OOIDA member named Owner-Operator of the Year by TCA

Philip Keith, an OOIDA member from Long Beach, Miss., was named the Owner-Operator of the Year during the Truckload Carriers Association’s annual awards banquet last week in Kissimmee, Fla.

Keith won this year after being a finalist a year ago.

“It was overwhelming,” Keith said. “It was my second time around being a finalist. I was very hopeful last year, and then was disappointed. This year, I was holding myself back from being too optimistic. It was a surprise.”

Keith has been involved in trucking for 34 years as a terminal manager, dispatcher and customer service representative. His honors include the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association Driver of the Year in 2016, a 19-year safety award from WEL Cos., and three Best in Show honors in the World’s Largest Truck Convoy. Along with the other member of his driving team, his wife, Eva, he participates in the Trucker Buddy program.

Stephen Richardson, of Decatur, Ala., was named the Company Driver of the Year.

Both drivers received cash prizes of $25,000. The other finalists were Kevin Kocmich, Bryan Smith, Donald Lewis, and Roger Wyble. They received $2,500 each.

The contests, which are sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops and Cummins Inc., recognize drivers in the United States and Canada who provide reliable and safe truck transportation in moving the nation’s goods.