Driver of the Year
Know an Outstanding Driver?
Each year, Ohio Trucking Association members are encouraged to nominate their safest drivers in hopes of walking away with the coveted Driver of the Year Super-Bowl style ring, allowing them to join the ranks of past Drivers of the Year. Each of the twelve finalists, as well as their company, is awarded a plaque in recognition of their outstanding career. These 12 finalists are chosen from a field of excellent nominees that are judged by individuals representing the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
Driver of the Year nominees must be employed by an Ohio Trucking Association member company. The following aspects of the driver's career are examined during the application process: equipment driven; years with present employer and total years driving; details of preventable and non-preventable accidents; and participation in industry activities.
On April 5, 2019, Dean Quellhorst of Clopay Transportation Company was announced as our 2018 Driver of the Year. Dean has been driving for 37 years and has accumulated over 3,103,533 safe driving miles. Dean has been the recipient of numerous awards, including: the 2009 Wayne McGreevy Award; and designation as a finalist for the Ohio Trucking Association's Driver of the Year Award in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017! Dean exemplifies the traits of a leader in the trucking industry; at Clopay, he serves as a driver trainer, working with new drivers and teaching them how to handle various weather conditions, how to navigate corner turns by judging vehicle sizes and anticipating vehicle actions, and how to safely manage speed. Dean is also a member of the Ohio Trucking Safety Council. When asked about the keys to his success, Dean shared the following: "My key to success is the ability I have to plan ahead...I feel that if you prepare and plan for your day, look ahead at the route, and give yourself ample time, you reduce the chance of complications...I love the trucking industry and the satisfaction that it has provided me over the years." Dean also is involved in his community, and is a member of various organizations, including: Sons of the American Legion; St. Paul UCC; New Knoxville Gun Club; and the Home Benefit Association. Thank you, Dean, for your dedication to the industry and your commitment to driver image, safety, and professionalism. Congratulations!
Edmund J. Barron, Walmart Transportation
Anthony Irvin Blount, CLE Transportation Company
Steven Anthony Brand, FedEx Freight, Inc.
Nicholas Joseph Delzeith, Clopay Transportation Company
Donald J. Fisher, Wooster Motor Ways, Inc.
Ricky L. Franklin, PGT Trucking, Inc.
Jason Dean Imhoff, Walmart Transportation
Craig Lackey, Cowen Truck Line, Inc.
Jeffrey L. Perine, Continental Express, Inc.
Dean Mervin Quellhorst, Clopay Transportation Company
Jeffrey Allen Rose, YRC Freight
David Bart Wilhelm, Thomas E. Keller Trucking, Inc.
2018 Driver of the Year presented by:
