The annual meeting of the National Association of Small Trucking Companies gets under way today in Nashville, Tenn. Attendant to that conference, every year the association hosts its “America’s Best Drivers” team, all of whom haul for NASTC member companies. As longtime NASTC leader David Owen has it, these men and women represent the bread and butter of any small trucking business, and the hands-down safest drivers around.
Art Riley, 14 years with ABR3 Enterprises, LLC
30 years, 3.5 million miles accident-free
Henry Kuperus, 6 years with Brenny Specialized Inc.
22 years, 2.8 million miles accident-free
Among NASTC conference festivities for the third year running will be the live recording of the final-day Grand O’ Trucking Show with a bevy of original trucking songs written and performed by Nashville songwriters in the afternoon Saturday, November 2, during the drivers-of-the-year celebration. Find details on Vol. 2 and Vol. 2 of the resulting CD from prior years via this link.Mark Subak, 8 years with Chicago Xpress Inc.
26 years, 4.3 million miles accident-free
Craig Lackey, 9 years with Cowen Truck Line Inc.
39 years, 2.5 million miles accident-free
Daniel L. Mavis, 35 years as D.L. Mavis Trucking
15 years, 2.5 million miles accident-free
Among drivers honored with this year’s NASTC team is Walkabout Transport independent owner-operator Debbie DesideratoLogan Wilson, 13 years with Emmett Wilson Trucking Co.
13 years, 1.95 million miles accident-free
Kevin V. Johnson, 17 years with Gold Standard Transportation
45 years, 2.3 million miles accident-free
Brenda Law, 2 years with Grammer Industries
17 years, 1.5 million miles accident-free
The evening of Wednesday, October 30, singer-songwriters gathered in Lindsay Lawler‘s Music Loft event space in downtown Nashville, blocks from the NASTC conference hotel, for a dry run through songs for the Saturday Grand O’ Trucking Show. Songwriter Troy Martin (pictured) will sing a tune co-written with none other than NASTC’s David Owen — “The Bills Don’t Wait.” The bills don’t wait / The road goes on / Got miles to make / But at least I’m gone…James Parker, 7 years with GRT Trucking
23 years, 4 million miles accident-free
Roger Barlow, 16 years with Hodges Trucking Company
17 years, 2.1 million miles accident-free
Tony Natekin, 2 years with Infinity Carriers Inc.
20 years, 3.2 million miles accident-free
Singer-songwriter Lindsay Lawler, well-known for the “Highway Angel” song, among others.Michael Peterson, 6 years with Long Haul Trucking
10.5 years, 1.5 million miles accident-free
Luis R. Gaona, 5.5 years with P & B Trucking Inc.
14 years, 2 million miles accident-free
James Chabitch, 21 years with PTI Dedicated Services LLC
42 years, 6 million miles accident-free
Joining Nashville hands this year for the performance at the drivers-of-the-year celebration will be Australian singer-songwriter Jayne Denham, performing her recent “Black Coffee and White Lines” single, among others.Tim Draper, 2 years with Smothers Trucking
20 years, 2 million miles accident-free
Jeremy Hanicq, 12 years with Store & Haul Company
12 years, 1.7 million miles accident-free
Debbie Desiderato, 7 years as Walkabout Transport
17 years, 1.3 million miles accident-free
