The modern world requires a staggering amount of fuel to keep moving. In 2025 alone, SWTO, the private fleet for 7-Eleven and its integrated fuel supplier, SEI Fuels, put 2.1 billion gallons of motor fuel into the ground.

Transporting such massive volumes takes a fleet of 225 power units, 245 DOT 406 tank trailers, and 525 drivers—who last year combined to deliver 235,000 loads and travel 25.5 million miles across the fleet’s footprint, which spans the Southeast United States and Texas, with more than 40 operational locales. That's why managing all this while staying the safest private tank truck fleet in North America is a feat worth celebrating.

Now it’s forever enshrined within a prestigious Heil trophy.

The company’s dual focus on high-volume service and unwavering precision powered SWTO to one of three National Tank Truck Carriers North American safety championships, earning it the 2025 private-fleet title.

“The SWTO 2.0 transformation allowed us to scale the business while maintaining a high standard of safety performance,” said Archie Wood, director of transport operations for SWTO. “In many growth scenarios, companies experience a degradation of safety performance, so it was important for us to maintain and improve our safety performance while scaling out the business. The 2.0 business plan allowed us to build our organizational structure to support growth and maintain or improve our safety performance. It was not an either-or—it was a both.”

SWTO’s championship run didn’t happen overnight. The company began participating in NTTC’s safety contest in 2021 and quickly earned a Grand award for elite safety performance in its mileage class—a year before the association added a private-fleet division. Participating in the contest offered SWTO an inside look at the evaluation process, which shaped its safety controls, Wood says. He also reached out to prior winners for guidance, drawing on the expertise of Chris Pape, vice president of safety and training for nine-time grand champion Groendyke Transport. And the collaborative nature of the tanker industry was on full display when SWTO’s win was revealed at the 2025 NTTC Annual Conference.

“Chris and [G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation COO] Jerry Curl were the first two people to offer their congratulations when SWTO was announced as the private-fleet champ,” Wood said. “I appreciate their contributions to our industry—and their willingness to share best practices.”

Scaling a ‘Center of Excellence’

Backed by a 7-Eleven leadership team that provides robust support for top-of-the-line equipment and technology, SWTO completely restructured its approach to risk management. The crown jewel of this transformation is the Fleet Safety Center of Excellence, an initiative designed to add specialized safety expertise without separating it from daily fleet operations.

The center sits at the nexus of highly specialized industry expertise, strict regulatory processes, and advanced safety technology.

To help lead this initiative, SWTO named Ronnie McCoy its fleet safety, compliance, and safety manager in April 2023. McCoy possesses an extensive background in the industry; he began his career as a driver before transitioning into fleet safety, where he spent several years working under legendary safety executive Bob Heinish at Eagle Transport.

But even with the best leadership and structure in place, the organization knows safety ultimately relies on the personnel.

“At SWTO, training and safety are inseparable,” said Melissa Sieradzki, 7-Eleven’s senior human resources manager. “While equipment, technology, and policies all play an important role, the foundation of a strong safety culture begins with hiring the right people and continuously investing in their development. We focus on selecting professional drivers who demonstrate sound judgment, accountability, and commitment to safe operations.”

This continuous investment ensures drivers are prepared for unpredictable roadway variables.

“Safety training is the foundation of a strong safety culture,” added Matt Hodges, SWTO fleet manager in Lubbock, Texas. “It gives drivers and employees the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognize hazards, make sound decisions, and respond appropriately in challenging situations. In a transportation operation, training is not a one-time event—it’s a continuous process of coaching, reinforcement, and development.”

To elevate this foundation, SWTO is rolling out “fleetSMART PRO,” a refresh of its safety management and responsibility training. The program standardizes driver training across the enterprise while allowing local operations to comply with terminal-specific requirements, Wood explained. It includes a customized Certified Driver Trainer (CDT) program developed in partnership with Luma Brighter Learning CEO Dr. Gina Anderson, as well as Smith System eLearning for new hires. To ensure top-down alignment, all regional transportation managers are Smith System-certified.

Technology and ‘competify-ing’

A major pillar in the Center of Excellence is SWTO’s video-based safety management program. Under McCoy’s guidance, the carrier implemented a comprehensive Samsara camera system that utilizes inward- and outward-facing lenses, alongside up to six auxiliary cameras mounted on the sides and rear of vehicles.

“SWTO is better able to monitor our drivers’ activities behind the wheel, as well as their loading and unloading activities, for opportunities to identify, coach, learn, and correct risky behaviors, hopefully before they lead to an accident, incident, or injury,” McCoy said.

This repetitive, four-pronged strategy led to a 100% improvement in Samsara driver scores within the first six months of deployment, Wood attested. To further drive these numbers, SWTO leaned into a gamification concept he refers to as “competify-ing,” or utilizing objective performance metrics to turn safe driving into a friendly competition. The “Driven by Excellence” recognition program provides the scoreboard, allowing drivers to view anonymous safety scores alongside their peers and sparking a natural desire to climb the leaderboard.

“Everyone wants to be the best, and most people think they are, so having a scoring system that spotlights the safest, most reliable, and efficient drivers really works,” said Chris Barnes, SWTO regional transportation manager. “Suddenly, safety conversations became easier. Instead of chasing down drivers to address risky behaviors, the drivers are coming to me.”

Observation, authority, and the ‘Gold Oval’

SWTO pairs its high-tech tools with hands-on engagement.

“The Fleet Safety Observation Program is where the fleet managers, regional transportation managers, safety managers, and even our director of transport operations all get in the trucks and run loads with our drivers,” Barnes noted. “This is the perfect one-on-one training that drives changes in behaviors, reduces bad habits, and reinforces expectations.” Furthermore, every employee possesses “stop-work authority,” granting them the absolute right to immediately pause operations if a hazard is identified. “Training is the foundation of safe operations,” said Nicky Yelverton, SWTO fleet manager for North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

“Even the best policies and procedures are ineffective if employees can’t understand or apply them in real-world situations.”

This meticulous method shows in the data. SWTO posted a 0.237 accident frequency in 2025. While the fleet initially had more DOT-recordable crashes, aggressive use of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s DataQs process saw many of those incidents removed from their record, Wood indicated. SWTO’s crash review team utilized the National Safety Council’s preventability criteria to evaluate the remaining incidents, and determine which ones were preventable. And, after noticing many of their recent non-preventable crashes were rear-end collisions, leaders installed Intellistop pulsating brake lamp modules and a ring of red LED brake lights on the rear of trailers to improve visibility.

Drivers who consistently navigate these hazards without incident are inducted into SWTO’s Gold Oval Club—an exclusive honor for those who achieve 10 consecutive years of safe driving. Inductees are treated to a blazer ceremony and receive a special patch for their uniform and professional headshots. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment,” said driver Jefferson Benjamen, a Gold Oval Club member. “Having that gold oval on your uniform is amazing and something no one can take from you. It comes with plenty of pressure because you must lead by example.

“The Gold Oval serves as a visual reminder to other drivers that attention to safety doesn’t go unrecognized.”

Validating the work

Winning the Heil trophy is the ultimate industry validation of the fleet’s comprehensive, culture-wide effort.

“This award means far more than simply having a low accident rate,” Yelverton said. “It validates the dedication and hard work of everyone in the organization—from our drivers and technicians to frontline supervisors and leadership teams. It demonstrates that safety is not just a priority at SWTO; it is a core value embedded in our daily operations.”

For McCoy, the award is the culmination of a career-long pursuit.

“It’s tremendously gratifying and humbling to earn this award,” McCoy said. “It is, by far, the most coveted award a tank truck operator can receive. Winning it, when competing with such well-known and successful carriers, is full justification for all we do to be the safest motor carrier on the road.”

To celebrate the achievement across the enterprise, SWTO commissioned First Gear to produce a replica 2025 NTTC Grand Champion toy truck—featuring a full tank wrap—to give to every employee. Yet, for a company dedicated to continuous improvement, the celebration is brief.

Safety never sleeps—and the work of protecting the public restarts each day.

“This award is great recognition for our professional drivers, front-line support staff, and leadership,” Wood concluded. “It validates that we are doing things the right way for the right reasons—our ‘why’ is to ensure we get our folks home at the end of every shift. Speaking frankly, within 30 minutes of the award being announced, I found myself in my hotel room, reviewing videos, reviewing daily operational issues, and focusing on how we do it all over again.”