In the 20th annual Independent Contractor of the Year contest sponsored by the Truckload Carriers Association, International Truck and Engine and Overdrive magazine, five independent contractors were honored as the nation’s best. The awards — presented during TCA’s recent Annual Convention at the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. — were based on the drivers’ excellent safety records, unblemished work history and involvement in the community and industry.
The top five winners and their prizes are:
Grand Prize Winner, Charles Maly
Charles Maly of Shaffer Trucking, based in York, Neb., grew up on a farm and learned to drive a truck at age 14. It was in that environment that he acquired his father’s value for establishing relationships of mutual trust and respect – a trait he has brought into his business relationships as well as into his community service. Throughout his career, Maly has made safety his paramount objective, and he has received numerous accolades from the carrier, state and trucking associations. He is known for his flawless, 25-year driving and service record and his commitment to balancing his responsibilities to his family and community. Maly and his wife, Joy, live on a 320-acre farm in Davey, Neb.
Maly is the proud winner of a new International 9000i Model tractor donated by International Truck and Engine Corp. (who also will cover the Federal excise tax) and powered by a Signature ISX 500 HP engine donated by Cummins Engine Co. and equipped with the following items:
In addition to the fully loaded tractor, Maly will receive:
Second-Place Winner, Robert McCray
Robert McCray is one of those truckers who is always ready to step in and volunteer whenever help is needed, be it on the national or local level. A consummate professional, both on the job and off, McCray has made safety, service and family his priorities. He began driving a truck at 16 years old, and since then has logged nearly 3 million accident-free miles while traveling the entire continental United States and six provinces of Canada. McCray and and his wife, Donna, are active in their community in Chatham, Ill., supporting organizations from the American Cancer Society to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, from the Boy Scouts of America to the Special Olympics.
McCray will receive the following prizes:
Third-Place Winner, Albert Beck
Albert Beck has spent 21 years with Dart Transit Co. achieving a remarkable career in trucking due to his impeccable attention to detail and safety, his preparation and his willingness to serve. During his career, he has amassed numerous safety awards and contributed countless hours to local and national fund-raising and relief efforts. A true farm boy, Beck learned to drive a truck by transporting animals and cattle feed to and from his small town in North Dakota. He later joined the U.S. Army, where he earned two college degrees and received many military awards, including seven Bronze Stars. Beck currently lives in Big Lake, Minn.
Beck will receive the following prizes:
Fourth-Place Winner, Charles Boyles
Charles Boyles has an exemplary safety record, evidenced in his receiving safety awards for 21 consecutive years from Landstar Ranger and receiving the company’s two highest honors for an independent business capacity owner. His love of trucks began as a young man when his grandfather taught him to drive a single-axle dump truck and showed him how to build his first motor on a 1962 Ford pickup. Boyles always dreamed of being a truck driver, and today he takes pride in his profession and in the image that he presents to the motoring public. Boyles is dedicated to his work, church and family, and he lives in Billingsly, Ala.
Boyles will receive the following prizes:
Fifth-Place Winner, Bruce Barnes
Bruce Barnes is an excellent representative of the trucking industry, with his positive attitude, exemplary safety record and impeccable attention to customer service. Barnes hails from a rich family tradition in the trucking industry, having both a father and grandfather who drove professionally. During his 20-year career, Barnes has driven more than 3 million accident-free miles by making safety one of his most important priorities. In addition to his outstanding driving career, Barnes has a tremendously supportive family, which he believes has contributed to his success. Barnes and his wife, Marilyn, reside in Troy, Mo., where they raised two sons.
Barnes will receive the following prizes:
Overdrive is a sister magazine of Commercial Carrier Journal and is published by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co.
