Kicking off National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which runs from September 9-15, Pilot Flying J announced the winners of its fifth annual Road Warrior contest, recognizing professional drivers for their hard work, perseverance and passion for driving.
Victoria Andrade of Harlingen TX, Bob Loyd of Ottawa Lake MI and James Monclair of Marrero LA have been named the grand, second and third place Road Warrior winners, respectively.
To honor Andrade as the grand prize winner, Pilot Flying J surprised her with a celebration at the Pilot Travel Center near her hometown and presented Andrade with a $10,000 prize check. Loyd will receive $5,000, Monclair will receive $2,500 and the remaining nine finalists will each receive $1,000. Additionally, nominators of the grand, second and third place winners will also receive a $500 prize.
America’s 3.5 million professional drivers are an integral piece of the country’s infrastructure, and this year’s Road Warriors are each making strong contributions to the economy, the trucking industry and their communities.
Road Warriors are nominated by family members, friends and coworkers across the United States.
•Victoria Andrade, grand prize winner—When her parents died more than 30 years ago, she made it her mission to turn her job at UPS into a career so she could provide for her eight siblings. She began working at UPS as a part-time car washer to help support her family and pay for her college education. She graduated with her degree and remained with UPS, working her way up to be the first woman in South Texas to become a feeder driver for UPS. Nominated by her family, Andrade is a true Road Warrior both on the road and at home.
•Bob Loyd, second-place winner—A professional driver for more than 47 years., Loyd is involved in numerous trucking charities and helped found Truckers United for Charities. He also volunteers his time serving on mission trips.
•James Monclair, third-place winner—After achieving more than 1 million miles with Melton Truck Lines, he became an Ambassador of the Road for Melton and serves as a mentor to other drivers. A military veteran, Monclair volunteers to drive his wrapped veteran truck in the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade each year. He also makes an annual trip to St Jude Children’s Hospital to volunteer and spend Survivors Day with his daughter.
Visit www.RoadWarrior.PilotFlyingJ.com to learn more.
