WHISTLER, B.C. — Florent Foucher, general manager of Excel Transportation in Prince George, B.C. was named the recipient of the 2007 B.C. Trucking Association’s Service to Industry Award at the group’s annual conference in Whistler recently.

Florent has served for many years on the BCTA board of directors and executive committee, and most recently, on the BCTA Human Resources Strategies Committee.

Florent, who began his career at Takla Forrest Products and later worked for Canfor’s Prince George Pulp, became general manager at Excel in 1987 and has remained with the company ever since.

At the same event, Trimac Transportation’s Brad Jones was honored as the 2007 Provincial Driver of the Year.

Jones cut his teeth in trucking at the age of 15, working on weekends washing equipment at Trimac’s shop in Prince George. He has been a professional truck driver for 24 years and has achieved 1.8 million accident-free miles.

Meanwhile, this year’s Honourary Life Member Award was given to Don Durward, who’s been in the trucking industry for more than 27 years and has been a longtime supporter of BCTA.

Durward, who recently retired from Inland Paclease, has volunteered on numerous committees including the Associate Executive Committee, the BCTA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He was Chair of the Associate Executive from 1984 to 1986.

He is also currently a member of the Sondergaard Endowment Fund Committee, which is raising money to fund training entrance awards for new professional truck drivers, commercial transport mechanics, and diesel engine mechanics.