PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – The Professional Truck Driver Institute, Inc. (PTDI) has presented the tenth annual Lee J. Crittenden Memorial Award to Ray Haight, executive director of MacKinnon Transport, of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

The ceremony was held March 3rd during Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Annual Convention at The Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas.

The award is given to the person who has done the most to advance the ideals and goals of PTDI, of which Lee Crittenden was a staunch supporter until his death in April 1998.

Haight, who also elected as the 2008-2009 chairman of the TCA, was instrumental in changing PTDI’s Board of Directors to a fully functioning Board that took an active role in moving PTDI forward.

Haight created a new PTDI brand that has been a turning point for the organization. “He brought visibility and revitalization back to the organization,” the group said in a press release. “With a strong belief in PTDI’s voluntary standards in the United States and Canada, Haight gave countless presentations demonstrating the importance of training standards and the certification of courses that meet those standards. Over and over, he spoke to industry leaders and the press about the need for standards and quality, not just in training, but also in professionalism within the transportation industry. He was able to promote PTDI to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as well as to other government leaders.”

Haight has also been tremendously active in promoting the image of the driver and in the retention of drivers. Another of his high profile achievements was the establishment of an Apprenticeship program in Canada that could potentially turn into a pilot program for the entire trucking industry.

According to Robert McClanahan, director of transportation & safety
education at Central Tech in Drumright, Oklahoma, and the 2006 recipient of the Crittenden award, “Ray has always been available any time he has been called upon to attend meetings and conferences to discuss these important issues. He has heard all points of view and has given great input with his own thoughts and comments. He is a true leader in the industry.”

Haight, the founder of Southwestern Express, was first introduced to MacKinnon Transport in 1990. Haight merged his company with MacKinnon’s shortly after.