TORONTO — Richard Sharpe, 47, was taken completely by surprise yesterday when he was named Canada’s Maintenance Manager of the Year during the wind-up luncheon of the Canadian Fleet Maintenance Seminar (CFMS).

Wiping back tears and flanked by his wife and kids during his acceptance speech, MacKinnon Transport’s VP of Fleet Services and father of four told the assembly that he was “truly honored and humbled” by the award and after the ceremony, Sharpe told TodaysTrucking.com that he had no idea he was up for the prestigious award until he arrived at the luncheon.

“I thought I was in town for the CFMS but then I saw them,” he said, pointing to his family — wife Cathy, his daughters Denise, Ashleigh, Colleen, daughter-in-law Robyn, and son Richard Jr., who surprised him with their presence at the ceremony.

Richard Sharpe

The award was presented by Volvo Canada’s Service Marketing Manager Don Coldwell, and Sharpe is the 19th recipient of the coveted award.

Before joining MacKinnon two years ago, Sharpe worked for Al’s Cartage, where he spent two years and FTI, where he stayed half a decade.

Sharpe grew up in Oakville, Ont., and became a heavy-duty technician as soon as he finished his apprenticeship and signed on with Newman Steel in Stoney Creek, Ont.,

At MacKinnon, he oversees a fleet of 700 pieces of equipment and more than 20 maintenance employees. In presenting the award, Sharpe was recognized for his healthy attitude toward work and his physically active lifestyle.

“We farm, too,” he told TodaysTrucking.com., “and we all engage in a wide variety of sports.”

Candidates for the award must be residents of Canada, the fleet they work for must have at least 25 class 8 vehicles, 80 percent of the repairs must be done by the fleet’s own maintenance team, and the candidate must have at least five years of experience, with three of those years in a supervisory capacity. He or she must be responsible for spec’ing, too.

Nominees are graded on, among other things, their company’s scheduled maintenance program; the quality and frequency of their training program; major accomplishments and initiatives and any contributions to the industry and community in general.

MacKinnon’s Transport is perennially recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best-Managed Companies.

Sharpe, the judges were told by a colleague, “is not only one of the most knowledgeable but the most sincere team leader I’ve had the honor to work with.”

Next on Sharpe’s agenda: A tour of Volvo’s Virginia plant in the company of last year’s winner, The City of Toronto’s Fleet Maintenance Manager and last year’s winner, Steve Plasko.