MSC Super Van Operator Award

APPLICATIONS FOR THIS AWARD ARE NOW OPEN. PLEASE SUBMIT ALL NOMINATIONS BY JANUARY 13, 2025.

AWARD WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE 2025 MSC ANNUAL MEETING. TO REGISTER PLEASE VISIT: https://mscannual.trucking.org/

The principal goal of the ATA MSC Super Van Operator contest is to recognize and honor exemplary drivers and owner-operators in each of four categories who provide safe, reliable, and customer-oriented truck transportation in service to the nation’s household goods carriers.

Several finalists will be chosen from among all nominations received. From the finalists, and based on qualified applications received, a winner will be chosen in each of the four Super Van Operator categories for a total of four (4) Super Van Operator winners. These winners will be acknowledged and rewarded as outstanding drivers or independent contractors based on several criteria, including but not limited to the individual’s ability to run a successful business, operate in a safe manner over public highways and enhance the public image of the household goods moving and storage industry.

Eligibility Requirements — Please Read Carefully

This contest is open to any single driver, independent contractor, or team of drivers who own and/or operate, as a full-time occupation, a power unit used in a three-axle or more tractor- trailer combination, or a straight truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 lbs. or more, operates 25,000 miles or more in a year, hauls 30 shipments or more in a year, who drives for or is contracted to: a local moving and storage company; an independent household goods carrier; a national van line; or an agent of a national van line; which van line, carrier, agent, or local company is a current member in good standing of the American Trucking Associations Moving and Storage Conference (“ATA MSC”). A driver-nominee must hold a current and valid commercial driver license. Carriers or agents must have been ATA MSC members on January 1 of the previous year, and must have maintained, and must agree to maintain, their membership in ATA MSC continuously through August 31, 2024. There are four categories of Super Van Operator award winners: Household Goods, Special Commodities, Rookie of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

• Except as provided below, contest entrants must have at least five years’ experience operating Class 6, 7, or 8 commercial motor vehicles as a full-time occupation, the most recent three years of which must be spent driving for a household goods carrier

• Nominees for the Super Van Operator — Lifetime Achievement award must possess a minimum of twenty (20) years of experience operating commercial motor vehicles interstate , the most recent 5 years of which must be driving for a household goods carrier

• Nominees for the Super Van Operator — Special Commodities award must currently be transporting special commodities as her or his primary duty; and have transported special commodities as her or his primary duty during the past five years. “Primary” is defined as more than fifty (50) percent, measured either in time or in mileage. “Special commodities” is defined as computer or tradeshow exhibits, furniture, temperature-controlled freight, artwork, loads requiring special handling, automobiles, or other commodities usually and customarily transported by a household goods carrier other than personal household belongings

• Nominees for the Super Van Operator — Rookie of the Year award may waive the five-year driving experience requirement prescribed in Paragraph 2 above, but must have at least two
(2) years of service in the household goods industry as an operator of commercial motor vehicles for which a Class A or B license is required, and no more than five (5) years of experience as an operator of commercial motor vehicles

• Contest entrants cannot enter the contest themselves; they must be nominated by (a) the motor carrier for which she/he/they currently drive; (b) the agent for which he/she/they currently drive; or (c) a destination agent for whom the contest entrant has delivered a load in the prior twelve (12) months

• Winners are not eligible to re-enter the contest for a period of one (1) year from the date of receipt of their previous award, regardless of which of the ATA MSC awards (e.g., special commodities; rookie of the year) they may have won. Lifetime Achievement award winners are not eligible to re-enter the Super Van Operator contest

• One nominee may be submitted by each ATA MSC member van line, van line agent or independent carrier per award category

Contest Rules — Please Read Carefully

• All eligibility criteria are subject to verification

• The Super Van Operator Award Nomination form must be completed by all contest entrants in order to qualify. In addition, finalists may, if they choose, submit an essay of no more than 500 words in length explaining why the finalist should be chosen as a winner. Submission of an essay is optional but encouraged

• Applications must be complete. Incomplete or unreadable applications will be returned and not further considered for the contest

Click here to read all Eligibility Rules

SELECT THE CATEGORY FOR WHICH YOU ARE APPLYING (SEE CONTEST RULES FOR ELIGIBILITY):

Household Goods

Special Commodities

Lifetime Achievement

Rookie of the Year

SECTION 1: PERSONAL DATA

If applying as a team, each team member must complete his/her own application form.

Name of team driver (if applicable):

Winning entrants will be based on objective criteria as provided in the contest rules. All questions must be fully and accurately answered.

First and Last Name

Address

Address 2

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Home Phone Number

Mobile Phone Number

Date of Birth

CDL Number

Endorsements

Currently Driving for

Address of Company

Phone Number of Company

Van Line Affiliation

Have you won an ATA Super Van Operator Contest before?

Yes

If so, which year?

In the past seven (7) years, have you filed for bankruptcy?

Yes

If yes, supply details below.

Do you have any assessments or penalties outstanding with the Internal Revenue Service, state assessor, or other governmental agency?

Yes

If yes, supply details below.

SECTION 2: SAFETY RECORD

In what year did you start driving a commercial motor vehicle?

Have you driven commercial motor vehicles continuously since then?

If not, give dates of other employment activity:

How many years have you driven commercial motor vehicles in the HHG industry?

How many years have you driven for/been contracted to your current company?

How many miles have you driven commercial motor vehicles in your lifetime?

How many carriers have you driven for or been leased to in the past ten (10) years?

Average one-way miles per load (number of dispatches per year divided by miles per year)

AS A PRIVATE VEHICLE OPERATOR:

Total lifetime chargeable accidents in personal automobiles, and dates:

Total lifetime moving violations in personal automobiles—list date, type of moving violation, and disposition:

AS A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATOR:

Number of:	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024 (through 8/31/24)
Chargeable accidents*
Non-chargeable accidents*
Moving violations
Out of service orders
Miles driven

Please supply details of out-of-service orders and moving violations (e.g., date, type of violation, and any fine paid).

* The federal standard for accident preventability appears in Appendix B to 49 CFR Part 385 as follows: “If a driver who exercises normal judgment and foresight could have foreseen the possibility of the accident that in fact occurred, and avoided it by taking steps within his/her control which would not have risked causing another kind of mishap, the accident was preventable."

* For the purpose of this contest, a Chargeable (Preventable) accident is defined as: one resulting in personal injury or property damage or both and where (a) you have been charged or issued a citation by law enforcement officials (even if a charge was later dismissed or you were found not guilty); (b) the accident was determined to be preventable by your motor carrier or an accident review organization; or (c) the accident was ruled preventable by your motor carrier’s insurance carrier.

* A Non-Chargeable (Non-Preventable) accident is one for which you have not been charged or held responsible for injury or property damage by law enforcement officials, your motor carrier, an accident review organization, or your motor carrier’s insurance carrier.

IMPORTANT! A COPY OF YOUR OFFICIAL MOTOR VEHICLE RECORD FROM YOUR STATE, DATED AFTER AUGUST 31, 2023, MUST BE ATTACHED TO THIS APPLICATION.

SECTION 3: AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Please list (and include copies of) all awards, achievements, honors, or recognition you have received in your career as a driver or independent contractor. These may include safety, productivity, and fuel economy awards; truck driver championship awards; driver of the month awards; driver/trainer awards; and the like. List customer praise in the next section.

SECTION 4: CUSTOMER SERVICE

List here your record of customer service, including shipper or customer letters of commendation or praise. No letter may be older than five (5) years (ten (10) years for Lifetime Achievement entrants). Include copies of letters with this application.

SECTION 5: HUMANITARIAN ACTS

Use this space to identify any humanitarian or heroic acts, which to the extent possible should be documented with media reports, letters from individuals or companies involved, law enforcement reports, etc.

SECTION 6: COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Please list here your record of community involvement for the past ten (10) years. Include trucking industry activities and those that are not trucking industry related (e.g., church, sports, mentoring).

SECTION 7: GENERAL COMMENTS

Use this area to identify any other item that you feel the judges should know about and which you believe makes you deserving of being selected as a Super Van Operator winner. This could be an excellent record in cargo claims, for example, being a truck show winner, engaging in personal achievements, or other activities that are not community-oriented.

SECTION 8: ESSAY (OPTIONAL)

If you so choose, enter in 500 words or less or attach essay at the bottom, why you believe you should be selected as a Super Van Operator winner. An essay is completely optional, and your decision not to include an essay will in no way affect your chances of being selected.

SECTION 9: PUBLICITY - DRIVER APPLICANTS — NOTE THE REQUEST FOR PICTURES OF YOURSELF IN THIS SECTION

TO BE COMPLETED BY COMPANY PRESIDENT, CEO, or SAFETY DIRECTOR:

Super Van Operator winners will generate publicity about the winner, your company, and the industry generally.

Please supply an outline of what you believe to be your driver’s positive qualities and attributes that can be conveyed to the media. Examples are that your driver consistently delivers on time and without damage; or that your driver possesses an exceptionally high work ethic; or that he or she possesses a particularly good understanding of the moving and
storage industry.

TO BE NOTED BY CONTEST APPLICANTS:

For publicity purposes, please enclose with this final application at least two, but no more than four, photographs of yourself taken within the past year. At least one picture should be of you in front of or alongside your truck; and another should be a close-up head-and-shoulders shot. Pictures can be black-and-white or color, but CANNOT be Polaroids. These photos will be used if you are selected as a contest winner. Photos become part of the application and cannot be returned.

SECTION 10: Verification, Authorization and Release

To the best of my knowledge, the information provided in this application is true, valid, complete, and correct. I understand and agree that false, misleading, or erroneous information shall be grounds for disqualification. By signing this form, I authorize the American Trucking Associations to conduct additional investigation with current and prior employers and service recipients, and with other private and public sources including but not limited to law enforcement agencies, motor vehicle record agencies, and consumer credit reporting agencies, to verify the information contained herein.

Name of Nominator

Nominator Title

Nominator Company

Nominator Company Address

Nominator Phone

Nominator Email

Nominator Signature

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Nominator Certification: I have read, understand and agree to the rules as outlined above and on the following documents.

Rules of Eligibility and ATA Privacy Policy