The Arkansas Trucking Association Self-Insurers’ Fund has declared a $2 million dividend to 48 trucking companies that participate in the program, the largest dividend in the association trust fund’s 16-year history.

The state trucking association’s insurance trust provides small and mid-sized trucking companies with the opportunity to self-insure as a group for the purpose of providing workers compensation insurance and paying defined benefit injury claims to employees.

“Our fund is a proven and reliable way to insure workers against injury claims,” said Shannon Newton, the association’s director of corporate services.

Newton said the trust has paid $22.6 million in benefits to injured workers since 1992.

The fund’s board of trustees can declare dividends after claims and expenses are paid. Newton said the trust has now distributed more than $12.2 million in dividends to enrolled trucking companies.

“We hope the timing of these dividends provides some relief in what is a tough operating environment for many trucking companies,” Newton said.