SafetyDriven – Trucking Safety Council of BC hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 19, 2025, in Langley, BC, welcoming industry leaders and partners from across the province. The event brought together representatives from the trucking, moving, and storage sectors to reflect on another year of progress and to recognize outstanding contributions to workplace safety.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of SafetyDriven’s annual Industry Awards, honouring companies and individuals who demonstrated exceptional leadership in occupational health and safety over the past year.
The Certificate of Recognition (COR) Program acknowledges and rewards employers who have implemented and maintained an occupational health and safety management system that meets or exceeds COR certification standards. By following best practices for safe and efficient operations, COR helps companies reduce risks to their employees, protect operations, and support long-term business resilience.
Achieving COR status requires companies to pass a rigorous audit process that evaluates documentation, records, employee training and communication, and internal review procedures. Certified companies are also eligible for a 10% rebate on their previous year’s WorkSafeBC premiums.
As a certifying partner for the transportation, warehousing, and related sectors on behalf of WorkSafeBC, SafetyDriven plays a vital role in supporting organizations throughout the COR certification process. Participation is voluntary and open to all employers in BC through their appropriate certifying partners.
In addition to COR awards, SafetyDriven presented its Safety Leadership Awards to recognize companies and individuals who have gone above and beyond to foster a culture of safety. These recipients demonstrated outstanding leadership by implementing innovative practices, promoting ongoing safety education, and engaging their teams to build safer workplaces. The Individual Safety Leadership Award specifically celebrates those who have shown unwavering commitment and made a significant impact on their organization’s health and safety performance.
Darshan Gill, Industry Health and Safety Services Manager at SafetyDriven, shared his reflections on the calibre of this year’s recipients: “The organizations and individuals we honoured this year have gone above and beyond what’s expected. Their commitment to building safer workplaces isn’t just something they talk about—it’s something they live every day,” said Gill. “Their achievements are the result of strong leadership, consistent effort, and a deep respect for the people who make our industry move. We’re proud to stand beside them as partners in safety.
Our 2025 Industry Award winners represent the best of what our sector has to offer. Integrity, hard work, and a deep-rooted commitment to protecting their teams. These organizations and individuals have raised the bar and serve as an inspiration for others in the industry. Their efforts not only strengthen safety within their own workplaces but contribute to a safer, stronger industry as a whole.”
2025–2026 Board of Directors
General Trucking
- Ahmad Abou-Chkair – Sutco Contracting Ltd.
- Kevin Bandstra – Bandstra Transportation System
- Steven Bauer – F & G Delivery Ltd.
- Matt Cook – Arrow Reload Systems
- Lora Covinha – Phoenix Truck and Crane
- Robert Dike – Posse Heavy Haul Ltd.
- Andy Ellison – Coldstar Solutions
- Timo Annala – Scamp Transport
Other Transportation and Warehousing
- Kyle McCarthy – West Coast Reduction Ltd.
- Todd Nicklin – Enex Fuels Ltd.
- Scott Sadler – Waste Management of Canada Corp.
- Chris Taylor – IntermodeX Logistics Ltd.
Labour
- Duane Bryan – Teamsters
- Don Mundy – Christian Labour Association of Canada
Non-Voting
- Patrick Davies
- Will Dirksen
- Steven Haywood
SafetyDriven is proud to announce the following recipients for the awards below.
2025 Industry Award Winners
COR Achievement of Excellence Award (Small Employer)
- Big River Distributors
- Burrard Transport Ltd.
- Macal Bulk Transport Ltd.
COR Achievement of Excellence Award (Large Employer)
- Accord Transportation Ltd.
- Staples Professional
- Van Kam Freightways Ltd.
COR Best Overall (Large Employer)
- Accord Transportation Ltd.
Safety Leadership Award
- FuelEx Energy Ltd.
Individual Safety Leadership Awards
- Betty Henderson & Randy Geszler – Accord Transportation Ltd.
- Daniel Colosie & Elizabeth Brunner – EV Logistics
- Bryan Wainwright – Lantrax Logistics
Congratulations to all the winners! Learn more about SafetyDriven’s COR Program here.
For more information on each of the winners, continue reading below.
Accord Transportation Ltd.
Founded in 1989, Accord provides long-haul and logistics services across Canada and the U.S. They employ 142 workers, including a large number of owner-operators. Despite a decentralized structure, Accord built and implemented a new safety program with remarkable speed and depth. Their audit score was an impressive 95%, with their Joint Health and Safety Committee receiving a perfect score. Auditors praised the organization for its strong communication, accountability, and worker engagement. Accord was recognized not only with a COR Achievement of Excellence Award, but also as this year’s Best Overall Large Employer.
Big River Distributors
Big River Distributors provides freight hauling and moving services throughout Northwestern BC, including Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Smithers, and the Nass Valley. In June 2024, they began developing their health and safety program while managing day-to-day operations. Through disciplined effort and a strong sense of commitment, they completed their COR audit within the same year, earning a perfect score of 100%. Their journey highlights what’s possible for small businesses determined to prioritize safety.
Burrard Transport
Since 1991, Burrard Transport has proudly served the Lower Mainland with liquid asphalt hauling services. In 2024, they partnered with SafetyDriven to build their safety program from the ground up. Despite the demands of small business operations, they committed time and resources to doing it right. Their efforts resulted in a 95% score on their COR certification audit, reflecting a safety culture supported by leadership and embraced by the entire team.
EV Logistics
With a combined workforce of over 900 employees, EV Logistics operates two major distribution centres in the Fraser Valley. These centres handle the distribution of fresh, frozen, and ambient grocery products to retail stores across Western Canada. As one of the region’s largest employers in the supply chain sector, EV Logistics continues to demonstrate a deep commitment to safety, employee engagement, and continuous improvement—values recognized through the Individual Safety Leadership Awards presented to two of their team members.
Fuelex Energy 
Fuelex Energy operates several cardlock fuel locations in the Lower Mainland, including Abbotsford and Surrey. Their team blends operational expertise with a strong sense of community and safety responsibility. In 2024, Fuelex hosted multiple Pop-Up Safety Shops and played a key role in SafetyDriven’s outreach efforts. With over 2,600 workers engaged at 47 events, Fuelex consistently stood out for their collaboration, hospitality, and impact. For their outstanding support and commitment, Fuelex received the 2024 Safety Leadership Award.
Lantrax Logistics 
Founded in 2003, Lantrax has grown from a small freight brokerage into a full-service group of transportation companies. Their services include LTL, truckload, air and ocean freight, project logistics, warehousing, transloading, oversize hauling, and more. With deep expertise across the logistics spectrum and a team-driven approach, Lantrax continues to raise the bar for operational safety and service excellence. One of their own, Bryan Wainwright, was honoured with an Individual Safety Leadership Award in 2024.
Macal Bulk Transport Ltd. 
Macal Bulk specializes in transporting liquid asphalt, emulsions, and magnesium chloride across BC. Operating from five terminals—Mission, Coquitlam, Kamloops, Nanaimo, and Prince George—the company undertook a full safety system overhaul in 2024. Over two months, they updated and streamlined their safety program, focusing on long-term usability and team-wide effectiveness. Their efforts resulted in a flawless 100% COR audit score, demonstrating their commitment to making safety work for everyone involved.
Staples Professional – Port Coquitlam 
Staples Professional delivers warehouse and fleet services to enterprise clients across Canada. Their COR audit focused on the Port Coquitlam facility and identified multiple strengths, including a formal annual health and safety improvement plan and a role-specific hazard assessment system. The audit confirmed that safety practices were not only in place but also actively maintained and monitored. Staples Professional earned a 92% score on their certification audit, reflecting a well-integrated safety system.
Van Kam Freightways Ltd. 
Van Kam is one of BC’s largest transportation companies, employing over 600 staff across 8 locations with a fleet of more than 1,000 units. Serving industries like forestry, mining, food distribution, and retail, Van Kam worked with SafetyDriven in 2024 to align its internal systems with COR certification. Within three months, they completed a comprehensive audit involving 70 interviews, records reviews, and site inspections. Strengths noted included active leadership communication, robust safety oversight, and effective JHSCs. Van Kam earned a final score of 93%—an outstanding result for an operation of this scale.