OMAHA, Neb. -

Union Pacific has earned the 2016 Toyota Logistics Excellence Award in customer service for the ninth consecutive year, along with the automaker's Kaizen Excellence Award in recognition of excellence in continuous improvement, the company announced on Monday.

"We’re honored to receive the inaugural Kaizen award, demonstrating our dedication to continuous improvement, efficiency and shipment quality," Union Pacific's vice president and automotive general manager Jennifer Hamann said in a news release. "It is also a privilege to receive Toyota's Logistics Excellence Award in Customer Service year after year, as it reflects our unwavering commitment to provide an excellent customer experience."

This is the first year Toyota has honored a railroad with its Kaizen award, according to Union Pacific.

The company said it has followed Toyota’s problem-solving process to secure damage-free loading at the Benicia, Calif., auto ramp.

Union Pacific’s rail network connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country.