ALEXANDRIA, VA — Two Canadians are among five truckers named finalists for the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2015 Driver of the Year competition.

Edward Tricco of Brandon, MB, who is leased to Bison Transport, is vying for the Owner Operator of the Year honor while Guy Broderick of Cambridge, ON, who drives for APPS Transport Group, is up for the Company Driver of the Year award.

“Just like football has its Super Bowl, our Driver of the Year contest is trucking’s way of recognizing the very best of the best,” said Keith Tuttle, founder of Motor Carrier Service LLC and TCA’s chairman. “Out of the hundreds of thousands of professional truck drivers out there, to be chosen as a top finalist is a major achievement.”

The names of the grand prizewinners will be announced at TCA’s Annual Convention, to be held at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort, March 6-9, 2016.

TCA’s Driver of the Year competition recognizes and pays tribute to the company and owner operator truck drivers who provide reliable and safe truck transportation in moving the nation’s goods, according to the group. The finalists and subsequent grand prizewinners are selected based on their ability to operate in a safe manner on the public highways, efforts to enhance the public image of the trucking industry, and positive contributions they have made to the communities in which they live.

To be eligible for the contests, driver applicants had to meet certain minimum criteria, such as having driven one million consecutive, accident-free miles. Each drivers’ operating information, work history, and safety record were examined, and each finalist was asked to write a 300-word essay explaining why they are a good “trucking citizen” and should be a candidate for the grand prize. For the owner operator candidates, equipment specifications, business plans, and financial statements were also reviewed.