LAS VEGAS—The William A. Usher Sr. Trophy is coming home.
For the first time in the 11 years since National Tank Truck Carriers created the Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year award—which is named after the highly regarded, long-time Usher Transport owner and president—an Usher driver is the winner after Dave Powell secured the honor Monday at the 2024 NTTC Annual Conference at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
“It’s great to finally bring it back home,” Patrick Usher, Usher vice president of corporate governance, told Bulk Transporter.
“Our granddad is smiling down right now. He’d be just as proud of Dave as we are.”
The 44-year-old driver from Pendleton, Indiana, emerged as NTTC’s 10th Driver of the Year from a group of eight Champion Finalists that included Cox Petroleum’s Robert “Newt” Newsome and John David Contreras, Grammer Logistics’ Brian “Butch” Jennings and Mark Schroyer, Kenan Advantage Group’s Bill McNamee, Highway Transport’s Ed Heard, and Eagle Transport Corporation’s Hal “Wayne” Moody.
Powell was Usher’s fourth finalist—but first to hoist its namesake trophy.
“I am humbly honored to bring it home to us for the very first time,” Powell told the crowd gathered for NTTC’s opening breakfast.
See also: NTTC launches industry branding campaign
The two-time finalist and first-time NTTC champion carries 2.1 million accident-free miles, including 1.3 million in 11 years with Usher. Powell, an owner-operator the last 17 years, hauled his first load in 2003 and spent time in refrigerated and flatbed transport before transitioning to tank trucks. He is a six-time recipient of the Usher Extra Mile award, he claimed the carrier’s Driver of the Year honor in 2017—and he already proved he’s capable of serving as an admiration-worthy ambassador.
Powell stars in the “See Yourself in a Tank Truck” branding campaign NTTC debuted last year.
“Throughout this next year, I vow to positively promote and advocate for our industry, help to advance new ideas for the education of safety, and promote forward thinking in our recruitment processes, all of which I am confident will provide better service to our customers and our community,” he said.
Ryan Usher, Usher president—who followed in his grandfather’s footsteps as an Air Force pilot—is confident Powell is up for the job. “He’s a natural leader, he sets very high standards for himself, and holds his people to the same standards, but he helps them, too,” Ryan raved. “He’s an advocate for them.
“And he’s very deliberate about who he surrounds himself with, so he’s a leader who’s also technically sound in the way he operates.”
See also: Ryan Usher soars as company president, Air Force pilot
Powell thanked his wife, Emily; his father, who led him into the transportation industry; his grandfather, who helped him finance his first Peterbilt tractor; and Beau Mosley, Usher chief risk officer, whose guidance he called “paramount” to successfully navigating the Driver of the Year process in his second go.
“Dave’s an exceptional individual—as were the other seven—but Usher Transport could not be prouder of Dave and what he accomplished here today,” Mosley said. “He’s a phenomenal example of what a tank truck driver should be.”
The Usher trophy goes to the driver who best demonstrates their knowledge of the trucking industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry’s messages, and overall safe driving record. This year’s judges were Rebecca Brewster (American Transportation Research Institute), Adrienne Gildea (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance), Dan Horvath (American Trucking Associations), Teddy Butler (America’s Road Team Captain), and Jeff Rose (America’s Road Team Captain).
They selected Powell from a group with a combined 220 years of experience and 17.6 million accident-free miles.
“He’s going to be great,” Patrick said.
“He’s been an amazing ambassador for our company, and he’s brought in a lot of great drivers, just from knowing him, so I’m excited to see what he does.”
Previous winners of the NTTC Driver of the Year award, which is sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, include:
- 2013-14: James Starr, Groendyke Transport
- 2014-15: Bobby Weller, Hahn Transportation
- 2015-16: Darryl Nowell, Eagle Transport
- 2016-17: Todd Stine, Carbon Express
- 2017-18: Paul Emerson, Foodliner
- 2018-19: Barbara Herman, K-Limited Carrier
- 2019-20: Program suspended due to pandemic
- 2020-21: Ron Baird, G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation
- 2021-22: Thomas Frain, Highway Transport
- 2022-23: Kenneth Tolliver, G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation
Tolliver delivered the winning envelope to Ryan Streblow, NTTC president and CEO, and helped Powell don his championship jacket.
Now he’s ready to go to work for the industry—and the tank truck carrier whose family name adorns his new hardware.
“One cannot be affiliated with a better company,” he said. “From the top down, throughout our entire organization, I am surrounded by greatness, which has allowed me to flourish as a business owner and a leader.”
Look for more from Bulk Transporter's exclusive one-on-one interview with the newest grand champion in our comprehensive NTTC Annual Conference coverage in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
