TORONTO, Ont. – On Oct. 4, John Lougheed, an Erb Transport driver and proud OTA Road Knight passed away.

Lougheed was a big believer in education and travelled the province to give lessons to young students about truck driving, safety and how to maintain professionalism while on the road.

At the OTA’s convention last week, Lougheed’s daughter, Donna Jursa told attendees how much being a Road Knight meant to her father.

“To my dad, this accreditation was more than just being a member of an elite group, it was a privilege to reach out to young people and promote an industry so vital to our economy and survival,” she said. “Watching my dad promote his love for this industry … he would express the beauty of the countryside, the interesting people you encounter daily and the importance of safe driving practices. His biggest joy was when he would take his truck to schools and let the children climb inside to see what it was like to be a truck driver.”

Now, the OTA is looking for a new team (10 truck drivers) of Road Knights for the 2015-2016 term. You can nominate your best driver who exemplifies the best qualities of the industry by downloading the form here. The deadline for nominations is December 5, 2014.

The outgoing OTA Road Knights of the 2012-14 term are:
*   Chris Bender, Steed Transport
*   Rick Cameron, KBD Transport
*   Barry Elkiw, Meyers Transport
*   Dale Fearman, Kim-Tam Truck Leasing
*   Jim Jackman, Thomson Terminals
*   David O’Neill, Kriska Holdings
*   Mike Paolozzi, Thomson Terminals
*   Wayne Simpson, Liquid Cargo Lines
*   George Sutherland, Bison Transport
*   Cindy Sutherland, Bison Transport

For questions on how to nominate a driver, or to make a donation to the John Lougheed memorial fund email Lak Shoan at lak.shoan@ontruck.org.
View the Road Knights promotional video here: