This year, approximately 2,400 dockworkers and mechanics were awarded the prestigious Safe Work Award. Collectively, these employees contributed over 15,000 years of injury-free service, exemplifying operational excellence and adherence to safety protocols. Among the honorees were individuals who reached significant service milestones, including three employees who achieved an extraordinary 40+ years of safe, incident-free work:

• Harold Castell, Jr., Lead Dockworker, Houma, Louisiana
• Lawrence Benoit, Lead Mechanic, Lafayette, Louisiana
• Darryl Gay, Mechanic, New Orleans, Louisiana

Additionally, Saia recognized over 5,500 city and line drivers with their Safe Drive Award, collectively representing nearly 40,000 years of accident-free driving across the company. From achieving one to over 40 years without a preventable accident, the honorees demonstrated exceptional safety practices. This year, six remarkable drivers were celebrated for achieving a notable milestone of 40 or more years of safe driving:

• Jack Ikey, Line Driver, Dallas, Texas
• Frank Lee III, Line Driver, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
• Charles Layman, Line Driver, Jacksonville, Florida
• Joseph Dominguez, Jr., City Driver, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Michael Shumake, Line Driver, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Roy Coleman, Line Driver, Las Vegas, Nevada

With over 70% of Saia’s drivers and a substantial portion of its dockworkers and mechanics recognized for their dedication to safety, the company’s robust culture of safety is evident.

“Since June is ‘National Safety Month,’ this is the perfect opportunity to recognize how important safety is at Saia and across our industry,” said Steve Greenhill, Vice President of Safety. “The awards we present honor the commitment our employees make every day to protect themselves, their coworkers, and the communities we serve. Their achievements underscore our longstanding emphasis on training, accountability, and continuous improvement.”

Saia’s ongoing commitment to safety reflects its dedication to its employees and the communities it serves, setting a high standard in the trucking industry.

Source: Commercial Carrier Journal

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The company emphasized that its safety award program is designed to celebrate employees for their years or miles of accident-free driving and injury-free performance. Saia’s commitment to safety is unwavering, and the awards symbolize its core principles of “Safety,” “Do the Right Thing,” and “Taking Care of Each Other.”

“We were honored to recognize over 4,800 drivers with a safety award. In addition, nearly 2,000 awards were presented to our tremendous dock personnel and mechanics,” remarked Vice President of Safety Steve Greenhill. “It goes without saying that working for an entire year without an accident or injury is an incredible achievement and it is evident that every employee at the company continues to be invested in our core values, most especially safety.”

In addition to receiving special pins and certificates, many employees were gifted custom jackets, rings, or watches. This year, 54 drivers who achieved 3 million miles or 24 years of accident-free driving received a custom gold watch. For every additional 500,000 miles—or four years—of accident-free driving, diamonds are added to the watch. Forty drivers received diamonds this year.

Five drivers celebrated the addition of a third diamond to their watches, recognizing their outstanding achievements:

• Knoxville, Tennessee City Driver David Davidson
• New Orleans, Louisiana City Driver Kevin Gilbert
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana Line Driver Evertt Kimble
• Houston, Texas Line Driver Stafford Moses
• Shreveport, Louisiana Line Driver James Green

Dallas, Texas Line Driver Jack Ikey celebrated an exceptional milestone by receiving his fourth diamond, marking 40 years of safe driving at Saia.

Drivers reaching 1 million miles, or eight years, of accident-free driving were awarded a custom, personalized gold ring. Additional diamonds are added to the ring for each further 500,000 miles or four years of safe driving. This year, 172 drivers earned their million-mile rings, while 40 others added a diamond.

For a second consecutive year, Saia extended its recognition to mechanics and dock teams, awarding custom backpacks to 110 personnel for five years of injury-free service. Additionally, 56 individuals received watches for maintaining a decade of injury-free work.

Among these achievements, 67 dockworkers and mechanics reached 25 or more years of safe service. Notably, Houma, Louisiana dockworker Harold Castell, Jr., and Phoenix, Arizona dockworker Kenneth Ball have safely served Saia for over 40 years.

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