TORONTO, Ont. —  The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) has knighted seven truck drivers who will travel the province over the next two years, promoting the industry to the media as well as sharing their experiences and knowledge of the trucking industry and highway safety with students and community groups.

This year’s team has more than 100 years of safe driving experience on the road, representing multiple segments of the industry including city and highway drivers, owner-operators, truckload, LTL, heavy specialized and reefer carriers, both small and large from all parts of Ontario, the OTA said.

The 2017-2018 OTA Road Knights Team is:

Sylvain Binette, Toronto, Ont., Kriska Holdings
Louis Carette, Frankville, Ont., Kriska Holdings
Gary deVos, Chalk River, Ont., Bison Transport
John Ginuta, Courtice, Ont., Polaris Transport Carriers (owner-operator)
Brent Mater, Fort Erie, Ont., Zavcor Trucking
Jeff Stocker, St. Catharines, Ont., Spring Creek Carriers
Henry Wilks, Port Dover, Ont., Double D Transport

“OTA couldn’t be more proud to have these first-class professional truck drivers spread the message of safety, promote career opportunities and represent the industry to the public,” said OTA president Stephen Laskowski. “I also want to thank the carrier companies who sponsored these drivers for their commitment to this important industry program and their commitment to safety.”

The program is a free, province-wide community outreach program in which transport drivers share their knowledge of sharing the road with a truck. Over the next two years, team members will participate in media interviews and speaking engagements in order to help improve road safety and increase awareness of the economic and social importance of the trucking industry. The Knights will also visit local schools with their trucks to introduce young people to the industry. Team members also participate in career fairs to promote awareness of the wide array of careers that are available.

Team members are selected by a panel of industry, government, Road Knights alumni, and media representatives every two years.

To be considered for the team, drivers are nominated by their employer (or company they are contracted to in the case of an owner-operator). OTA then scrutinizes the applications and shortlists the candidates. The candidates then appear before the selection committee to deliver a speech, participate in a personal interview, and prepare a detailed written statement outlining why he or she wants to serve on the team.

You can contact Hina Brinkworth at 416-249-7401 ext. 234 or e-mail hina.brinkworth@ontruck.org to book a free presentation by an OTA Road Knight for your school or community event.