Des Moines, IA - Ruan Transport Corporation's drivers are industry leaders in safety, customer service and reliability. For the first time in the company's 76-year history, Ruan is honoring one outstanding driver as the Driver of the Year. Today, Ruan is releasing the names of 138 finalists for this prestigious award.
"Ruan's drivers are central to our business. They're the face of Ruan - the first people customers meet. They move the freight that generates revenue and are the economic engine of what we do," says Jim Mulvenna, Vice President of Safety and Administration for Ruan. "These men and women are outstanding because they consistently go above and beyond our safety and customer service standards. This recognition is our way of honoring their dedication and commitment to Ruan."
Ruan drivers are part of teams dedicated to continually improving the service that valued customers receive and expect. Drivers are assigned to individual shippers, so they handle the same type of equipment and cargo on every run.
"We invest major resources into training our drivers, and because of it, we have an envious 28% voluntary turnover rate. In an industry with overall 100-plus percent turnover, that's extremely low," says Mulvenna.
Safety is a major component of the Driver of the Year program. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets industry standards meant to protect all who share the nation's roads and highways, including drivers and pedestrians. Ruan strictly adheres to these regulations, extending it further by hiring drivers that also meet other important criteria including at least one year of experience in the industry with heavy-load trucks.
The 138 finalists were chosen from a field of over 4400 drivers. The list will then be narrowed to seventeen regional finalists. The regional finalists will attend the Ruan Leadership Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, in January 2009, where one will be named Driver of the Year.