Five U.S. truck drivers were recognized for safety, leadership, and industry contributions during the closing banquet of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) annual convention in Orlando, Fla.

The 2026 TCA Professional Drivers of the Year are Tommy Cash of CAST Specialty Transportation, Nick Barboza of Covenant Logistics Group, Marcia Luchenbill of Knight Transportation, Richard Fertig of Smith Transport, and Jesus Acevedo-Soto of Swift Transportation.

Each driver received $20,000 and was recognized during the convention’s annual awards ceremony. The program is sponsored by Cummins and Love’s Travel Stops.

Jesus Acevedo-Soto

Jesus Acevedo-Soto of Swift Transportation has built a strong safety and mentoring record in his decade with the company. At 28 years old, he became the youngest driver at Swift to reach one million miles and now surpassing 1.5 million miles. Acevedo-Soto received his license at 21 and is now a multi-time Diamond Driver, a distinction achieved by maintaining elite safety, fuel efficiency, and mileage standards for 36 consecutive months.

He is affectionately known as “Avocado” in the company – a playful twist on his last name – and his mentees proudly call themselves the “Guac Squad.”

Beyond the road, Soto gives back through Children’s Miracle Network fundraising, regular blood donations, and youth coaching.

“What motivates me to show up to work every day is my family. It’s my kids and my wife. They’re my biggest motivation to be able to do what I do,” he said while accepting the award during the conference, adding that public safety is his priority when on road. “As a professional driver, we don’t just think of ourselves and our schedule and our time, we do take everybody else’s into consideration so that we can all make it to where we have to go safely.”

Marcia Luchenbill

Marcia Luchenbill of Knight Transportation, an Army veteran who deployed to Iraq, has nearly 650,000 career miles and is widely recognized in her fleet for disciplined safety practices. She logged more than 193,000 accident‑free miles in the past two years and has mentored more than 20 female drivers throughout her career.

Luchenbill was also invited to take part in Knight’s Fleet of Heroes program, where she drove the company’s “welcome home” truck highlighting the sacrifices made not only by service members but also by their families. She remains active in veteran-focused initiatives, including Wreaths Across America convoys.

“My mission in trucking is to drive safe miles and be a good role model and just be a good citizen everywhere I go. But my mission from God is to love everyone, and I just want to spread the love of God everywhere I go,” Luchenbill said while accepting her award.

Tommy Cash

Tommy Cash of CAST Specialty Transportation has spent more than 43 years behind the wheel and logged more than 3.6 million miles.

He is one of only 32 drivers in the country who are entrusted with legacy nuclear waste for the Department of Energy ’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Over the past 23 years hauling radioactive waste, he has undergone more than 1,000 CVSA Level VI inspections with only one violation recorded – an air leak.

Based in New Mexico, he has an estimated 3.675 million miles driven in his career, hauling a wide variety of goods, including fuel, milk, flatbed, refrigerated, and more.

Cash is considered the go‑to driver and a trusted leader in his fleet. “One of the highlights of my career has been training new drivers. It makes me feel good, helping somebody start a new career and do it the right way,” he said in a related news release.

When accepting the award on the TCA stage, he said the award ‘means everything’ to him, calling it an honor of a lifetime. “My driving career has been very rewarding. I come to work knowing that what I am doing is making a difference,” he added.

Nick Barboza

Nick Barboza, a Midway, Tenn.-based driver of Covenant Logistics, has spent 27 years with the company and driven more than 3.5 million miles. He is a member of Covenant’s Elite 120 Club, logging enough miles to circle the globe 120 times without a preventable accident.

He is described as a trainer who guides new drivers through their earliest and most vulnerable days on the road, adapting his teaching style because not every driver learns the same way.

A two-time Driver of the Month and Professional Trainer of the Year, he is also deeply involved in his community. Together with his wife of 27 years, the couple has fostered more than 30 children and adopted four.

Reflecting on his career, Barboza said: “When I came to Covenant, they gave me an opportunity, and I’m happy from day one… Then I became a trainer, and I like to share my knowledge with my students. I am happy to see them proceed in their career.”

Richard Fertig

Richard Fertig of Smith Transport, based in Keyser, W.Va., has logged more than three million safe miles during his 28-year trucking career after retiring from the U.S. Army in 1997 following 23 years of service.

A proud great-grandfather of seven, Fertig is active in community initiatives, including Make-A-Wish events, Touch-a-Truck programs, and veterans initiatives such as Wreaths Across America.

During his acceptance remarks, he thanked his wife and family for supporting him while he was away from home, and described the recognition as the honor of a lifetime.