From left to right: Saskatchewan Minister of Transportation Nancy Heppner, Lori and Graden Franklin and Volvo’s Rita Stegerman.

EMERALD PARK, SK— Not one but two of D.J. Knoll’s employees took home awards from the Saskatchewan Trucking Association’s annual conference, held in Saskatoon over the weekend.

Driver Lori Franklin won the Volvo Trucks Canada Driver of the Year award and dispatcher Joe Chernick won the Cervus Equipment Peterbilt Dispatcher of the Year award.

“Being on the road for sometimes three weeks at a time could wear on people’s attitude, but not Lori,” says Dan Knoll, president of D.J. Knoll Transport. “She’s always cheery and friendly when she comes through the office and she’s great with customers. She really knows the trucking industry.”

Cervus Equipment Peterbilt’s Don Cates with D.J. Knoll’s dispatcher, Joe Chernick.

Franklin drives in a team with her husband Graden and two dogs, Kellie and Spenser. She pulls vans throughout Canada and into the U.S. to Texas, North Carolina and California, has never had an incident or failed an inspection. She is the second woman to receive Volvo’s Driver of the Year award.

In her thank-you remarks, Franklin thanked her co-worker Chernick for being a great dispatcher.

Chernick, a 50-year trucking veteran, won the Cervus Equipment Peterbilt Dispatcher of the Year award.

Before getting into dispatching, Chernick was a truck driver, having gotten his class 1 licence at 18.