety Compliance; Elaine Briles, Director of Safety/Fleet Services, Dallas; Emmon Love, Vice President Ameriplan; and Mark Love, Ameriplan Agent.

Joyce Jordan

The Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) named Joyce Jordan, Chief Operating Officer at Dart's Dallas Operating Center and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, its new Chairwoman of the Board.

Joyce became a member of the TMTA in 1987, and has been active on committees and the board for the last 12 years.

She has held several positions in the TMTA including Committee Chairwoman, Secretary-Treasurer, Chair-Elect, member of the Chairman's Circle, and member of the Political Action Committee.

As a member of the Chairman's Circle, Joyce is involved in the "Day at the Capitol" events in Austin, Texas and Washington D.C. Members visit representatives in Texas and Washington D.C. to lobby changes for the trucking industry and present current issues to congressmen.

During the Hours of Service changes, Joyce worked closely with the TMTA to educate its members on the changes and impact they would have.

Joyce is currently active on the Advisory Board of the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, an executive forum at the University of Georgia in Athens.

She has also served as Chairwoman of the Independent Contractors Division in the Truckload Carriers Association.

The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) named Gary Volkman, Vice President of Safety Compliance, its Safety Professional of the Year.

The award is presented annually to safety professionals serving the trucking industry who convey the highest level of dedication, professionalism and moral character.

Dan Oren, Vice President; Gary Volkman, Vice President of Safety Compliance; Don Oren, Chairman of the Board; and John Hausladen, MTA President.

The MTA presented Gary with the award at its annual Fleet Safety Awards Luncheon on July 25.

Gary has been a member of the MTA since he started working with Dart in 1996. He is currently a member of the MTA Safety Council Board of Directors, has served as chair of the Council's programming committee, and is chair of the Council's Regulatory Response Committee.

Gary is also active in the Truckload Carriers Association and provides input to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on regulatory proposals. In addition, he has made safety, compliance and recruiting presentations to industry safety organizations.

Dave Oren, President and Walt Newcomb

The National Safety Council (NSC) awarded Dart contractor Walt Newcomb its Safe Driver of the Year Award of Merit for the Midwest Region for his commitment to safe driving practices.

Dave Oren, Dart President, presented Walt with the award at Dart's Eagan Operating Center.

"We are very proud of Walt," Mr. Oren said. Walt's long list of awards include receiving the National Safety Council's Five Million Mile Safety Award this year, being named Overdrive's Driver of the Month in 2006, Dart Contractor of the Year in 2005, and receiving Dart's President's Safety Award in 2000.

Dart Transit Company's 2007 Contractors of the Year are Mark Daquilla at the Dallas Operating Center and Bob McAndrew at the Eagan Operating Center.

Dart's Contractors of the Year are selected out of its Contractors of the Month. Each Contractor of the Year receives a marble trophy, a $1,000 check and personalized leather jacket.

Mark Daquilla
In 1982 Mark got behind the wheel of a big rig for the first time. The best part of trucking, he says, is the "freedom of the open road. I cannot imagine doing anything else."

Mark received a marble trophy for being named Dart Contractor of the Year.

In 2006 Mark contracted with Dart and says he has found a home. "I like Dart because everyone is considerate of contractors," he says. "The offices are not locked off to the driver. I can walk into the building and everyone is friendly. I plan on staying with Dart until I end my driving career."

Bob McAndrew
Bob contracted with Dart 18 years ago. His long list of awards include being named Overdrive's Driver of the Month, the National Safety Council's Minnesota Driver of the Year, receiving Dart's Hall of Fame and President's Safety Awards, and being named Dart Contractor of the Month.

Bob (L) received the National Safety Council's Five Million Mile Safety Award last year.

Though impressive, Bob says those honors don't have as much weight as his family does on his success. "I think success is being comfortable with your assets, having a great truck and a great family," he explains. "My family has been terrific. They've always stood behind me."

The National Safety Council awarded its very prestigious Four Million Mile Safety Award to Jerry Miller for more than four million miles of accident-free driving.

Miller has operated his own truck under contract with Dart Transit Company for 20 years. Stephen Kaufmann, Safety Manager, and Greg Hall, Safety Advisor, presented Miller with the award at Dart's Minnesota Corporate Office.

"I cannot think of a more reliable contractor than Jerry Miller," said Troy Peterson, Jerry's Fleet Manager. "He keeps his equipment well-maintained and therefore does not have issues with break downs. His on-time service record is impeccable, and he represents Dart very well!"

In 1995, Miller was named Dart Contractor of the Month and in 2006 he was honored as Dart Contractor of the Year. "Jerry's Contractor of the Year award was well-deserved," Peterson said.

Dart contractor John Gill received one of the industry's most prestigious awards this year – the Truckload Carriers Association's Owner Operator of the Year award.

As the grand prize winner, John will receive a brand new International 9400i tractor with a Cummins ISX 500-horsepower engine, an Eaton transmission of his choice, G300 series radial truck tires, a GPS navigation system, four passenger vehicle tires, a $1,000 business consulting gift certificate, $4,500 cash, $5,750 in truck stop gift cards, and a $1,500 truck parts gift certificate.

Dart contractor Billy Smith was awarded second place.

From L to R: Billy Smith, Dave Oren, Dart President, John Gill, and Don Oren, Dart Chairman of the Board

Billy's prizes include a trip for two to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game, a GPS navigation system, $2,000 in cash, and $3,000 in truck stop gift cards.

"Dart is exceptionally proud of both John and Billy," said Dart President Dave Oren. "They have represented our company exceptionally well for many years, and we're so happy for them in receiving these honors. They are very deserving and they join a long list of Dart contractors who have won this contest over the years. That says a lot about the quality of Dart contractors, and we just can't say enough to express our pride in them."

Congratulations John and Billy!

Previous Dart TCA winners
1990 Harvey Zander
1997 Herb Rauschnot
1998 Jimmy Davidson
2000 Harvey Zander
2002 Carol Ann Schlussler
2003 Carroll Benn

CCJ recognizes Dart for "breakthrough" HOS proposal

CCJ Magazine has named Dart Transit Company its 2007 "Innovator of the Year."

Throughout the year, editors at the Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) recognize innovators for finding innovative ways to overcome trucking challenges. One innovator is then chosen and recognized as Innovator of the Year.

CCJ recognized Dart as an innovator late last year and selected Dart as 2007 Innovator of the Year for applying for an exemption from the current Hours of Service Rules to test a new way to reduce truck driver fatigue. Avery Vise, CCJ Editor, sees the proposal as one of the most important innovations in the trucking industry in many years. No one else, he says has taken the initiative to resolve the current conflict over rules governing truck driver hours of service.

Dart's proposal is a breakthrough, according to Vise, in that it brings science into how to reduce driver fatigue. It provides better documentation, and more control by the driver to rest when needed. The proposal also has the potential to improve driver productivity and reduce highway congestion, although these two benefits are not the purpose of the exemption request.

The Innovator of the Year award was presented at the 3rd Annual CCJ Innovators Summit held January 31 through February 1 at Hawk's Cay Resort in Duck Key Florida. Accepting the award on Dart's behalf were Dan Oren, Vice President of Advantage Management Corporation, and Gary Volkman, Dart's Vice President of Safety.

CCJ featured Dart on the cover of its April 2008 issue. From L to R: Dan Oren, Vice President, Dave Oren, President, and Gary Volkman, Vice President of Safety.

About Dart's HOS exemption application
In June 2007, Dart applied for an exemption from current Hours of Service Rules. Existing rules allow 11 hours of driving time and 14 hours maximum on-duty time per day, and the clock cannot be stopped once drivers start their workdays.

If approved, the exemption would allow Dart to use a fatigue management process designed by sleep scientists and permit professional truck drivers more flexibility in how and when they obtain their rest.

Under the terms of Dart's proposal, a driver would be exempt from the 14-hour clock and split-rest limits, but all other rules – 10 hours minimum daily rest, maximum 14 hours on-duty per 24 hours, 11 hours driving per day and 70 hours per eight days – would still apply.

That means a driver can stop the clock on their logbook and break up their driving time with rest periods. In exchange for that flexibility, it would require at least six hours of uninterrupted rest during the night (between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.), with electronic logging (EOBR) and a fatigue-tracking algorithm to replace paper logs for documentation of the driver activity.

According to Volkman, the added flexibility as to when a driver can use his/her daily 11 hours of driving time would benefit public safety in several ways.

• Allows truck drivers more flexibility to rest when they feel the need to rest
• Promotes safety more effectively than current rules
• Would be more effective in combating fatigue than simply cutting back driving time, as proposed by critics of the current system
• Encourages more productive use of driving time
• Assures sleep during the night when the human body is programmed to sleep
• Has the potential to reduce highway congestion during rush hour traffic by allowing drivers the option to rest instead of driving in rush hour traffic

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