When the members of NASSTRAC first voted to select a Carrier of the Year in 1987, the group gave out a single award. The next year, it expanded the program to honor both a national and a regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier. In 1995, the group added an award for a multiregional LTL. Then during each of the past three years, NASSTRAC, whose members manage their companies' LTL and parcel shipping, again expanded and modified the program. Today, the group recognizes carriers in seven categories.

This year, as they have in the past, NASSTRAC members honored a national LTL carrier, a multiregional LTL, and a parcel and express carrier. Then, for the first time, they also selected winners from each of four major U.S. regions, rather than trying to choose one overall regional winner. John DuBiel, vice president of global transportation for Revlon Consumer Products Co. and chairman of NASSTRAC's Provider Relations Committee, explains that offering awards in several regions was a way to increase the awareness of carriers performing well around the nation. "Quite frankly," he says, "having just one regional winner was unfair to some carriers."

The awards are significant to the carriers because of the nature of the NASSTRAC membership, DuBiel says. "NASSTRAC is the premier small-shipment and LTL conference in the nation," he says. "All our members are decision makers for their companies."

Even with this year's changes, many of the winners find themselves in familiar territory—that is, they've made the trip to the awards podium at least once before. For the 12th year in a row, for example, Roadway Express was named the National LTL Carrier of the Year. American Freightways was declared the Multiregional LTL Carrier of the Year, an award it had won four times previously.

The regional categories include a number of former recipients as well. The Northeast Regional LTL Carrier of the Year is A-P-A Transport Corp., which previously won regional carrier honors in 1997. The Central Regional LTL Carrier of the Year is Central Freight Lines, which last won the regional LTL award in 1995. The Southeastern Regional LTL Carrier of the Year, Southeastern Freight Lines, was the regional carrier honoree in 1996. And Viking Freight Inc., which the shipper group named Western Regional LTL Carrier of the Year, received that honor for the fourth year in a row.

But not all of this year's honorees are previous winners. The Parcel/Express Carrier of the Year is FedEx, which is receiving that award for the first time. A previous winner, RPS, however, is now part of the FedEx system, operating as FedEx Ground.

The awards are based on a survey of NASSTRAC members. A screening committee distributes the survey form, which includes a list of nominees, to the group's membership. The members rate carriers on a scale of one to 10 on service to NASSTRAC and in several service and performance criteria, including pricing, ontime delivery, billing accuracy, and claims record.

The Carrier of the Year awards are co-sponsored by NASSTRAC and Logistics Management & Distribution Report. The awards were presented to representatives of the winning carriers by Peter Bradley, chief editor of the magazine, during NASSTRAC's spring conference in Naples, Fla., last month.

Editor's note: The process of selecting the 2002 Carriers of the Year is already under way. Carriers are encouraged to nominate themselves. For more information, call NASSTRAC at (202) 484-9188.