It’s good to know that when you look out the windshield and see a big red Roehl Transport semi-truck rolling down the highway or spot one maneuvering through city intersections, you’re seeing one of the safest “for hire” trucking companies in the nation in operation.

Despite the fact that almost 50% of Roehl’s rapidly expanding fleet of drivers is new to the industry with less than a year of professional over-the-road experience, the company turned in one of the nation’s top safety records among large (over 100 million miles per year) carriers. In fact, Roehl was the leading “for hire” carrier in the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) 2005 Truck Safety Awards large general commodities truckload carrier category. Based on measurable performance such as the ratio of DOT reportable accidents per mile driven, the award is considered the industry’s premier honor for fleet safety.

“It’s a remarkable accomplishment that can only be attributed to great drivers, top training and a corporate culture grounded in safety,” claimed Roehl Vice President of Safety John Spiros.

“Roehl’s safety record starts with the right corporate values and everything good happens from there,” Spiros said. “Our company has a wall of values with blocks identifying the principles we believe in and live by. Safety is our cornerstone. It is the primary consideration of every action and decision made in the company at all levels, all the time. There’s never a question. We never, ever compromise safety or take on increased risk to achieve some other goal.”

That commitment has led the company to develop an industry-leading safe driving program. Unlike the standard “defensive” driving programs commonly used for fleet training, Roehl’s proprietary program elevates the driver’s role to “protective” driving. “It’s not enough just to avoid getting caught up in an accident, our drivers are taught to drive in a way that protects others from getting hurt as well, even when a potentially dangerous situation doesn’t pose a great risk to us directly,” Spiros explained. “We’re not just steering clear of potential accidents; we drive in a way that helps defuse the hazard.” The program emphasizes personal responsibility and the use of seven simple techniques of protective driving.

Roehl’s extraordinary safety record not only benefits the motoring public, it’s also meaningful for shippers, Roehl Vice President of Sales Martin Tewari said. “Superior safety and superior service go hand-in-hand,” he explained. “We attract the industry’s best drivers and provide them a work environment driven to higher standards. Their commitment to professionalism and our training and support perpetuates our record performance... not just in the area of safety but in every other measure of a top-quality carrier as well. It’s a success loop.”

Headquartered in Marshfield, Wisconsin, Roehl is one of the 100 largest trucking companies in the U.S. and provides truckload services throughout the nation and Canada.