Smith Transport Honors Randy Bowden

ROARING SPRING, PA…. Professional Truck Driver Randy Bowden was honored as Smith Transport’s 2020 Driver of the Year during a ceremony on September 21st at the company’s Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania headquarters.

Randy Bowden, who lives in Pittsburgh, PA, has spent 29 years as a Professional Truck Driver, 12 of them at Smith Transport.  During his 12-year driving career at Smith Transport, Bowden has logged over 800,000 safe miles with zero (0) HOS violations, zero (0) tickets, and zero (0) accidents.   He logged 128,000 safe miles in 2020.  Bowden’s mentors at Smith are his Driver Manager Theresa Seidel and Jason Welch.

When asked why he has found a home at Smith Transport, Randy Bowden stated, “Smith is a family-oriented company.  They will get you home when you need to be and try to balance family with work.  They also have great equipment.”  [Randy drives one of Smith’s new Peterbilt 579s because he likes the sloped nose.]

Vice President of Operations Joe Musselman reviewed the attributes that make up a Smith Transport Driver of the Year.  First, they are self-reliant and mentally fit, reliable, and courteous – because people make a difference. Almost all recipients of the Driver of the Year Award are still driving for Smith today.

Vice President of Safety Eric Nelson talked about the extreme importance of safety in the trucking industry and Smith Transport, pointing out that last year fatal crashes involving a truck fell by 2%.

Chief Operating Officer Mike Donovan reminded attendees “that service is what we [Smith] provide our customers.”  Smith Transport is an employee-owned company and was the 2020 Home Depot Carrier of the Year, as well as the recipient of the FedEx Performance Award in 2020 and 2021.  Approximately 50% of Smith Transport’s customers are Fortune 500 Companies.

Todd Smith, President and CEO remarked, “People make all the difference and great people make a great company.  We believe we have the best Professional Truck Drivers in the trucking industry.  Our drivers collectively allow us to have a great safety rating, and with our talented office staff and diesel technicians, coupled with equipment that is 1.5 years old or newer, we can provide superior service to our customers.”

The Smith Transport fleet has grown by 250 trucks since last year with many new opportunities for Professional Truck Drivers developing all the time.  On August 1, 2021, Smith Transport raised driver wages by $.10 per mile. Todd Smith said, “We are proud to invest in our drivers and equipment. That is why we attract the best drivers in the trucking industry.  Right now, Smith Transport has some of the highest driver wages in the trucking industry.  Thanks to drivers like Randy Bowden and many other like him, Smith Transport continues to grow and thrive in a competitive market.”