TORONTO, Ont. – Barry Enman, a driver with Warren Gibson Ltd. in Alliston, Ont., has been named Canada’s 2000 Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA)/Volvo Trucks Canada National Driver of the Year.

Along with a commemorative plaque, Enman received a $1,000 cash prize and a trip for two anywhere in Canada.

A 26-year veteran to the trucking industry – including 13 years spent with Warren Gibson – Enman has racked up more than 6.4 million kilometres of accident-free driving through both the United States and Canada.

For the past several years, he has worked hauling auto parts between Alliston, Ont. and Windsor along Hwy. 401, one of the busiest and most treacherous stretches of highway in North America.

Back in 1994, as he was driving along what has become known as “Carnage Alley” just outside London, Ont., Enman came upon an accident scene involving an overturned vehicle.

He and two other drivers used their rigs to block oncoming traffic before running to assist the stricken passengers.

With the help of the other drivers, Enman managed to free a trapped and injured woman from the wreck.

“She was unconscious when I first got to her, but she came around in a few minutes,” he says.

“She was still in her seatbelt, but the vehicle was on its side and she was hanging there.”

Speaking at the presentation, CTA chief executive officer David Bradley explains Enman deserved the award for displaying exemplary behaviour and serving as a role model for his peers.

“Barry Enman’s outstanding driving record, and his selfless actions at roadside, exemplify the commitment to road safety made by Canada’s professional truck drivers,” Bradley says.

“But it is the way he goes about his day-to-day work that makes his stand out above the rest,” he adds.

The Canadian Driver of the Year Award has been presented annually for the past 25 years to a Canadian professional truck driver who holds a first-class driving record, demonstrates professionalism, courtesy – and sometimes bravery – both on and off the road.

This year the honors were again handed out at the Ontario Trucking Association’s annual convention held in Toronto last month.

Barry Enman lives in Stayner, Ont. with his wife, Marlene Enman. n