AKRON, Ohio — The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced it will soon be ending its search for unsung heroes of the highway – truck drivers who keep the nation’s economy moving with daily commerce and who come to the rescue of fellow motorists.

Nominations for Goodyear’s 23nd annual North American Highway Hero program will be accepted through Nov. 30.

“Those who ply their skills and abilities behind the wheel are America’s unsung heroes. Too many times we hear about the negative aspects of trucking, such as a driver shortage. Too little is written about drivers whose ability makes our highways safer and keeps our commerce moving,” said Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s vice president, commercial tire systems.

“The Highway Hero program is for those who selflessly risk life and limb to come to the aid of fellow motorists. We believe honour should always be met with honor,” McClellan added.

McClellan appealed to the trucking industry to nominate a deserving driver. “With the final deadline fast approaching, we don’t want to leave any driver out of consideration.”

To be considered for this year’s award, the following criteria must be met:

-Nominee must be a full-time truck driver;

-Nominee must be a resident of the United States or Canada;

-Incident recognized must have occurred in the United States or Canada;

-Nominee must have been on the job or on the way to or from work, and in his or her rig at the time of the incident;

-Nominee’s truck at the time of the incident must have 14 wheels or more;

-Incident must have taken place between Nov. 16, 2004, and Nov. 15, 2005, to qualify.

Nomination forms and program details may be obtained by calling the Goodyear Highway Hero Hotline at 330-796-8183. The nomination form also is available on the program’s Web site at http://www.goodyear.com/truck/whatsnew/heroes.html.

After the nomination period is closed, the list will be pared down to four finalists. From that group, one individual will be selected to serve as the ambassador for the program as the Goodyear North American Highway Hero. The finalists will be invited to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., where they will be recognized for their heroics.