Bekins Van Lines Drivers of the Month
Bekins Van Lines announced the Bekins Drivers of the Month for July, August and September 2007. Drivers of the Month are elected for their professionalism, timeliness, communication and customer service skills.
July winners: Ed and Bev Worthen, Eugene Rinaldi, Jerry Stubblefield, Thomas Shaw, David Strickland and Elmore Atkins.
August winners: Scott Hostetler, Doug Nelson, Joe Rodriguez, Lemuel Brinkley Jr., Jim Church, Robert Rainey.
September winners: Pernell Baker, Mario Martinez, Robert Streit, Dallas Grathler, Joseph Hardin and Surajudeen Giwa.
Business School Inducts England Brothers
Eugene and William England of C.R. England trucking company were recently inducted into the David Eccles School of Business’ Hall of Fame at the University of Utah.
Dean Jack Brittain also announced a surprise $1 million donation to the school honoring Eugene and William and their spouses, June and Fern. The gift will help subsidize two large classrooms in the school’s upcoming remodeling project.
Established in 1920, the family business was started by the boys’ father, Chester England. Gene and Bill joined the business in their early teens and started hauling freight. The England brothers and their father established C.R. England Inc., which currently employs more than 3,800 truck drivers and independent contractors.
Gene and Bill continued to operate C.R. England until the 1980s when they gradually transferred control of the business to their sons and grandsons. Gene is currently president of the company but still finds time to make deliveries, often logging as many as 500 miles per day. Bill serves his community in various capacities. In addition to his support for the David Eccles School of Business and the Diabetes Center at the University of Utah, Bill is former president of the Utah Trucking Association and serves on several committees for West Valley City.
Driver Referral Contest Winner
Reginald Jackson won the Central Transport Driver Referral Contest, which awards drivers $500 for each driver referred and hired. For those who participated, names were entered into a drawing for a grand prize vacation package to Las Vegas to watch the Professional Bull Riders Rodeo Finals.
Jackson, a single father of six children, planned to use the money to buy Christmas presents.
Before joining Central Transport, Jackson worked for 13 years in restaurant management and six years in retail management. He entered the truck driving business a few years ago, when a recruiter approached him about the benefits of working in the transportation industry.
Decker Drivers of the Year
Decker Truck Line Inc. recently announced their 2007 Drivers of the Year: Bahne Struecker for the reefer/van division and Dan Welsh for the flatbed division.
Struecker, of Algona, Iowa, was selected as the June 2007 Reefer/Van Driver of the Month, where he received a score of 174 points out of a possible 180. Struecker has been with Decker for 11 years, during which he became a member of the Million Mile Team.
Welsh was selected as the December 2006 Flatbed Driver of the Month, where he received a score of 170 points out of a possible 180. Welsh, of Pittsburgh, started with Decker in March 2002, when Decker took on Eagle Grove, Iowa’s Umthun Trucking.
Mercer Gives Away NASCAR Trip
Mercer Transportation has announced the winner of the Drive to Win NASCAR sweepstakes. Jackie Walden of Decatur, Ala., was the winner of a deluxe travel package for two to the 50th Anniversary Daytona 500 on Feb.13-18.
Walden will receive reserved tickets in the Nextel tower for the qualifying races, truck series race, Busch Series race and the 50th running of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race.
In addition, he and his wife will enjoy a five-night hotel accommodation at Rosen Shingle Creek, welcome reception, admission and pre-race passes to the Nextel Fanzone and admission to the Daytona USA motorsports attraction, along with on-site personal assistance and motorcoach transportation to and from the events.
Walden is a flatbed owner-operator for Proud American Transport.
Star Drivers
Star Transportation honored three of its drivers for achieving 15 years of safe and accident-free driving. Drivers Morrell Driggers, Ricky Tidwell and Joe Weathersby were given safe driving honors.
To recognize their conscientious driving efforts, Driggers, Tidwell and Weathersby each received a miniature tractor-trailer made of crystal in a special awards ceremony.
December Trucker Buddy of the Month
Independent owner-operator Andrew Pomicter, paired with Christina Demonbreun’s second-graders at Sunrise Elementary School in Ocala, Fla., was named Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month for December.
Among other activities with the class, Pomicter introduced the children to his pet snake, Striker. Pomicter, who runs two trucks with his company Dragon & Feline Trucking of Weirsdale, Fla., joined the Trucker Buddy program in 2006.
Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month receives a personalized jacket, a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of ACS MultiMedia Advertising. Each also receives an IdleAire window adapter and an IdleAire Gold Membership, a Koolatron cooler and a complete set of Airtabs for tractor or trailer. The class receives a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works.
Pomicter is one of 3,500 professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. Trucker Buddies need to be CDL-carrying professional truck drivers who are willing to send a postcard each week to a class in grades two through eight. For more information, visit the Trucker Buddy website (www.truckerbuddy.org) or call (800) MY-BUDDY.
CFI Drivers of the Month
CFI, a truckload carrier based in Joplin, Mo., announced its October Drivers of the Month.
- Company Driver of the Month: Francis “Butch” Untiedt started driving for CFI in 1995 and has driven more than two million miles. He lives in Trenton, Mo.
- Company Team of the Month: Michael and Loetta Ruyf both began driving for CFI in 1999. They live in Joplin.
- Contractor Driver of the Month: Philip Sefiane began his career with CFI in 2003. He resides in Houston.
- Contractor Team of the Month: William and Victoria Bumgardner began their careers at CFI in 1991 and 1997, respectively. They reside in Helotus, Texas.
