2009 Taxicab Large Fleet Operator of the Year - Craig Hughes

Total Transit of Arizona Named No. 1 Industry Leader by National Transportation Association

(ROCKVILLE, Maryland)—The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) is pleased to announce it has named Craig C. Hughes of Total Transit in Glendale, Arizona, as its 2009 Taxicab Large Fleet Operator of the Year.

In a highly competitive field of applicants for the award this year, Hughes and Total Transit showed how perseverance, innovation, and commitment to the local community turned a small company into one of the largest taxi fleets in the nation.

"We were deeply impressed by how Total Transit, through Craig's management and vision, is always looking to the future and always asking, 'How can we do this better?" said Alfred LaGasse, Chief Executive Officer of the TLPA. "That's the kind of leadership we are so proud to have in this industry."

Total Transit started in 1984 as a fleet of 15 vehicles. Looking back, Hughes admits it was a financially frightening beginning, with the company almost closing down in its first summer of operations.

Now Hughes commands a fleet of 550 vehicles, with 100 of those hybrid vehicles. Hughes has a goal for the fleet to be 50 percent hybrid within a year.

Community involvement is a key belief with Hughes. His company sponsors shelters for battered mothers and Hughes works with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Total Transit commits a percentage of annual profits to charity, and has just recently created the Total Transit Foundation to take charitable giving to the next level.

"This is our 25th year in business and yet the company still has that energetic feel of a start-up," said Hughes. "Our team is up to almost any task, so I can't wait to see how the future unfolds."

Hughes will accept the award on Oct. 5 in front of nearly 1,000 industry peers at the TLPA's annual convention, held this year at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. This year marks the 91st Annual Convention & Trade Show for the TLPA, and is the world's largest gathering of for-hire fleet executives.

Established in 1917, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) is a non-profit trade association of and for the private passenger transportation industry. Its extensive membership spans the globe to include 1,000 taxicab companies, executive sedan and limousine services, airport shuttle fleets, non-emergency medical transportation companies, and paratransit services. For more information, please visit www.tlpa.org.