California Trucking Association Annual Banquet

Greetings all and long time no see! Every year California Trucking Association awards California’s best truck drivers with the distinguished honor of being named Drivers of the Month for the current year.

The process begins with a CTA member company nominating drivers who have shown their dedication to their job and the responsibility to safety that comes along with that position.

These nominations are then presented to an independent panel of judges.

The selection panel meets two times a year to review and evaluate all nominations. Before the panel sees the forms, the names of drivers and companies are removed to ensure that each candidate and their company remain anonymous.

The program culminates each November with a banquet in the North and one in the South where each winner is awarded a plaque and recognized for their outstanding service. The night is also filled with great excitement and anticipation as the Driver of the Year honor is revealed for the first time and bestowed upon the unknowing recipient.

I am most pleased to report that I was nominated and won the Driver of the Month for August 2023. I am the first ODFL driver to win in Northern CA.

Why am I posting this? Surely not to brag! Trucking has taught me long ago that it deflates ego's in bad ways. But I want to come back from the shadows to remind the new drivers, or the individuals seeking a new career, and even to the experienced that this career will be what you make of it. You can complain and pass the blame on why you are not succeeding in the industry or you can look for ways to thrive under your circumstances. The choice is yours. For me, this is not just a career or something I am pretty good at. But this is a grand opportunity to help future drivers to become safety-minded. Its about personally working on your skills in terms of pre-trip, backing, and precision driving and then competing in the annual Truck Driving Competition TDC to see how you compare against the best of the best. Its about daily problem solving and finding ways to succeed using methods that others cannot grasp. Its about being heavily involved in the training program and seeing the fruits of your labor manifest themselves in your students.

I started behind my computer on TruckingTruth 11 years ago studying for my permit and living through the posts of the members back in the day and through hard work and discipline I found myself here. If I can do it, so can you.

That is real cool, Daniel B. Congratulations!!

Awesome achievement, congrats. Reinforces an idea that has been floating around my head that the drivers who have come up so to speak through this community and follow the advice here, that regularly contribute and are actively engaged in the community are top tier drivers. Maybe its coincidental, but I think it's because the solid mindset here.

Daniel B.,

It's quite alright to stick out your chest and smile. You have surely earned every right to do that.

Your contributions here on TT are just an example of your dedication to the industry and this award just helps to certify your commitment.

Congratulations and enjoy your well earned award.

Congratulations my friend!

I think it's awesome they found a guy shorter than you to hand you the award.

Congrats young sir!!!

Very well deserved….

Congratulations my friend!

I think it's awesome they found a guy shorter than you to hand you the award.

Is that why the application oddly had us list our height?