Fleet Insider

Sitton Names Driver of the Year
Sitton Motor Lines Inc. recently named Hank Marsh its 2007 Driver of the Year. Marsh, an owner-operator from Seneca, Mo., has been with the company since 1997.

First runner-up was Jackie Burks, and Sam Lucas was second runner-up. Burks, a company driver from Riverton, Kan., has been part of the Sitton team for more than 17 years. Lucas, a company driver from Auburn, Ala., has been with the company since 2001.


Transport America Honors Drivers
Transport America recently announced its January Drivers of the Month for 2008. Each driver is recognized for his or her outstanding service to Transport America and the company’s customers. Company drivers selected for January were Hillman Wright, who has been with Transport America for five months; Steve Copsy, with the company for nine months; and Timothy Anderson, with the company for 10 months.

Contractors selected for January were Michael Rozenski, who has been with Transport America for six years; Roy McNeely, with the company for 15 years; and Allen King, with the company for five months.


O&S Expands to Springfield, Ohio
Employee-owned freight trucking company O&S Trucking, with headquarters in Springfield, Mo., is expanding to Springfield, Ohio. The new terminal will be located at 707 West Leffel Lane. It will be O&S Trucking’s only other terminal outside its home base.

Brian Underhill, vice president of Ohio Operations, says the company also considered a site in Columbus but ruled it out because of the 11-hour dispatch time from Springfield, Mo., compared to 10 hours to Springfield, Ohio. If the law limiting 11 hours of driving in a 14-hour time period changes, a driver could not reach Columbus in one shift, Underhill explains.

He says the local terminal is ideal for drivers based here who want more home time. They should never be more than two days away from the local terminal.


TRALA Honors Gary Cockrell
Gary Cockrell of Flowery Branch, Ga., has logged more than 3 million accident-free miles over the past 32 years. For that lifetime performance of safe driving, Cockrell was selected as the Truck Renting and Leasing Association’s (TRALA) 2008 Driver of the Year. This award program is sponsored by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

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Cockrell, an employee of Ryder System Inc., was recognized at TRALA’s 2008 annual meeting on April 4 in Phoenix.

Cockrell was previously named Ryder’s Supply Chain Solutions Driver of the Year 2006; Team Driver of the Year 2006 and Team Driver of the Month for August 2006. In addition, he is a driver trainer. Cockrell also actively volunteers for Agape Ranch, a summer day camp in Cleveland, Ga., for autistic individuals.

This year, 14 drivers received certificates of merit for their outstanding service:

  • Gerald Azzalina, of Penske Logistics of Hayward, Calif., nominated by Penske Logistics
  • Wallace Bowers, of Penske Logistics of Hayward, Calif., nominated by Penske Logistics
  • Kenneth Conrad, of RSD Transportation Inc. of White River Junction, Vt., nominated by RSD Transportation Inc.
  • Fred Duncan, of Namasco Corporation, of Indianapolis, Ind., nominated by Palmer Leasing Group
  • Darcy Grimesey, of Becton-Dickinson of Madison, Wis., nominated by McCoy NationaLease
  • Mike McGovern, of Larson Transportation LLC of Janesville, Wis., nominated by McCoy NationaLease
  • David Moore, of Lawrence Transportation Company of Rochester, Minn., nominated by Lawrence Leasing Company
  • Lloyd Moreau, of Ryder U.S. Supply Chain Solutions of Roanoke, Texas, nominated by Ryder System Inc.
  • Larry Pitts, of JHE Production Group of Harrisburg, N.C., nominated by Southeastern NationaLease
  • Jesse Simerley, of Rehrig Pacific of Lawrenceville, Ga., nominated by Ryder System Inc.
  • Tracy Springrose, of TSX of Rochester, N.Y., nominated by DeCarolis Truck Rental Inc.
  • Ronald Temple, of Single Source Transportation of Green Bay, Wis., nominated by McCoy NationaLease
  • Brynford Williams, of Penske Logistics of San Jose, Calif., nominated by Penske Truck Leasing
  • Gary Wilson, of Hills Pet Nutrition of Mechanicsville, Va., nominated by Idealease of Richmond.

2007 Mo. Driver of the Year
The Missouri Motor Carriers Association named Prime driver William Girdler of Pomona, Mo., the 2007 Missouri Driver of the Year.

Girdler, a driver for more than 33 years, has never had a chargeable accident in the more than 4.5 million miles he’s driven throughout his career.

MMCA’s Driver of the Year is chosen from among that year’s winners of Driver of the Month. Girdler was honored as October Driver of the Month in 2007. Two other Prime drivers were also honored during the luncheon for winning this monthly honor in 2007: Robert Conger of Enosburg Falls, Vt., for June, and Harvey Williams of Rochelle, Texas, for July.


Averitt Recognizes Over 20 Team
Averitt Express recently honored 25 drivers for their 20 years of service. The honorees were: Stefan Brown; William Cartwright; Jeff Cox; Randy Cox; Steven Cruse; Jim Fritts; David Garrett; Jim Granner; Ricky Green; Darrell Greene; Lanny Hammett; John Hopper; Mark Johnson; William McCutcheon, Sr.; Gary McDonald; Walter Parker; Mike Sandor; Alton Sauls; Danny Scott; Jackey Stone; Jeff Stuart; Dale Westbrook; Brian Wethington; Jerry White; Jerry Wood.

These drivers are among more than 350 Averitt associates who are members of the company’s “Over 20 Team,” an exclusive group of associates who have served 20 or more years with Averitt.


Con-way January Drivers of the Month
Con-way Truckload announced its monthly driver award recipients for January 2008:

  • Company Driver of the Month: Kenneth Taylor has been a professional driver for 26 years and has driven more than 730,000 miles since joining Con-way Truckload in 2003. He lives in Hallettsville, Texas.
  • Company Team of the Month: Carl and Becky Holt have been driving together for Con-way Truckload since 1998. Carl signed on with Con-way in 1996 and convinced Becky to join him two years later. They reside in San Antonio, Texas.
  • Contractor Driver of the Month: Jon Smith began his professional driving career with Con-way Truckload in 1984. He lives in Joplin, Mo.
  • Contractor Team of the Month: Robert and Cecilia Wallraven began driving professionally in 1990 and joined Con-way in 1998. Together they have driven more than two million miles. The Wallravens reside in Clarksville, Tenn.

As January 2008 winners, each driver and team is automatically nominated for the 2008 year-end driver of the year award in their respective categories. Drivers of the year receive a cash prize and commemorative plaque, wrist watch and custom jacket, and are inducted into the Con-way Truckload Hall of Fame at the company’s headquarters in Joplin, Mo.

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