Pilot Flying J accepting ‘Road Warrior’ nominations

The nomination process for the 2023 Pilot Flying J Road Warrior award has begun.

Submissions will be accepted online through Aug. 21, and should highlight the driver’s contributions to the trucking industry including safe driving history, community involvement and other meaningful stories, said Pilot.

“Every year, we look forward to hearing the stories of legendary drivers who make a difference in our industry and their communities, paving the way for millions,” Adrienne Ingoldt, vice president of brand and marketing for Pilot Flying J, said in a statement. “We are honored to recognize and celebrate these individuals and are eager to find out who will be our 2023 Road Warriors.”

As part of the Road Warrior distinction, Pilot will present the grand prize winner with $15,000, while second place will get $10,000 and third place receives $5,000.

The 2022 Road Warrior grand prize went to Dave Sweetman, an OOIDA life member and longtime Land Line Magazine columnist.

Sweetman, a U.S. Army veteran with over 5 million crash-free miles behind the wheel, was nominated by his girlfriend, Karen, and said he was blindsided.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some pretty good gigs and use my position to be a good ambassador for trucking,” Sweetman told Land Line in October 2022.

Sweetman’s nomination highlighted his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his affiliation with Trucker Buddy, a program that pairs a professional driver with a student to educate as well as award educational achievements.

Jeffrey Thomas, a professional driver for over 35 years, won second place last year, while Greg Hepner and Ron Rigdon tied for third.

This year’s winners will be announced at the end of September as part of driver appreciation month.

Official contest rules can be found here. LL