Eassons Transport selects top driver of the year

by Adam Ledlow

BERWICK, N.S. – The Steve Bennett Memorial Professional Driver of the Year Award, presented annually by Nova Scotian carrier Eassons Transport, has been awarded to Albert Snow. The award, given out since 1995, but renamed in Bennett’s honour after his death in 2002, is handed out to a full-time Eassons employee who is judged to be an exceptional driver for that year by their peers.

Snow, of Kelligrews, Nfld., recently celebrated his eighth year with Eassons Transport and was blown away when he heard the news.

“It shocked me altogether, really. (Eassons manager of personnel and safety) Dave Miller left me a message and asked me to call him and because he’s the safety man I was thinking, ‘What did I do now?’ But then he just said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been selected as driver of the year by your peers at the company,'” said Snow, a 25-year veteran. “In this industry, it’s usually when something goes bad that you get noticed, so it makes you feel kind of good to win an award, like you’re doing something right.”

Snow has been driving the demanding distribution run to Newfoundland weekly since 1998. Eassons officials say they’ve seen an increase in the number of customers and freight moving through the weekly service – something that might never have happened without Snow’s dedication and “customer first” attitude.

“Time and time again Albert impresses our customer mechanics, dispatch or fellow drivers with his dedication to service,” Eassons officials said in a release. “Albert was selected by his peers at Eassons as an individual that presented himself professional driver in all aspects of his performance both on and off the road.”

Miller describes Snow as an old school driver with a tough exterior, but despite all that, he has a heart of gold.

“He puts up a shell of being a rough, tough guy, but he’s not. He is a true professional in every sense of the word,” Miller boasts. “He really does take everything to heart. He wants the freight delivered on time and the job done right. All of the things that you want to see in a driver, Albert really tends to have.”

But Snow, in typical humble fashion, said anything he did this year to earn this award was nothing out of the ordinary – he’s just doing his job.

“I couldn’t really tell you what I did to deserve the award, I just do what I do,” he said modestly. “If somebody needs a hand, I’ll give them a hand and I’ve always drove to the best of my ability, but that’s just what I normally do.”

Winners of the award receive a jacket, a plaque, a certificate and a weekend away, with support from Eassons broker, Salvatore Insurance. Drivers are selected through an open vote, where all Eassons employees are encouraged to participate, including mechanics, office staff, support staff and other drivers.


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