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Four days remain to enter Owner-Operator of the Year contest, winner gets $25k cash

Owner-operator Gary Buchs, who is leased to LandStar, won the 2016 Owner-Operator of the Year award.Owner-operator Gary Buchs, who is leased to LandStar, won the 2016 Owner-Operator of the Year award.

Overdrive, in partnership the Truckload Carriers Association, is seeking nominations for the 2017 Owner-Operator of the Year, an annual contest that awards a safe, professional and successful owner-operator with a $25,000 cash prize. The contest is sponsored by Cummins and Love’s Travel Stops. Nominations will be accepted until November 10.

In addition, Overdrive sister site Truckers News is seeking nominations for the Company Driver of the Year award, which also comes with a $25,000 cash prize. Two runners-up in both the Driver of the Year and Owner-Operator of the Year contests receive $2,500.

The winners will be announced in March at TCA’s annual convention. Nominations can be submitted at this link.

Company drivers must be nominated by the motor carriers that employ them, while owner operators may be nominated by themselves, spouses or by carriers they have been leased to for a period of three or more years.

Nominees must demonstrate a safe driving record with a minimum of one million consecutive accident-free miles, a strong work ethic, and a desire to improve their community and the image of the trucking industry. In addition to providing proof of operating information, work history, and safety record, nominees are asked to write a 300-word essay explaining why they are good “trucking citizens” and should be a candidate for the grand prize. Owner-operator nominees are also required to provide documentation such as equipment specifications, business plans and financial statements.

A panel of judges will select the three finalists for each contest, to be announced in December. Each of the six finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip to attend TCA’s Annual Convention, scheduled for March 25-28, 2018, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, where one grand prizewinner will be selected for each contest.

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