For more than 50 years, TTMA has recognized the importance of workplace safety with its annual Plant Safety Award. The hard-won and well-deserved honors are especially noteworthy as trailer manufacturers continue to deal with supply-chain disruptions and workforce shortages—to say nothing of the day-in and day-out challenge of running a safe facility in an uncertain market.
More specifically, award determinations are based on direct comparison of injury data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Annual Summary Form 300A, the same data used by the National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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TTMA introduced its plant safety contest in 1971.
The winners for their performance in 2023 were:
Trailer Category A (over 750,000 man hours)
- Great Dane Trailers, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Tank Category A (over 750,000 man hours)
- Wabash, San Jose Iturbide, Mexico
Trailer Category B (350,000–750,000 man hours)
- En Trans International, Gatesville, Texas
Tank Category B (350,000–750,000 man hours)
- En Trans International, Holdingford, Minnesota
Trailer Category C (under 350,000 man hours)
- Trail King Industries, Mitchell, South Dakota
Tank Category C (under 350,000 man hours)
- En Trans International, Salem, Illinois
Most Improved Trailer Plant
- Wabash, Cadiz, Kentucky
Most Improved Tank
- LBT Inc., Omaha, Nebraska
Associate Winner
- ZF Composites North America, Oakville, Ontario (NAICS Code 336)
For Wabash, the latest honors mark the 17th year Wabash has received a plant safety award from TTMA.
“At Wabash, our teams are constantly seeking innovative ways to engineer safety into our products and designing operating environments that put people first,” said Vice President, Global Operations, Donald Winston. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication to operational excellence demonstrated by our employees across Wabash. I share my congratulations and gratitude to our entire team for their continued efforts in upholding our safety values and ensuring a safe workplace for all.”
For Great Dane’s Elysburg manufacturing plant, this was its third overall and second consecutive plant safety award. Great Dane President and COO Rick Mullininx recently delivered the award to the facility. Plant Manager Jeff Campbell noted that such honors “do not happen by chance.”
“They are the result of each one of you, day in and day out, prioritizing safety,” Campbell said. “Your dedication to staying safe and ensuring the safety of your colleagues has been the cornerstone of our success.”
EnTrans was a repeat winner in multiple categories. Karen Czor, director of risk management, emphasized that safety “is not about the safety department or management, it’s the people.” She presented a brief video of En Trans employees discussing safety culture.
“When safety is a priority, your team embraces safety practices for a better work and life balance,” the video concludes. “It’s not just about following rules. It’s about realizing the personal benefits these practices offer.”
