TCA recognizes Canadian carriers among 48 Elite Fleets

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) recognizing 48 North American truckload carriers — including nine from Canada — as the 2025 Elite Fleets, recognizing them as among the best companies for which to drive.

Developed in partnership with the University of Denver’s Transportation and Supply Chain Institute, the program is based on fleet performance data and driver feedback, with more than 10,000 drivers surveyed.

Speaking at TCA’s 2025 Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., Patrick Sherry, a research professor and director of the National Center for Intermodal Transportation, said the findings show clear links between driver satisfaction and fleet management practices. The results highlight how workplace culture, safety policies, and management relationships influence turnover rates and job satisfaction among TCA Elite Fleets.

TCA Elite fleets on stage — (Photo: Krystyna Shchedrina)

“We surveyed things like safety culture and perception of the safety culture, and that was significantly correlated with scores and metrics obtained in the application relative to safety,” Sherry explained. “So the takeaway from this is that the surveys corroborate the Elite Fleet application scoring, which places a high value on safety.”

Beyond safety, the survey found that driver retention was closely tied to how fleets engaged with their drivers. Fleets where drivers felt management was accessible and responsive had significantly lower turnover. “Total average turnover correlated significantly with several items on the survey, including trust in management, responsiveness and access to management perceptions of that and management responses to special requests,” Sherry said.

Another key finding linked fleet maintenance and driver training — fleets with strong onboarding and safety education programs had fewer vehicles placed out of service. “Driver out-of-service [rates] was another indicator metric that was collected and found to be significantly correlated with the company’s commitment to safety, safety communication from the company, and safety education,” he added.

TCA developed the program over the past year, starting with a member survey in October 2023 and refining it. The final selection process combined company applications with driver survey responses.

Fleets that participated will receive reports by April 30, showing how their results compare to industry benchmarks. These reports will include percentile rankings and comparisons to other fleets on key metrics like turnover, safety, and driver satisfaction, Sherry said.

These Canadian carriers, alongside their American counterparts, were recognized during the conference in Phoenix. They include: Bison Transport, Winnipeg, Man.; Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ont.; Fortigo Freight Services, Etobicoke, Ont.; Kriska Holdings, Prescott, Ont.; Liberty Linehaul, Ayr, Ont.; Lion Force Transport, Mississauga, Ont.; Mill Creek Motor Freight, Ayr, Ont.; Spring Creek Carriers, Beamsville, Ont.; and Transpro Freight Systems, Milton, Ont.