Overdrive <\/i>is excited to official open the nomination period for its 2025\u00a0Trucker of the Year<\/a> competition — open to nominations through September 30, 2025 — to recognize the business acumen and innovation of the owner-operator, the bedrock of the entrepreneurial spirit in trucking. Whether you\u2019re leased to another motor carrier or out on your own as an independent, if you\u2019ve persevered through freight-market difficulties and cost pressures in these last years, you\u2019re no doubt a worthy contender.<\/p>\n As with Overdrive<\/i>\u2019s Trucker of the Year program of past years, independents both leased and with authority (up to 3 trucks in either case) can nominate themselves. Alternately, if you\u2019re a representative of a motor carrier, brokerage or a service provider with a business relationship to an outstanding owner (or have a nominee among your owner-operator peers that you admire for business acumen), you too can nominate that owner. <\/p>\n Winners, ultimately, will have demonstrated above-average profit and safety and put small-business-trucking best practices in place, laying the groundwork for long-term business health.\u00a0<\/p>\n WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?<\/b><\/p>\n The kind of exposure that, in the long run, could yield new opportunities.<\/p>\n HOW DOES IT WORK?<\/b><\/p>\n Overdrive<\/i>\u00a0editors will interview the best applicants, review submitted operating criteria, and select a Trucker of the Month for every month through October 2025. From those stand-out owner-operators, a final Trucker of the Year will be named in early 2026. <\/p>\n The initial application (find it in full below<\/a>) must be filled out completely. If there are certain figures you or the nominating individual don\u2019t have, provide the best estimate. (Entries will be open at least through September 30, 2025. After this first entry form, be on the lookout for a follow-up email from Overdrive <\/i>editor Todd Dills <\/i>requesting further information of potential semi-finalists for the monthly recognition.)<\/p>\n [Related: <\/b>They said he’d fail, but he proved them wrong: <\/a>Overdrive<\/a><\/i>‘s 2023 Trucker of the Year, Jay Hosty<\/a>]\u00a0<\/p>\n ELIGIBILITY<\/b><\/p>\n (Applicants must meet all these criteria:)<\/p>\n INCENTIVES AND COMMITMENT<\/b><\/p>\n Each of the monthly finalists and the ultimate 2025 Trucker of the Year will be featured prominently in an\u00a0Overdrive<\/i>\u00a0story and the Overdrive Radio podcast. (You can find profiles of and podcasts featuring 2024 and 2023 Trucker of the Year nominees via this link.<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n Also in the prize package, gifts from program sponsor\u00a0Commercial Vehicle Group<\/a>\u00a0and its\u00a0Bostrom Seating<\/a>\u00a0brand.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Winners agree and acknowledge that neither Fusable nor any sponsor has made any representations to winner regarding the tax consequences related to the receipt of any prize. All expenses and costs, including all applicable taxes, associated with the acceptance and\/or use of any prize are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the winner.<\/p>\n![\"Ovd](\"https:\/\/img.overdriveonline.com\/files\/base\/randallreilly\/all\/image\/2024\/12\/OVD_LOGO_2025TruckeroftheYearlogo_1224_med.676062f2580ba.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max&q=70&w=700){kind=logo}
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The winner also will receive a custom-built scale model tractor as trophy, designating them as the Overdrive<\/i>\u2019s Trucker of the Year. Pictured is the one built for 2023 Trucker of the Year Jay Hosty with the real thing — his 2006 Western Star 4900EX.<\/span><\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n