Oakley Transport Professional Drivers Bring Home Four Awards

It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at Oakley Transport with some of our drivers training for, competing in, and bringing home trophies from the Florida Trucking Association (FTA) 2022 Florida Truck Driver Championships, hosted in Daytona Beach June 9 - 11. Each year, top drivers are selected by their respective companies to compete in this safety focused event. This year Oakley Transport drivers competed against drivers who work for companies such as FedEx, UPS, Landstar, Publix, and Florida Rock & Tank, just to name a few.

The competition, which occurs annually, attracted 230 of the top professional commercial CDL drivers in the state of Florida to showcase their safe driving skills, their knowledge of the industry, and compete for awards in multiple different categories. The event consists of a written test that is made up of 40 questions regarding FMCSA rules and regulations, a pre-trip inspection and a driving skills portion where the drivers have to maneuver through an obstacle course with a trailer in tow.

For the driving portion, there are numerous categories in which drivers can compete, including 3-axle, 4 axle, 5 axle, flatbed, sleeper, straight, tanker, twins, step van and auto transport. Our Oakley professionals competed in the Sleeper and Tanker Division this year and they did not disappoint! 

Oakley Transport professional drivers walked away from the 2022 Florida Truck Driver Championships with four prestigious awards.

Oakley professional driver Andy Barford received the award for FTA’s August 2022 Driver of the Month based on his safe professional driving record throughout his career. With Oakley since 2015, Andy has not only been an OTR driver, regional driver, mentor, and trainer, but he has been integral in helping start up some very important lanes of business for the company.

Professional driver Jose Ramos was selected as both the FTA February 2022 Driver of the Month as well as receiving the 2022 Driver of the Year Award. Jose has been with Oakley since 2009 and has driven OTR, regional, local and teams. He helps in the training of new driving professionals, using his natural sense of humor to relate to and calm the nerves of his trainees. Jose has a safe driving record spanning four decades and more than 4.5 miles!
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Meanwhile, one of the invaluable members of Oakley’s Safety & Compliance Team, Frank Silo was inducted into the FTA Hall of Fame.  Frank has worked with the FTA in various roles and as a committee member since 2007. He joined the ranks of the Oakley Safety department three years ago and has made a very positive impact on the driving and non-driving staff. When asked about the criteria for FTA Hall of Fame induction, Frank responded simply, “It’s the passion you convey. It’s not about me, it’s about the driver.”

The roles of these transportation professionals with our family have cultivated incredible customer relationships because of their proven track record for safe, on time deliveries. There is no question about how much they are valued here at Oakley Transport. 

The Florida Truck Driver Championship reminds us of how just lucky we are to have these incredible drivers as part of our Oakley family! We can’t wait to see what the 2023 Florida Truck Driver Championships have in store for us!