APTA awards Atlantic Canada’s best

The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association wrapped up its annual conference this past weekend by presenting several awards to those who have made great contributions to the Atlantic Canadian trucking industry this past year.

The Volvo Trucks Canada 2001 Driver of the Year Award was given to Carmel Lavoie of Florenceville, N.B.-based Fastrax Transportation. The St. Basile, N.B. native has collected over six million accident-free driving miles over the past 30 years.

Wayne MacNeill’s reputation for safety has earned him the Markel Insurance-sponsored 2001 Safety to Motor Transportation Award. After a career with the RCMP, MacNeill became safety manager and risk management consultant for Fredericton, N.B.-based Sunbury Transport, where he remains today.

The APTA also presented Cecil Mackie of Hillman’s Transfer in Sydney, N.S. with the 2001 Good Samaritan Award. Mackie was honored for his actions at an accident scene earlier this year. During icy conditions, he came upon a car that had flipped over in a snow bank. Mackie helped the uninjured occupants get out of the car and provided them shelter in his truck until an ambulance arrived. Mackie than drove the occupants to the nearest truck stop to clean up.

Norman Peter Moore of Pictou, N.S. was presented with the 2001 Dispatcher of the Year Award, sponsored by Cancom Tracking Solutions. Moore has been a dispatcher with Gerald Battist Trucking of New Glasgow, N.S. for the past 14 years.

The recipient of the 2001 Service to the Industry Award is the APTA’s president Ralph Boyd. The award is sponsored by Trailmobile Canada.