TORONTO — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is now accepting nominations for the annual Ontario's Driver of the Year award . Being nominated is a great honor, winning is a great honor with the added bonus of a cash prize of $500.

In addition to the cash prize, the trophy and the bragging rights, the winner of the award will also be considered for the Canadian Trucking Alliance(CTA) and Volvo Trucks Canada National Truck Driver of the Year, which comes with its own cash prize for $1000.

And since Volvos's annual Ontario's Driver of the Year title is up for grabs, you can now nominate a friend or apply for the award.

The ideal candidate, the OTA says, is a professional with an exemplary driving record, who extends courtesy to other road users and puts road safety above all else.

This award program is open to company drivers and owner-operators contracted to OTA member companies.

There is no limit to how many drivers a company can nominate.

The award will be presented to one exemplary professional transport driver with a collision-free driving record at the annual convention of the OTA in November.

Eligibility:

The OTA is looking for a professional truck driver who has been regularly employed for the last five years, who has encountered no preventable collisions during that time.

The judges will be taking into consideration a nominee’s active participation in programs and initiatives regarding to highway safety, like involvement in safety committees, other truck driving championships, driver training programs, first-aid courses, etc.

Judges also look for unusual courtesy extended to other road users, customer commendations and any acts of bravery or kindness arising out of highway incidents.