BOUCHERVILLE, Que. -- More than 40 years of professional driving experience, the last 34 with the same company, and eight million accident-free kilometres have earned Pierre Laflamme 2012 National Driver of the Year honours.
Laflamme, a professional driver and instructor with Groupe Boutin, was selected as the Canadian Trucking Alliance/Volvo Trucks Canada National Driver of the Year by a panel of industry experts from groups including Transport Canada, the Canada Safety Council and the Traffic Industry Research Foundation.
“It is the ambassadors of this industry such as Pierre Laflamme who personify what this award truly means,” says David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. “His years of dedication to his profession, to his company and to all the people he shares the highway with every day make him more than deserving of this great honour.”
Judges say they were impressed not only by Laflamme’s stellar safety record, but also by his enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge. He serves as a mentor to new drivers and strives to help them each to improve their own driving skill sets.
Laflamme also is known as a driver who won’t hesitate to stop and help anyone in need.
“The management and the employees of Groupe Boutin, as well as the Boutin family are very proud to count in their ranks a driver of the caliber of Pierre Laflamme,” the company said. “Pierre is a true professional truck driver who has honoured his industry and his employer for 35 years.”
Laflamme has gone 13 years without a single traffic infraction, despite racking up 200,000 kilometres per year across North America. He also placed second in the regional Truck Driving Roadeo. Laflamme was chosen for the award from a pool of finalists who were all winners of the provincial driver of the year award programs.
“The Quebec Trucking Association wishes to commend with admiration Pierre Laflamme, from Groupe Boutin, to the prestigious title of CTA National Driver of the Year 2012,” said Marc Cadieux, CEO of the QTA. “Pierre embodies the values of professionalism, passion and respect that make our industry proud. He is a role model and an exemplary source of inspiration for any present or future driver.”