The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) named Jerry Stephens, professional truck driver for Autumn Transport, a bulk commodities carrier in Woodbury, MN, the 2021 Minnesota Driver of the Year at its Driver of the Year Award Ceremony on January 25, 2022.
“This award is a great way to honor the best in our industry. Driving safe is no easy task, especially when you take into consideration his daily driving conditions like congestion, driver distractions, and the added challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Having over 3.6 million safe driving miles is an outstanding accomplishment,” says John Hausladen, MTA president. “We’re proud to award Jerry for this achievement.”
“Jerry has been driving with Autumn Transport for 16 years. He comes from a family of truck drivers, and cares about the image of the industry and the responsibility he has been given to drive a truck,” said Chris Senty, Safety Director for Autumn Transport. Since he began driving for Autumn Transport, Jerry has ran a dedicated route from Marble Hill, GA to Elizabethtown, KY, in his 2015 Peterbilt 389, hauling a pneumatic tanker of ground limestone used to produce caulk. “Being a truck driver means the world to me,” said Jerry. “Not only do I get to do the job I love, but I get to carry on the family tradition.”
Throughout 2021, exceptional drivers were nominated by their companies and one driver is chosen each month to be the Driver of the Month. The drivers who are chosen meet a high standard of requirements including an outstanding driving and work record; contribution to industry and highway safety; and involvement in the community. One of the twelve nominees is then selected as Driver of the Year by a panel of judges including Matthew Marin, Division Administrator for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Shelly Meyer, MnDOT and Captain Jon Olsen, Minnesota State Patrol.
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