Nominations close today at 5 p.m. for Trucking’s Top Rookie Award

Time is running out to nominate yourself or someone else for an award that could make you or them $10,000 richer.

2014’s top rookie truck driver was Julie Matulle

A check for $10,000 and a package of prizes awaits one skillful professional truck driver when Trucking’s Top Rookie is named in August. The award recognizes the best professional truck driver who has been on the job for less than a year.

Nominations close at 5 p.m. Eastern today, Friday, June 24.

The Trucking’s Top Rookie contest is a partnership between Truckers News, the Truckload Carriers Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, Rand McNally, Pilot Flying J, Progressive Commercial Insurance, National Association of Publicly Funded Driving Schools, American Trucking Associations and the Red Eye Radio Network.

Nominations may be made online at http://truckload.org/rookie

A panel of seven judges will review each nominee and select 10 finalists. The winner will be announced Friday, Aug. 26 at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas.

The winner receives:

  • $10,000 cash
  • $1,000 cash and 100,000 Pilot Flying J MyReward points
  • A custom plaque from Award Company of America
  • Interview on Red Eye Radio Network with Eric Harley
  • A feature in Truckers News
  • $1,000 worth of DAS Products merchandise featuring the RoadPro Getting Started Living On-The-Go Package
  • American Trucking Associations “Good Stuff Trucks Bring It” package, which includes a polo shirt with logo, baseball cap, model truck and utility knife
  • A GPS unit and a Motor Carrier Road Atlas from Rand McNally

The nine other finalists receive:

  • $1,000 cash
  • 50,000 MyRewards points from Pilot Flying J
  • A custom plaque from Award Company of America
  • $100 worth of DAS Products Merchandise, featuring the RoadPro MobileSpec Portable Life Package
  • American Trucking Associations ‘ “Good Stuff Trucks Bring It” package which includes a polo shirt with logo, baseball cap, model truck and utility knife
  • A GPS unit from Rand McNally

The late Mike O’Connell was formerly the executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, and originated the idea of honoring a top rookie driver to help show new drivers they are important to and appreciated by the trucking industry.