Eligibility
Any CDL holder who has graduated from a PTDI certified, or NAPFTDS or CVTA member driver training school within the past year and has been employed by a trucking company for less than one year, is eligible for the award.
Nomination Procedure and Duration of Contest
Nominations may be made by motor carrier employers, training organizations, the public and/or other interested parties. There is a standardized nomination form, which can be downloaded from https://www.truckersnews.com/page/mike-oconnell-truckings-top-rookie-contest/ between May 21 and July 1, 2019. You may then submit a completed form online.
All nominations are due in to Truckers News by midnight on Monday, July 1, 2019. An expert panel of judges, which includes representatives from motor carriers, schools (both public and private), suppliers and trade associations, will identify 10 finalists, who will be notified by July 26, 2019.
Among the criteria, they will evaluate when considering the Trucking’s Top Rookie award will be:
• Availability for loads
• On time delivery
• Highway safety performance
• Customer relations
• Work record
• Non-job related activities
Procedure for Awarding the Trucking’s Top Rookie
The Trucking’s Top Rookie winner will be awarded without regard to sex, race, color, national origin or religion. One winner from the 10 finalists will be notified and will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Dallas, Texas for the 2019 Great American Trucking Show, where they will be recognized during an awards presentation on Friday, August 23, 2019.
Rules
- All applications must be completed online. Only those applications submitted through the online application process will be accepted. Applications received by any other means will not be considered.
- The contest is open to any CDL holder who has graduated from a PTDI certified, or NAPFTDS or CVTA member driver training school within the past year and has been employed by a trucking company for less than one year.
- Motor carrier employers and training organizations may nominate up to five drivers; however, only one driver per company can qualify for placement among the top 10 finalists.
- When entering as a team, each driver must submit a separate, complete application.
- To verify the nominee’s submitted information, the judges and/or staff may directly contact the motor carrier employer and the judges and/or staff may obtain credit reports, motor vehicle reports, and other information as determined necessary to evaluate the application in the sole and exclusive discretion of the judges and/or staff.
- Any erroneous or false information provided in the application will result in immediate disqualification.
- All prizewinners are responsible for any applicable federal, state, and local taxes.
- All applicants must furnish an electronic version of a photograph (of a quality not less than 300 dpi) featuring the entrant’s head and shoulders and taken within the last year. Photographs must be submitted with the application. They may eventually be used for publicity purposes, and by submitting the application and photographs, the entrant specifically agrees to use of the photographs in any and all media related to the contest.
- The decision of the judges is final, and entrants specifically agree that the decision is not subject to review or appeal in any forum whatsoever, including courts of law.