OOIDA life member Dave Sweetman floored by Road Warrior award

Dave Sweetman has seen and done – a lot.

He’s worked alongside presidents, vice presidents and the Secret Service. He’s hauled tour equipment for the likes of Elton John. He’s sat behind the wheel of the Batmobile. The list goes on.

Even still, he did not see this coming.

Sweetman, an OOIDA life member and longtime Land Line Magazine columnist, was named the 2022 Pilot Flying J Road Warrior for his contribution to the industry.

“I didn’t even know I was nominated … I was completely blindsided,” Sweetman said. “I always tried to give back to the trucking industry and help out the new guys. I’ve been fortunate to have some pretty good gigs and use my position to be a good ambassador for trucking.”

The Road Warrior award is given annually by Pilot Flying J to a driver that deserves big recognition for everything they do to keep America moving forward. The award is “to help highlight the standouts, the most driven, the best of the best,” according to the company website.

He’s worked with Trucker Buddy International, an organization that provides educational opportunities by pairing a professional driver with a student.

“I was always a big proponent of Trucker Buddy. It’s one of the best PR opportunities that ever came across the trucking industry,” he said. “It also gave drivers the opportunity to teach children things they normally wouldn’t learn in school, such as, where does food come from? It doesn’t just show up on store shelves.”

Pilot also took notice of this work and awarded an additional $15,000 to Trucker Buddy.

Keeping a secret

It began with a series of questions from Sweetman’s girlfriend of 10 years, Karen.

She heard about the award through a friend of Sweetman’s and was trying to find out more detailed information about his work with Trucker Buddy and other jobs, such as delivering generators to hospitals during COVID-19 or hauling mobile units for the Miami Police Department to use after hurricanes.

“She’s heard a lot of my stories, so all the questions kind of seemed unusual, but she wouldn’t tell me what she was doing,” Sweetman said. “I just do what I do. I don’t look for a pat on the back or rewards.”

With Truck Driver Appreciation week coming up, Sweetman spoke to his bosses at Bennett Truck Transport about routing him through Indiana to hit a favorite stop of his, but they had other plans.

They told him he would be heading to a corporate safety meeting in Georgia.

A bit unusual, Sweetman said. Especially considering he has no crashes or claims on his record with Bennett.

“I have a real good working relationship with shippers,” Sweetman said. “Safety criteria means a lot to me. I don’t want to ruin my safety record, and, on top of that, I’ve put $250,000 into my custom-built Kenworth.”

But, Sweetman did as his bosses requested and made the trip to Georgia, even preparing pages of notes for the safety meeting he was to attend.

Once he entered the conference room, Sweetman noticed Marcia Taylor, CEO of Bennett Family of Companies, as well as Tom Woodall, vice president of operations at Bennett Trucking, were in attendance.

Not typical for a safety meeting.

Confusion turned to amazement just moments later.

A tribute video for Sweetman began playing in the room. Not long after, two $15,000 checks were unveiled and the real reason for Sweetman’s trip to Georgia was clear – the 2022 Pilot Flying J Road Warrior award.

“It was a very humbling and flattering experience,” Sweetman said. “I knew about this program and award, but I don’t enter things like this. I maxed out my 15 minutes of fame some 30 years ago. To have this turn around and hit me like this, is very humbling.”

Giving back

Sweetman says generosity was something he learned at a young age.

“The way I was brought up, if somebody needs something and you have it, I was always taught to share,” he said. “I’ve made a good living, and have had a lot of opportunities over the year. Not just dollars and cents. A lot of drivers forget about what it’s like to be the new guy. I do the best I can to help and use my position in the industry for good.”

Something else that stuck with Sweetman came at a fundraiser he was working for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

Newman’s remark was, “We of privilege, who have done well for ourselves, owe it to those not of privilege to share some of what we have to make their lives better.”

As far as the winnings, Sweetman split the $15,000 Road Warrior prize he received from Pilot Flying J with his girlfriend, Karen, a cancer survivor, to help with some of her medical bills.

A vacation might be in the works. Other than that, Sweetman plans to keep it business as usual.

“For Bennett to be part of the award and to host everyone from Pilot Flying J and Trucker Buddy was an extra special treat,” Sweetman said. “I always try to share in what I do and will continue trying to give back as much as I can.” LL