Southland Transportation, a mid-sized trucking company in Boonville, has earned national recognition from the Truckload Carriers Association with first place in the 36th Annual National Fleet Safety Awards.

The annual awards recognize fleets with superior safety records in North America.

Fleets are divided into groups according to the number of miles driven annually. Southland is a Division II company with miles ranging between five and 14.99 million miles.

The 2012 Division II winners are:

First Place – Southland Transportation Company, Boonville, N.C.

Second Place – Houff Transfer, Inc., Weyers Cave, Va.

Third Place – Skyline Transportation, Inc. Knoxville, Tenn.

Sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, the awards are open to all TCA members in the United States and Canada and recognize trucking companies that demonstrate a superior commitment to safety and accident reduction.

In 2011, Southland trucks traveled more than 10.7 million miles and had no Department of Transportation-reportable accident, which means no injured person having to be transported from the scene or no vehicle needing to be towed from the scene.

“We are extremely proud of our safety record,” said Derentz Collins, director of Safety and Human Resources at Southland Transportation. “The reason we have that impressive record is the quality of our drivers. They are outstanding. We are fortunate to attract the finest drivers from across the region.”

Southland Transportation Co. began operations on January 2, 1988 in Dobson, N.C. The company started with three company trucks and one owner operator. Over the years, Southland expanded its fleet by adding company equipment and owner operators.

In 1993, the corporate office was moved to its current location in Boonville, N.C. Southland specializes in automotive, furniture, and retail transportation for customers across the continental United States and Ontario, Canada.