Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC), Flying J Canada Transport and Giant Tiger Wholesale were recognized as the winners of the 2025 Private Motor Truck Council of Canada’s (PMTC) Fleet Safety Awards.
HTEC won in the small fleet, less than 25 power units category; Flying J Canada Transport won for mid-sized fleet, less than 75 power units; and Giant Tiger Wholesale won in the large fleet, 75 and more power units category.
The fleets were honored as part of the PMTC’s annual conference on June 18 in Niagara Falls, Ont.
HTEC
HTEC has operated its private fleet in Canada for five years. The fleet consists of one tractor, three straight trucks and one trailer, with five fleet-related employees running 90,000 km in 2024.
HTEC’s fleet operations division is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant transportation of compressed hydrogen to fueling stations and industrial customers across the B.C. region.
New hires at HTEC must maintain a valid Class 1 licence, have less than six points on their licence and no excessive speeding violations in the last 24 months. They must pass a road test as well as a pre-employment drug test.
New hires go through three weeks of orientation and mentorship training. They then move to two to three weeks of field training. HTEC holds regular toolbox talks to discuss safety topics, reinforce training, address field observations and provide regulatory and procedural updates.
Flying J Canada Transport
Flying J Canada Transport has operated its private fleet in the country for 25 years. It consists of 64 power units and 70 trailers, running 7.4 km in 2024.
The fleet hauls fuel to its travel centers around the country. New hires are put through a 1.5-hour road test, coupled with an interview and reference checks beforehand.
If a driver is hired, they begin a three-day in-class and online orientation program. Then the driver goes through three weeks of one-on-one driver training with a sign-off by a supervisor observing loading, driving and unloading. Flying J also conducts 30-, 60- and 90-day unannounced unloading observations, then two additional observations throughout the year.
Flying J offers up to a $1,000 quarterly bonus to its drivers, with 97% of the drivers receiving the full bonus.
Giant Tiger Wholesale
Giant Tiger Wholesale has operated its private fleet in Canada for 38 years. The team consists of 256 fleet-related employees. It has 176 tractors, four straight trucks, three light commercial vehicles, 633 trailers, and operated more than 25.1 million km in 2024.
New drivers must be a minimum of 25 years of age, submit their drivers abstract as well as their commercial vehicle abstract, and have no more than two demerit points to be considered for hire.
There is a three-hour road test. Once hired, each driver goes through a minimum 50-hour on-boarding program, which is extended if the driver-trainer feels it is required.
Training includes company policy, health and safety, product handling, defensive and fuel-efficient driving, WHMIS, HoS, trip inspections, annual winter driving refresher training, sleep management, electric pallet jack, among other topics.
The fleet is equipped with telematics on all trucks that track hours-of-service, speed, sudden stops and fuel mileage. Annual ride-alongs are also completed with all drivers with Giant Tiger’s in-house trainers.
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