Left to right: Joby Webb with Nansemond Insurance Agency, VTA Driver of the Year winner Steve Purks, and Linda Purks. (Image Courtesy of Virginia Trucking Association)Walmart Transportation driver Steve Purks, of King George, Virginia, was recently named the Virginia Trucking Association’s 2019 Driver of the Year award winner.
Purks has been trucking with Walmart for 27 years and has accumulated 3.1 million safe driving miles. Purks is on his fleet’s accident review committee and helps determine the preventability of the company’s collisions.
The grand trophy for fleet safety was presented to J.D. Newman, Inc., out of Elkwood, for its motor carrier safety program. J.D. Newman, Inc. had a Department of Transportation recordable accident frequency of zero in Virginia. Their drivers traveled 2.4 million accident-free miles in 2018 with 22 no-violation inspections.
Andy Butler, of J.D. Newman, was named the Safety Professional of the Year. The award recognizes an industry professional who is responsible for directing or supervising safety activities for a VTA member fleet who is of “high moral character and devoted their career to the field of highway and industrial safety,” according to VTA.
Fleet Safety Awards were also handed out to the following fleets:
- Associated Asphalt Transport LLC
- Carmax Auto Superstores Inc.
- Hatchett Transportation Inc.
- Hilldrup Companies
- Howell’s Motor Freight
- IDM Trucking Inc.
- J.W. Manning
- Old Dominion Freight Line
