And the winner is

SC&RA is now accepting entries for the various awards and recognitions, which will be presented at during the association's 2006 Annual Conference, April 25-29, in Hilton Head, S.C. The deadline for entries is April 5, 2006.

Each year, SC&RA members take on some of the largest challenges in the industry, and SC&RA strives to recognize these achievements. Members are encouraged to submit entries to as many awards as are applicable to their business. Remember, you can't win if you don't enter. While the best known awards are the Rigging Jobs of the Year awards and the Hauling Jobs of the Year awards, there are several other contests to enter, including:

Golden Achievement Award goes to the individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry and/or the association. Only SC&RA members may enter nominations.

Truck Driver of the Year Award goes to a professional driver who has demonstrated outstanding performance through a deed of heroism, highway courtesy or contribution to highway safety.

Crane & Rigging Safety Awards are awarded to first and second place entrants in five categories, based on the amount of man-hours worked during the year.

Safety Improvement Awards are also given to all entrants that show an improvement in their incidence rate from the previous year's contest entry.

Fleet Safety Awards go to a motor carrier in five categories, based on mileage. Awards also will be given to entrants with zero recordable accidents and to entrants that can show a reduction in their accident frequency rate for miles traveled compared to their previous year accident rate.

Million Miler Awards go to professional drivers who have accumulated at least one million consecutive miles of safe driving.

For the Job of the Year Awards, known as the JOY Awards, entrants need to begin preparing for their presentation. Jobs must have occurred before New Years Day 2006 to be eligible. SC&RA members throughout the world are eligible for Job of the Year trophies in six categories. Rigging categories, based on total contract amount, are under $150,000, between $150,000 and $750,000, and over $750,000. Hauling categories are trucking job under 160,000 pounds net; trucking job over 160,000 pounds net; and moving job, using specialized equipment such as self-propelled transporters, dollies and crawler assemblies.

SC&RA has presented Job of the Year Awards for hauling since 1965 and for rigging since 1968. These competitions, a highlight of the annual SC&RA Annual Conference, give recognition to member firms. At the same time, the association earns great publicity for the entire industry by showcasing accomplishments achieved by the winning entrants.

The JOY Awards are judged by a five member judging panel for each category. Judges are often former winners and they take their responsibilities very seriously.

Entrants are encouraged to pay close attention to the rules and regulations, particularly the judging criteria. Keep your presentation concise and accurate while covering all the points on the guidelines. Some of the companies that have won a number of times include a recap at the end of the presentation to hit the judging criteria point by point so that judges don't have to ask any questions.

Competitors are advised to take the same care in preparing the entry as they did in completing the job itself. Take care to stay within the 20 minute time limit, and be sure to focus on safety issues when possible. Safety is the overriding priority in the industry and it's important to show how safety concerns are addressed in relation to the job.

Although it takes time to pull together a winning entry, a huge financial investment is not required. Former winners have shown that members don't have to spend thousands of dollars on professionally produced DVDs or videos. PowerPoint presentations and slide shows put together by the project manager go over well. The key thing is to have some sort of a visual record of the job so judges can grasp the reality of the job.