DES MOINES, Iowa — Ruan has named Glenn Combs as its 2017 Driver of the Year and its Yuma, Arizona, operation as 2017 Operation of the Year.
The Driver of the Year is selected from a pool of more than 4,400 professional drivers based on length of service, safety performance and exceptional customer service.
Combs, who operates out of T403 in Phoenix, has been with Ruan since 1996, logging more than 3.6 million miles during his 36 years as a professional truck driver. He serves Ruan customer Holsum Bakery and is nearly preventable-accident-free in his driving career.
“I constantly try to drive safely by giving drivers space, merging slowly, and having an expanded view of the road,” Combs said.
Ruan began the search for its Driver of the Year when 166 drivers from Ruan’s 300 operations were named finalists. The vice presidents of operations then narrowed the field further to 14 Winners’ Circle honorees, who traveled to headquarters in Des Moines for an award ceremony and other festivities. Out of the Winners’ Circle, Ruan’s senior leadership team selected Combs.
“Recognizing our drivers and their contributions is the most important thing we can do at Ruan. Our Driver of the Year celebration is our way of honoring your dedication, professionalism, and ongoing commitment to Ruan,” said CEO Ben McLean at the award ceremony. “To date, we’ve recognized more than 140 drivers in our Winners’ Circle. You join a distinguished group of our safest, most dedicated professional drivers.”
When asked about his reaction to learning he was Driver of the Year, Combs said, “It was awesome, unbelievable. I’ve been in the running four times, and to finally be named [Driver of the Year] was great.”
Each Winners’ Circle honoree was awarded a trophy and cash prize at the Driver and Operation of the Year award ceremony at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. Combs was honored with a trophy, a cash prize, and the 2017 Driver of the Year title.
The Yuma operation, which serves Johnson Controls, Inc., was selected based on the operation’s demonstration of Ruan’s Guiding Principles. The operation employs nearly 70 team members, and its professional drivers haul batteries to more than 900 customers in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and California. This operation averages 89,000 miles and between 440 and 500 deliveries per week.
To select the Operation of the Year, each vice president of operations selected an operation in their business unit that performs at the highest level. That performance was based on criteria including safety, team member retention, customer satisfaction and overall performance. Our executive leadership team then narrowed the list of finalists to three Winners’ Circle honorees—and from the honorees, the team picked the 2017 Operation of the Year.
The 2017 Operation of the Year received a trophy, awards for all winning team members, and a corporate-hosted celebration in Yuma, which will take place later in the summer.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
