WINNIPEG  – – Ed Dueck, a driver who has been with the same carrier, Big Freight Systems Inc., for an astonishing 36 years, is Manitoba’s Driver of the Year.

The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) and Volvo Trucks Canada sponsor the annual award.

Dueck has millions of miles under his buckle and over 40 years’ driving experience.

He began with Big Freight  in 1976.

Since, he has not had any preventable or non-preventable accidents. 

He has been a long-haul driver and city driver, and has considerable experience on winter roads.  He has experience with dry vans and flat deck work and has operated tandem and Super-B configurations transporting glass from the United States and Ontario to points west.

Mostly these days he drives in the northern U.S. and central Canada, averaging over 100,000 miles annually.

Dueck has taken a lot of extra training related to his profession, including cargo securement, defensive driving, and fall protection.

His dispatch team says that he works hard to ensure that the load and equipment he is transporting are always safe and secure. Customer service is another area where Dueck stands out.

Customers have commented that his work is “above and beyond” what they expect.

Dueck has also been described as on-time, all the time, friendly and courteous, and as a driver who puts in extra work to satisfy customers.

This award was presented to Dueck at the MTA’s annual Driver Awards Banquet, which followed the 2012 Manitoba Professional Truck Driving Championship.