Publisher’s Comment: O/Os: Here’s your chance to shine

by Rob Wilkins

Do you know someone who should be considered for the 2007 Owner/Operator of the Year Award? One of the highlights of my job as publisher of Truck News, is being involved in presenting this prestigious award on behalf of our sponsors, Freightliner Canada, Markel Insurance and Goodyear Canada.

This award recognizes a “regular guy or gal” who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in their profession and community. Some have volunteered their time to sit on industry associations while others spend their weekends delivering food to the homeless. They may have risked their own lives on the road to save others or have volunteered what free time they do have to coaching little league.

The only prerequisite is that the winner has a clean driving record.

From my experience, past recipients tend to shy away from the limelight. They aren’t the type of people who are looking for any type of formal recognition. Their reward comes from inside, from the gratifying feeling one gets in helping others.

The winner receives a ring fit for a champion, $3,000 cash, a $2,500 vacation for two and an all-expenses paid trip for two to the award presentation (being held at the Fergus Truck Show, Fergus, Ont., Friday July 27th.)

You may work with this year’s winner, or maybe he or she is a family member. If you know of someone deserving, please turn to page 101, describe why you feel your nominee deserves the award, tear out the page and send it back to us. The judges will narrow the field down to 10 finalists. At that point, they’ll be contacted to provide a driver’s abstract and the winner will be notified towards the end of June.

I am part of the judging panel and I can tell you that each year, the selection process gets harder and harder. There are so many deserving individuals but the nature of the award only allows us to present it to one person.

On a personal note, I look forward to spending some serious social time with the winner and their significant other.

They tossed away the mold for most of these people and it’s always a highlight of that weekend to get to know them. Most of the past winners also enjoy a good night out at a country and western bar, which is okay by me!

– Rob Wilkins is the publisher of Truck News and he can be reached at 416-510-5123.


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