Hail to the Mother-Truckin’ King

Sheetz is excited to announce that Joe Plaziak, from Temple, Texas has claimed the grand prize from the third annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Sweepstakes (NTDAS).

The NTDAS is a way to recognize the dedication that truck drivers bring to their essential jobs every day of the year. Many folks simply don’t fully understand how demanding and dangerous it can be to drive a truck for a living, and Trucker Path does a spectacular job of making sure we see the efforts of these men and women.

The winner of this year’s Sweepstakes, Joe Plaziak, is a recently knighted warrior of the road, regularly hauling dry freight on routes between Northeastern PA and Greensboro, NC for the Mississippi-based transportation and logistics company Big M Transportation in the year since he took up the wheel.

“I became a commercial truck driver a little over one year ago because I saw it as an opportunity to make a good living,” Plaziak said. “Being named the Grand Prize winner in the NTDAS was a complete surprise, but it is very much appreciated because it will be a big help on the road. Especially as a new driver, I’m grateful to know that suppliers recognize how hard a job truck driving can be, and that they appreciate our dedication.”

In total, $5,000 in Sheetz Gift Cards were handed out across multiple drawings over the course of weeks, which is a LOT of fuel and M•T•O®s. 

Mr. Plaziak’s Grand Prize winnings include:

•$2,500 in Sheetz gift cards

•$2,500 AMEX gift card, compliments of Double Coin Tires

•25 complimentary one-night vouchers, good at any US Motel 6

•$500 ExxonMobil fuel card

•Apple iPad, compliments of ZOA Energy Drinks

•Beats by Dre Bluetooth Headphones, compliments of ZOA Energy Drinks

•ZOA Energy Drinks RTIC Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Cooler

•ZOA Energy Drinks-branded clothing

•12 months of SiriusXM, compliments of Trucker Path

As far as his winnings go, Joe sees them as the cherry on top of what has already been a great start to his new career, and he was sure to shout out Big M for giving him such an awesome opportunity. "Thank you so much for all the prizes and recognition! As a relatively new driver I appreciate the gift cards and prizes and will definitely make use of them,” said Joe. “Also shout out to Big M, I got lucky signing on with them right out of school and I know how good I have it as a company driver."

“I’m sure all the sponsors would agree that it’s great to see a new driver to the industry win the grand prize this year,” said Chris Oliver, CMO for Trucker Path. “We started this sweepstakes three years ago as our way of recognizing professional truck drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Each year the number of sponsors, and thus the number of prizes, increases. We’re looking forward to next year!”

Sheetz is proud to be one of the sponsors of the NTDAS. We recognize that truckers are the blood that pumps through the veins of America, carrying with them the food, fuel, and goods that provide us with the means for our daily lives. Our sponsorship of these annual Sweepstakes is just one small way that we can show our thanks.

While Joe Plaziak is this year’s winner, we believe that any person who takes it upon their self to brave the highways in the cab of a truck, through long days of inclement weather and the lonely pitch black of nights with only the headlights to keep them company, deserves our recognition and gratitude.

While the controversial figure of Jimmy Hoffa was certainly divisive in his day, there’s one thing he said that we can all stand up for: If you got it, a truck brought it.

So thank you, truckers. And may you continue to bring it for us all.