MONTREAL – – Bud Rush, an Oakbank, Man.-based owner-operator who has driven for Armstrong Moving/United Van Lines for some 30 years without so much as a traffic ticket is Canada’s newest highwaySTAR of the Year.

The announcement was made at the ExpoCam truck show in Montreal last Saturday.

The highwaySTAR of the year program honors a driver or owner-operator who sets himself apart from the rest. Rush was selected from a slew of fine entries from across Canada.

The winner must have a first-rate safety record, of course, and a record of contributing to his community in significant ways.

Rush, who makes a habit of saving lives on the road, is a volunteer fireman who also coaches hockey and transports senior citizens around his community. He has driven 4.5 million miles without an accident — and even without a ticket. 

2009 highwaySTAR Bud Rush holds up the
requisite giant check, with help from sponsors

The day the decision was made (but before Rush had been told of his victory) he was out helping his fellow Manitobans sandbag the banks of the flooding Red River. 

Joining highwaySTAR magazine in this award were several sponsors — Freightliner Trucks, Ancra Canada, ArvinMeritor, Caterpillar, Chevron, Espar Heater Systems, and the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada. Prizes included a cheque for $10,000, an Espar cab heater, and a road-ready laptop.

Last October, Rush was also named the 2008 CTA/Volvo Trucks Canada National Driver of the year last fall.

ExpoCam is produced by Montreal-based Newcom Média Québec, which also stages the CamExpo show in Quebec City and publishes Transport Routier and Logistics magazines.

Its sister company, Newcom Business Media of Toronto, publishes this website, Today’s Trucking, highwaySTAR and Truck & Trailer, and produces Toronto’s Truck World show, set to go in April 2010 at Toronto’s International Centre.