Langley, British Columbia— Gordon “Gord” Lynal Price, a Langley-based owner-operator, was named the 2019 Canadian Trucking Alliance/Volvo Trucks Canada Driver of the Year at the annual Christmas Party of the British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA) on December 5, 2019. Gord was chosen to receive this honour for a career in the trucking industry covering more than 32 years and over 4 million accident-free miles, as well as his willingness and ability to help others in need.

Gord was previously awarded the 2018 BC Driver of the Year award at BCTA’s Annual Management Conference in Whistler in June 2018 and was chosen from among his peers across Canada for national recognition.

Gord grew up in the industry, learning to drive truck at the early age of 10 (he turned 50 this year), and his route has taken him from the ice roads up north through the lower 48 US states. Gord’s career has also included time as a driving instructor and safety trainer. He is gregarious, proactive and quick thinking, traits that served him and a fellow Vancouver Islander well very early one morning in March 2018 on the Island Highway, between Chemainus and Nanaimo, when he noticed something on the side of the road during a load haul. Realizing that what looked like a blanket was actually a person, Gord pulled over and called 911, then assisted Patricia Galloway, who he found unconscious at roadside. Another driver kept his lights on the area for safety, while Gord spoke with 911 operators and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived. Ms. Galloway had apparently suffered a minor stroke, and Gord’s decisive action in responding to her presence may well have saved her life. Gord was based in Nanaimo at the time and has since relocated to Langley.

Years earlier, while operating in the US, he had also rescued a man from a vehicle after witnessing a head-on crash.

Gord was presented the award by Randy Muller, District Manager – Western Canada, Volvo Trucks Canada, during festivities at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel in Surrey. As part of this honour, Gord received a trophy and a cash prize as well as overnight accommodations at the hotel with his partner, Cassandra Tennant, for attendance at the banquet and awards ceremony.

 “A true ambassador to the industry, Gordon personifies what this award truly means,” says Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. “On behalf of CTA and the other provincial trucking associations, I am proud to honour such as courageous, dedicated professional as Canada’s top truck driver.”

“I am delighted that Gordon Price has been named Canada’s Truck Driver of the Year for his outstanding safety record and his leadership. Many of us might notice something unusual at roadside, not all of us would act,” said Dave Earle, BCTA president and CEO. “The industry needs more truck drivers like Gordon Price, and we’re honoured to celebrate his achievements.”

Volvo Trucks Canada, renowned for its commitment to safety, sponsors both national and provincial Driver of the Year awards in recognition of the importance of safety in the trucking industry. Each year, a panel of judges made up of representatives from Transport Canada, the Traffic Industry Research Foundation, Canada Safety Council, and CTA selects a national winner from among recipients of the Driver of the Year award in each province. The national winner is selected for excellence among peers who have maintained a collision-free driving record and otherwise demonstrated exemplary professionalism both on and off the road.

For his commendable career, his alertness, and his kind actions, Gordon Price was the unanimous choice of the judges for the award this year.

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BCTA, a member-based, non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization, is the recognised voice of the provincial motor carrier industry, representing over 1,200 truck and motor coach fleets and over 250 suppliers to the industry. BCTA members operate over 13,000 vehicles, employ 26,000 people, and generate over $2 billion in revenue annually in the province.

For more information, please contact:

Dave Earle, president & CEO, BCTA
Office: 604-888-5319 Mobile: 604-787-1335 Toll-free in BC: 1-800-565-2282