Top Dog Safety Winner

Congratulations Michael Smith from Crossroads Corner!

Veteran truck driver Michael Smith is America's safest truck driver, at least according to the TLC Companies, of Brooklyn Center, MN. Smith, who works for Crossroads Corner, LLC of Eldorado, IL, received the grand prize honors and a check for $12,500 during a presentation on May, 21, 2011, at their terminal in Junction, IL. He earned the award in the annual 2010 - 2011 Safety Top Dog program sponsored by The TLC Companies.

Smith has been driving for Crossroads Corner for 4 years. He began his driving career at age 19, hauling milk in a White Cabover day cab. In 1972, he decided to start his own trucking company with his father and brothers. They owned various types of equipment, hauling everything from steel on flatbeds to trash in walking floor trailers. After selling the business in 1995, Michael was a driver and manager at Allied Waste before coming to work at Crossroads. He enjoys collecting classic cars and has recently restored a '71 Chevelle and a '69 Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet. Michael and his wife Connie have been married for 39 years and have a daughter and two grandsons.

Smith qualified for the national award by having a clean driving record, no over-the-road accidents and no workers' compensation claims during the program year. He was randomly chosen from a group of drivers from across the nation who had also met the program's stringent qualifications and had registered each quarter for the program's four three-month periods. Smith had also previously won a Safety Top Dog quarterly gift card for his excellent driving practices.

"Any safety program with incentives helps drivers by getting them to make safe choices, so they can maintain their eligibility," said Smith, "A situation will come up and you will remember the information you read about in a safety newsletter. You see other drivers win and you start participating in the contest."

Crossroads Corner, LLC is owned by Bill Jones, Roy Berry, and Bobby Simpson and the main office is located in Eldorado, IL. They bought a fuel station in December, 2003 and purchased their first five trucks in the fall of 2004. Since then, Crossroads has steadily grown to their current size of 18 tractors and 21 trailers. Their main business is hauling coal from the Willow Lake Mine and Cottage Grove Mine in Equality, IL. The drivers deliver the majority of the loads to a barge facility in Shawneetown, IL, to be sent to various destinations along the Ohio River.

"Our relationship with The TLC Companies has been wonderful," said Jones, "Educating truck drivers about safety issues is very important and the Top Dog program has brought a lot of participation and interest from our drivers."

"TLC is a valuable resource all around," explained Simpson, "We really appreciate the many benefits they provide, especially the payroll processing and the screening service."

The TLC Companies® is the country's largest professional employer organization specializing in the trucking industry. TLC created the Safety Top Dog® program in 2000 to encourage and reward safety by its drivers.

Each quarter, 30 qualified drivers receive $100 major retailer gift cards. To qualify, a driver must be accident- and injury-free and be in good standing with their company and TLC. Drivers must also register each quarter to qualify for the grand prize. Their chances of winning improve when they correctly answer questions from safety quizzes contained in TLC's monthly driver newsletters.

If you'd like to learn more about how your drivers can take part in the 2011 Safety Top Dog® Awards program, contact us today via our sales info form.