Six finalists — including three company drivers — have been announced for the 2014 Driver of the Year competition, produced by the Truckload Carriers Association, TruckersNews.com and Overdrive magazine.
They will attend the TCA Annual Convention, March 8-11, in Kissimmee, Fla., where the Company Driver of the Year and Owner Operator of the Year and the will be named.
The company driver winner will be featured on TruckersNews.com. The finalists are:
- Danny Smith of Shelbyville, Tenn., who drives for Big G Express, Inc., also of Shelbyville, Tenn.
- Johnny Chestnut of Lakeland, Fla., who drives for Saddle Creek Transportation, also of Lakeland.
- Gary Teel of Whiting, Iowa, who drives for Weinrich Truck Line, of Hinton, Iowa.
The owner-operator winner will be featured in Overdrive. The finalists are:
- Glen Horack of Elkland, Missouri, who is leased to Prime Inc., of Springfield, Mo.
- Thomas Miller of Bunker Hill, Illinois, who also is leased to Prime.
- Bryan Smith of Asbury, Iowa, who is leased to Art Pape Transfer, of Dubuque, Iowa.
The finalists’ selection was based on safety record, efforts to improve trucking’s image and contributions to their community.
To be eligible for the contests, applicants must have driven one million consecutive, accident-free miles.
“It’s an honor to recognize the nation’s best owner-operators and drivers in Overdrive and TruckersNews.com,” said Brad Holthaus, vice president of trucking media sales at Randall-Reilly. The company, based in Tuscaloosa, Ala., publishes the two brands. “Trucking has countless operators who exemplify safety, service, and professionalism. The two winners drawn from these finalists will represent the industry well.”
