Eight champions will vie for the Usher Trophy, given annually to the National Tank Truck Carriers’ Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year. The trophy is named for William A. Usher, Sr. of Louisville, Ky.-based Usher Transport Inc., for his extensive career in and service to the tank truck industry. NTTC member Baldwin & Lyons Inc. is the official sponsor of the Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year program.
The eight champions are:
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Olin Banks Jr.
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Florida Rock & Tank Lines Inc.
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Albany, Ga.
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Charles Carmin
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Ruan Transport Corporation
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Logansport, Ind.
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William Scott Harrison
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K-Limited Carrier Ltd.
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Cincinnati
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Rich Offord
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LCL Bulk Transport
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Elizabethtown, Pa.
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Robert Stevens
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McKenzie Tank Lines Inc.
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Panama City, Fla.
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John Thurman
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United Petroleum Transports
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Tulsa, Okla.
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Donald Tomberlin
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Miller Transporters Inc.
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Surrency, Ga.
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Bobby Weller
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Hahn Transportation Inc.
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Monrovia, Md.
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“On behalf of the NTTC leadership team, I want to congratulate all of our applicants this year,” said Chairman Dean E. Kaplan, CEO of K-Limited Carriers, Toledo, OH. “The caliber of the entire group was just incredible and our eight champion finalists represent some of the finest professionals out there on our nation’s highways. As a group, the finalists stand as the epitome of the NTTC’s mission to champion safety and success in our industry.”
“I offer sincere thanks to our judges whose extremely difficult job was made even harder due to the breadth of experience and demonstrated safety performance of our applicant pool,” said Daniel R. Furth, NTTC president. “I’d also like to thank our sponsor Baldwin & Lyons for their continued commitment to this first class program. This year’s champions group represents an excellent balance of three major markets – fuel, chemicals and food – that underscore the critical importance of tank trucks to the North American economy.”
The eight champions will now move on to the final round of the selection process, which will be held January 30. A panel of industry officials will judge the contestants on their knowledge of the trucking industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry’s messages, and overall safe driving record.
The 2014-2015 Usher Trophy recipient will be announced in Boston at NTTC’s 67th Annual Conference & Exhibits on April 27, 2015. During the one-year term, the Grand Champion will serve as the NTTC spokesperson for the industry and will attend many NTTC events. The Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year program furthers the NTTC’s mission to champion safety and success in both the tank truck community and the people we serve.
