Eight veteran truck drivers were chosen from a record-setting field of 104 entrants to receive TA Petro’s Third Annual Citizen Driver Awards, which were announced Friday, April 1 during a luncheon at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
Judges sorted through the field of 15 finalists and chose to honor:
- Bill Ater, Jr. an owner/operator for Landstar from Arlington, Texas
- Mary “Candy” Bass, an owner/operator driving for Transport Design from Temple, Texas
- Dennis Litalien, from Biddeford, Maine, who drives for Clifford W. Perhaps/Shaw
- Michael Zanella, an owner/operator driving foe Pizza Hut from Columbus, Ohio
- Bill and Robyn Taylor, owner/operators for Landstar Ranger from Enfield, Connecticut
- Bill Underwood, an owner/operator for Underwood Farms in Alta Vista, Kansas
- Jon Osburn, and owner/operator for the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association from Boise, Idaho
Each will have a TA Petro location named in their honor.
The award, according to Tom Liutkus, senior vice president for marketing and public relations for Travel Centers of America, recognizes drivers not just for their considerable on-road skills but also for being involved in their communities.
“This is an amazing group of people,” said Liutkus.