TORONTO, Ont. — Than Vermilyea, a Belleville, Ont.-based independent owner/operator with 40 years experience, has been named the 2013 Truck News Owner/Operator of the Year.

Vermilyea was presented with the award in Toronto last night. The award, sponsored by Castrol, Goodyear and Mack Trucks, includes $6,000 cash, a diamond ring, a trip to Toronto and a truck-full of prizes from the sponsors. He also receives a lifetime membership in the Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada, courtesy of OBAC.

Vermilyea was selected because of his professionalism, pride in the industry, community involvement and heroism. His nomination package, submitted by wife Dawn, included many testimonials from community organizations and customers. Vermilyea pulls flatdeck freight for a number of customers in the Quinte region. He has also done work for some prominent local fleets, including Cooney Transportation and Choice Reefer System.

Vermilyea, or TV as he’s known by friends, became emotional when hearing of the award. He credited his family for contributing to his success.

Watch for a full report on Vermilyea in the September issues of Truck News and Truck West. We’ll also have a series of videos on Vermilyea coming up at Trucknews.com over the next few weeks.