The Truckload Carriers Association recognized five professional truck drivers, including two Canadians, as Highway Angels for performing good deeds while on the job.

Matthew Marchand, from Ottawa, who hauls tankers for Premier Bulk Systems based in Gormley, Ont.; and Greg Vandal, from Strathmore, AB, who works for Bison Transport based in Winnipeg, MB were among those honored.

Marchand provided emergency supplies to stranded motorists during I-95’s standstill on Jan. 3 near Stafford, VA. He helped dig out about four or five cars that were stuck on the shoulder or lanes filled with snow. He also handed out blankets to help a family stay warm in their vehicle.

Vandal helped a stranded motorist, en route to a wedding in Calgary, following a fire that destroyed his vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway. He invited the driver to warm up in his cab. He then took the motorist with him to Calgary, a 400-mile journey. After dropping off his trailers and parking his tractor, Vandal hopped into his car and drove the man to the wedding reception.

The three other drivers who received the award were Jean-Carlo Gachet, from Chester, VA, with Abilene Motor Express based in Chesterfield, VA; Robert Schuhl, from Stockbridge, GA, with ABF Freight System based in Fort Smith, AK; and Elwood Blackstock, from Eden, NC, with Best Logistics Group based in Kernersville, NC.

You can read their stories at highwayangel.org.