Driver of the Month
The Driver of the Month and Driver of the Year Programs are also sponsored by MCM’s SMMTC. Applications are received monthly from carrier members and the monthly winner is selected by SMMTC. To be eligible, a driver must drive for an MCM member domiciled in Montana and be employed with their current company for a least one year. The Driver of the Month winners are eligible for the Driver of the Year honor which is awarded each year at MCM’s annual convention. Montana’s Driver of the Year competes in the annual American Trucking Associations’ National Driver of the Year program.
Download Driver of the Month Applicatiion
November 2011
Jodie Lidstrom
S.A.C.S. Trucking, Inc.
Jodie has been employed with S.A.C.S. Trucking, Inc. for almost three years. He began driving logging trucks part-time while in college. He worked for Missoula Cartage and Hanson Trucking before coming to S.A.C.S. Trucking.
He has no accidents on file and has been driving for over 26 years. Jodie has a safe driving record and is ready to assist new drivers or help out when needed. He is married and has two daughters.
Jodie always conducts himself in a professional manner and is kind and courteous to others. He usually has something positive to say or a joke to lift your spirits.
Jodie enjoys identifying rocks in his spare time.
September 2011
Pat Clark
Con Way Freight
Pat Clark has driven over 2.5 million miles accident-free in his driving career. These miles have included over the road as well as local pickup and delivery within city limits. His present local pickup and delivery position requires him to deliver to customers within the Billings-Laurel area. Pat has an excellent reputation with customers and co-workers providing superior customer service and deliveries to the customer. He is a true professional and definite asset to Con Way Freight and the trucking industry. During his time off he is a licensed pilot and licensed skydiver.
July 2011
Clark Bancroft
Jim Palmer Trucking
Clark Bancroft has been employed as a professional over the road driver with Jim Palmer Trucking since June 2002 and is a member of our Million Mile Group. Clark was chosen as Jim Palmers 2011 June Driver Of the Month. He has been driving since 1986 taking a few years off to try a couple of other careers including opening the ABCD Eatery in Shelby, MT.
Clark has been married to Audie for 30 years, they have 2 children,
and 4 rescue kittens.
Clark enjoys wood working and working on his 2 old pickups.
May 2011
Seth Whiteley
Con Way Freight, Inc.
Seth Whiteley has driven 37 years and over two million miles with one minor accident within this period of time. He has driven over the road as well many miles within rural areas and cities in pick-up and delivery situations. With the majority of his miles and years within these congested areas and restricted dock spaces, his record is exemplary and fitting for a true professional driver. Seth is a military veteran with combat experience receiving various awards. Seth is an asset to our service centers pick-up and delivery team of drivers establishing excellent customer support.
March 2011
James Heaton
Con Way Freight, Inc.
James Heaton is a consummate professional. He represents himself and Con Way Freight in a manner that any employer would long for. A career truck driver, James has demonstrated his ability to continuously work safely and to treat all customers and coworkers with a great deal of dignity and respect. James is a motorcycle enthusiast, who if not accessorizing or modifying his Harley, can be found out on the open road enjoying the life for which he lives. Humanistic man, James raised his children as a ingle parent and has acted as Foster Parent in the upbringing of 3 children. Without James’s direction and demonstration, these children would not be able to experience the good things that life can offer. James Heaton, a humble, upstanding citizen and employee has earned the honor of MCM Driver Of the Month.
January 2011
David Seib
Diversified Transfer & Storage, Inc.
What started 27 years ago as a mail route in Minnesota, has grown into a life long passion for Owner Operator David Seib. You can see that enthusiasm from the skilled way he deals with customers, to the care he takes of this truck, from his quick wit and sense of humor that comes in useful on the road, to the pride he has in his over 4 million accident free miles. A true professional in every sense of the word, David has represented Diversified Transfer & Storage (DTS) at the Motor Carriers of Montana Truck Driving Championships for several years (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) placing as high as second place in 2003. David was also part of the firt Highway Watch class held in Montana. David takes the time to speak with new drivers and prospective hires. He shares his knowledge and helps explain problems and clear up any confusion that new hires may be having. David provides his worth daily, a true professional and asset to DTS. Dave was recently selected a DTS Owner Operator of the Year for 2010, and will be receiving his 10 year safe driving award from both DTS and Great West.
David lives in Billings with his wife Lanaya, his 3 year old daughter Quinn, and their newest addition, 7 month old Reid. David enjoys pets and has several. Many of us at DTS have met Q, David’s very protective grey cat. David also has 3 pugs, a blue heeler and a parrot. When not working, David and Lanaya enjoy riding their Harleys and going off-roading. DTS is proud to nominate David Seib for Motor Carriers of Montana Driver Of the Month.
November 2010
Philip Lauer
Davis Transport, Inc
Philip Lauer joined Davis Transport, Inc.’s lease purchase program in January of 2008.
Since February 2010, Phil has had four clean DOT inspections including a Level 1 and a Level 2 in ID. When ever Phil has a securement of safety issue he is not afraid to pick the phone and call for help or feedback. Phil’s record of on-time pick-up and deliveries is excellent. This has all been done claim and accident free.
Phil is a good safety ambassador and mentor for the trucking industry. He shares his knowledge with other drivers both in and out of the company. He even promotes safety with the shipper and receiver. He is not afraid to ask questions or express concerns at the job site or on the road.
Phil a proud verteran of the U.S. Navy. He served from 1979 to 1983 and was in the Reserves from 1983 to 1985.
Phil loves his job and enjoys traveling the road with his little dog Cinderella. When this year is done we estimate Phil and “Cinderella” will have traveled 155,306 accident and claim free miles. Phil has two years of Safe Driving Awards with Davis Transport, Inc. Way to go Phil!
September 2010
Miguel Lopez
Helena Sand & Gravel
Miguel has been working for Helena Sand & Gravel since May of 2007. During Miguel’s tenure at Helena Sand and Gravel he has given us three years of safe productive driving. Miguel always shows up to work with a positive attitude and does what ever is asked of him.
Miguel had encountered a potentially dangerous situation and handled it with the upmost of professionalism. While coming down MacDonald pass heading into East Helena, Miguel noticed that his air pressure gauge was falling and immediately pulled the truck over. Miguel got a hold of his dispatcher and the dispatcher got a mechanic on the way. Had Miguel not noticed that he was losing pressure, he may not have been able to stop by the time his brakes started to heat up. After getting a hold of dispatch, Miguel went up the road and started flagging other drivers and warning them of the danger ahead. Miguel’s quick reaction may have prevented an accident. This incident reflects Miguel’s daily approach to safety. He is always very thorough and takes the time to make sure that things are done right.
July 2010
Bob Oksness
Con Way Freight, Inc.
Bob Oksness has worked at various companies over his 32 years of experience to include moving and storage, and local pickup and delivery. His career has involved 32 years and 2,000,000 miles with most of those in city driving, involving backing into customers docks from 20 to o30 times per day. This is an amazing accomplishment with no accidents with all of the potential hazards involved in city traffic and customer’s docks. Bob has been instrumental in the success of the growth of the Con Way Freight, Billings Service Center. Bob was one of 4 original drivers on board during the inception of the Con Way Service center in 1999. Bob is a driver we can always count on to work the dock and then deliver and pickup 20 to 30 customers a day. He is the ultimate Driver Sales Representative with excellent customer rapport.
June 2010
Rick Flom
Con Way Freight, Inc.
Rick Flom during his professional driving career has driven 3,000,000 miles “accident-free.” The majority of his career has been driving on Linehaul throughout the region. Rick ahs shown his flexibility and knowledge o f the freight business by working the past 4 years at Con Way Freight as the lead driver on the Outbound dock operating at the Billings Service Center. He ahs been instrumental in planning the loading operation to maximize the load average per trailer and in loading in a timely manner to insure “on-time departures” of the line schedules., which is paramount in insuring that the customer’s freight is moving in a timely manner. Rick was awarded a Million Mile aware for accident-free miles during his tenure at Molerway Freight Lines and more recently a three year safety aware at Con
Way Freight.
May 2010
Chris Hoffman
Ankrum Trucking, Inc.
Chris has been around the trucking industry since he was young. He grew up on a farm in Worden, MT and was always working the fields, even helping others in the area. He started driving for Ankrum Trucking in August 1998. He has recorded over 1.2 million miles accident free with the company. He has received several safety awards from Great West Casualty. Chris is also a part of Ankrum’s Safety Management Council, where he gives a driver perspective of ways the company can improve safety.
Chris is well liked among his peers and is spoken highly of by customers. He is very professional and takes his job seriously. He hauls petroleum products pulling rocky mountain doubles across five western states. Chris also pulls cryogenic trailers hauling nitrogen and oxygen across Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
Chris is married to Trista and they have a daughter, Erykah. They spend their free time together riding ATV’s in Montana and northern Wyoming. Chris also loves to get out and play a round of golf with coworkers.
Ankrum Trucking is proud to have Chris as an employee. His hard work and dedication has made the company a better place. Because of his work ethic and safe driving record, Chris is a deserving candidate for Driver of the Month.
