CALGARY – To the moon and back, a dozen times. That’s how far Reilly Transfer driver Reg Flavelle has piloted his truck, safely, over his 46 years behind the wheel. (9.2 million klicks, to be exact.)

That incredible record is just one of the reasons Flavelle has earned one of four spots on the Alberta Motor Transport Association’s (AMTA) prestigious Road Knight Team.

As with all the elite drivers who were named to the team last week, driving is in Flavelle’s blood. He even tried retiring once but was lured back by the call of the open road, not to mention a call from a former employer.

Alberta’s other knights:

Michael Hawkins, of Caron Transportation Services. In 1986, Hawkins was presented with a Royal Canadian Humanitarian Association Award for his courage in helping rescue people from a burning wreck in northern Alberta. He was driving his tractor-trailer when he performed the roadside rescue. The collision took place in Spirit River. Hawkins says the accident stepped up his commitment to road safety, which is partly why he wanted to be a road-safety ambassador.?

Ted Beals, of Canamera Carriers, a division of Trimac. The Texas-born Beals also lived in South America and speaks fluent Spanish. He’s particularly passionate about the dangers of distracted driving because in 2004, a distracted-driving teen drove into Beals’ tractor-trailer. The young man was killed but the non-preventable collision had a lasting effect on Beals who became determined to rescue some good from the tragedy and hence his passion for road safety.

Reg Moulding, of Bison Transport. Moulding, a P&D driver in Calgary, loves truck-driving championships and is an avid volunteer. He is involved in pre-hire road tests and driver evaluations for Bison, which touts Moulding as a loyal, committed and professional employee.
For the next two years, the team will work to promote awareness of careers in the trucking industry and the importance of trucking to the economies of Alberta and Canada.

The newly minted team will be introduced to the AMTA membership on Saturday, April 27 in conjunction with the association’s Annual General Meeting taking place during the annual AMTA Management Conference (April 26 – 27, Banff Springs Hotel).?