CVSA’s annual award honors driver with ‘commitment to public safety’

March 7, 2025

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Nominations are now being accepted for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual International Driver Excellence Award.

The award “recognizes an extraordinary professional commercial motor vehicle driver” for a commitment to public safety, the group said. Anyone within the trucking industry can be nominated; drivers do not need to be a CVSA member.

“Nominees for this award will be individuals who have gone above and beyond the performance of their duties as a commercial motor vehicle driver, distinguishing themselves conspicuously and beyond the call of duty through the achievement of safe operation and compliance carried out with evident distinction for an extended period of time,” CVSA said.

According to the alliance, nominees should be drivers “of personal character beyond reproach” who meet the following criteria:

At least 25 cumulative years of crash-free driving in a commercial motor vehicle with a clean driving record for the past three years
No felony convictions
No safety-related driving suspensions in the past three years
No driver violations in the past three years, excluding form and manner violations

The winner of the 2025 International Driver Excellence Award will receive $5,000, a crystal trophy and a trip to Denver to attend CVSA’s annual conference and exhibition. The recipient will be recognized during an award ceremony on Sept. 24.

Nominations can be made online here. Along with basic information, the nomination must include documentation of the driver’s safety record including a three-year license history, five-year crash history and three-year inspection history.

In 2024, Darryl Tolle, a company driver for Ryder System Inc., took home the honor. Tolle, who has spent the past 35 years with Ryder, has more than 41 years of crash-free experience, driving over 3.6 million safe miles.

The deadline to nominate a driver for this year’s award is May 9. LL