Challenger Motor Freight, Erb Transport Among Ontario Trucking Companies Named in “Best Fleets to Drive For” Awards

Last month, CarriersEdge, a leading provider of online driving training for the trucking industry, announced it’s annual Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For for 2024.

Of the North American trucking companies to receive this honour, five of them were Ontario-based carriers – a remarkable achievement for the province’s trucking industry.

No other state or province had more than two winners.

The Ontario winners were:

Challenger Motor Freight – Cambridge, Ont.

Erb Transport – New Hamburg, Ont.

Fortigo Freight Services – Etobicoke, Ont.

Kriska Holdings – Prescott, Ont.

Wellington Group of Companies – Aberfoyle, Ont.

The only other Canadian winner of the award was C.A.T., in Coteau-du-Lac, Que.

Carriers with at least 10 operating tractor-trailers who were nominated by a company driver or owner-operator working with the company were eligible to receive the award.

Carriers were chosen based on their ability to provide the best workplace experiences for their drivers and independent contractors. Evaluation categories included compensation and benefits, HR strategies, operations, professional development, and work/life balance. Driver surveys and questionnaires were also collected as a tool for analysis.

“The past year has been exceptionally difficult for the trucking industry,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “However, the Best Fleets continued to find new ways to improve the work experience for their drivers and independent contractors, once again raising the bar on what’s possible.”

Cambridge, ON-based Challenger Motor Freight stands out for its commitment to training drivers through its number 1-ranked driver training program, Transportation Training Academy.

Geoff Topping, chief people officer at Challenger, says the Academy aims to provide highly-qualified drivers for the company as well as for the industry at large.

“We want to grow our own quality worker-base as well as to help people get their licenses.”

Challenger offers mentorship and training programs, peer-to-peer recognition initiatives, substantial pay raises and retirement programs. They also offer incentives for women to enter the industry, providing free memberships to the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada.

This commitment is especially important due to the chronic shortage of well-qualified drivers in the industry, which is expected to reach nearly 50,000 drivers in the coming years. That shortfall is largely due to unattractive worker protections and salaries, as well as the unique challenges of long-haul trucking.

“Canada’s truck drivers play a vital role in maintaining the strength of the economy and ensuring the continued supply of food and other goods across the nation,” Topping says. “They deserve Canada’s support and respect.”

Of the Top 20 carriers, two overall winners will be announced in large and small fleet categories at the Best Fleets Education & Awards Conference, hed April 8-9 at the Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC.