Ruan recently named the 2016 Driver and Operation of the Year winners. In July, Robert Moore was named the 2016 Driver of the Year, and Ruan’s Chester VA, operation, led by Dedicated Transportation Manager Fred Saunders, was named the 2016 Operation of the Year.
Each year, one driver is selected from a pool of more than 4,400 professional drivers on the basis of length of service, safety performance, and exceptional customer service. Moore, who operates out of T637 in Bethlehem PA, has been with Ruan since 2004, logging more than 3.8 million miles during his 38 years as a professional truck driver. He serves Ruan customer Linde Industrial Gases and has had zero preventable accidents.
Ruan began the search for Driver of the Year when 177 drivers from Ruan’s 300 operations were named finalists based on several qualifying factors. Ruan vice-presidents of operations then narrowed the field further to 15 Winners’ Circle honorees, who traveled to our headquarters in Des Moines IA, for an award ceremony and other festivities. Out of the Winners’ Circle, Ruan’s executive leadership team selected Moore.
“I love what I do, and it was an honor to be recognized by my peers, “Moore said. “John Ruan said in his book [In for the Long Haul] that it wasn’t about the value of an award he had received—it was about the value of the people who recognized him. I believe they appreciate me, and I love being here.”
Each honoree was awarded a trophy and cash prize at the Driver and Operation of the Year award ceremony at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. Moore was honored with a trophy, a cash prize, and the 2016 Driver of the Year title.
Also at the ceremony, Ruan named the Chester VA operation the 2016 Operation of the Year. This location is led by Dedicated Transportation Manager Fred Saunders.
The operation, which serves Airgas Merchant Gases, was selected based on the operation’s demonstration of Ruan’s Guiding Principles of Safety Focus, People First, Customer Satisfaction, Exceptional Performance and Continuous Improvement. The operation employs 36 team members who travel more than 3.6 million miles each year, using cryogenic tankers to haul liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.
The Operation of the Year selection process begins with each vice president of operations selecting an operation in his or her business unit that performs at the highest level. That performance is based on criteria including safety, team member retention, customer satisfaction and overall performance. Ruan’s executive leadership team then narrowed the list of finalists to three Winners’ Circle honorees who were honored in Des Moines in July.
The 2016 Operation of the Year received a trophy, awards for all winning team members and a corporate-hosted celebration in Chester, which will take place in later this summer.