OTA Road Knight Doug Ladds
Named 2007 Driver of the Year by Truckload Carriers
Association
(March 4, 2008) -- Doug Ladds a company driver for
MacKinnon Transport, Inc., located in Guelph, Ontario, has been named the grand
prize winner in the 2007 Company Equipment Driver of the Year Contest sponsored
by Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), Detroit Diesel and Truckers News. The
announcement was made March 3rd during TCA’s Annual Convention
at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
He was selected based on his excellent safety records,
unblemished work histories, and community and industry involvement. Ladds is
currently serving a two-year term on the Ontario Trucking Association’s
Road Knight Team, a select group of ten truck drivers who speak to the media,
students, civic groups, driving schools and other interested parties about the
trucking industry, safety and sharing the road with trucks.
“OTA’s Road Knights are exceptional
drivers and leaders among their peers. It is heartening to see a US organization
corroborate this,” said Rebecka Torn, Communications Manager, Ontario
Trucking Association. “Doug Ladds is an outstanding team member and we are
very proud of his achievement.”
Ladds has been a truck driver for 24 years, working
for MacKinnon Transport since 1994. During his career, he has logged more than
3.6 million accident-free truckload kilometers. A member of his company’s
Driver-trainer Team for 14 years, Ladds is now the Head Driver Trainer. He has
attained certification as a Certified Professional Driver and is a member of the
executive board for the MacKinnon Transport Drivers Association. Ladds is also
the first driver to attain the President level of MacKinnon’s Road Masters
Program, an initiative designed to recognize both a driver’s safety-first
attitude and his general knowledge of the trucking industry.
In 2001, Ladds received TCA’s Highway Angel
Award for assisting three young motorists in a burning vehicle.
When not driving a truck, Ladds is an avid motorcycle
enthusiast, with many kilometers logged with the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers.
As the senior road captain, he provides safety training for group rides and
explains emergency procedures and maneuvers. He also volunteers for the annual
Santa Claus parade held in his community.
In the contest application presented to TCA on
Ladds’ behalf, Jeff Lehmann, safety and compliance manager for MacKinnon
Transport, writes: “Doug Ladds is genuinely concerned about the
Transportation Industry. He portrays the image of a tractor-trailer driver with
a courteous, professional attitude. This is reflected by his continued efforts
to enhance and elevate his personal knowledge and also to share his experience
within the industry.”
As the Grand Prize winner, Ladds will receive the
following prizes:
- A Cummins engine-powered Dodge Ram pick-up truck
- All-expense paid trip for two to the Grand Ole Opry
- Roundtrip airfare for two to anywhere in the continental U.S.
- A GPS navigation system
- $10,000 in cash
- $5,750 in truckstop gift cards
- $500 truck parts gift certificate
© 1995 -
2008, Ontario Trucking Association
555 Dixon Road, Toronto, Ontario
M9W
1H8
Tel: (416) 249-7401 | Fax: (416) 245-6152
Email:
info@ontruck.org