This year Paper Transport had not one, but two recipients of the 2022 Driver of the Year Award. It is the first time in Paper Transport history that two drivers were awarded Driver of the Year. Mike Toman and Justyn Bauder are great examples of Paper Transport culture and we are extremely proud to have them on the team.
Ben Schill, Chief Executive Officer of Paper Transport, shares why Paper Transport is proud to have both drivers on the team: “Justyn and Michael were flawless with their safe driving habits, fuel efficiency, and service to our customers. We can also be assured that if they were this meticulous in their daily performance daily, they were also this meticulous with our customers. We are all proud to have you with us, Justyn and Michael. Congratulations to you both!”
Mike Toman
On February 21, 2023, Toman was presented with the 2022 Driver of the Year award at Great Northern Corporation in Neenah, WI. Toman has been a Company Driver with Paper Transport for four years and has been with Great Northern Corporation for 15 years. One of the strongest pillars of Paper Transport is our focus on people. Specifically, how we treat our team members and prioritize their values. After receiving the award, Toman shared, “I love the family here. It’s great work and I look forward to getting into work every day … I am honored. I just do my job every day; I don’t do this intentionally.”
Jeff Olson, Toman’s Driver Manager, communicates with Mike every day and has built a solid relationship with Mike. He shared, “a company’s standing amongst customers and competitors is determined by the drive, pride and motivation of team members such as Mike Toman.”
Justyn Bauder
On February 21, 2023, Bauder was presented with the 2022 Driver of the Year award at Paper Transport’s location in Jacksonville, FL. Justyn has been a Company Driver with Paper Transport for two years. In fact, he began as a trainee in our Accelerate Class A CDL Training Program. Inspired by his Driver Trainer and the Accelerate Driver Instructors, he became a driver trainer and now teaches new drivers entering the industry.
Bauder paid credit to the Accelerate training program for helping him move from a new class-a CDL trainee to Driver of the Year within two years. He also shared, “it wouldn’t have been possible without the wonderful team I have to work with.”
Jonah Ravan, Driver Manager at Paper Transport, worked with Bauder daily. Together, they navigated the challenges Justyn faced on the road and built great trust and communication. Ravan shared that he is “extremely proud of Justyn and I am excited to see how many more will follow him. He is a perfect model of a driver coming out of the Accelerate program.”
What does it mean to have a perfect score card?
During the year, both drivers managed to achieve a perfect scorecard. The driver scorecard has three main components: productivity, safety, and dependability. First, both drivers provided great service for our customers. In addition, Toman and Bauder had great fuel conservation during the year. Next, drivers kept safety top of mind by having zero sudden breaks and zero speed gauge events. Finally, both drivers were dependable and never missed a day unless they had planned time off. What do driver of the year recipients receive, you might ask? The winners receive $2,000 dollars in their bank account along with a Driver of the Year award plaque and truck decal stickers.
Congratulations Mike and Justyn
Thank you both for your hard work and dedication to Paper Transport. Watch the team celebrate with both Mike and Justyn in the videos below!
You Got Your CDL-A … Now What?
‘Accelerate’ is Paper Transport’s training program for new CDL-A graduates that prepares drivers for their professional careers. Whether you just graduated from CDL school, or have less than a year of recent tractor-trailer experience, this training program will help you get the experience you need.
TRUCK DRIVER TIPS FOR NEW CLASS A CDL HOLDERS
*Based off Our ‘Trucking Bonus Minute With Betsy’ YouTube Series* Elizabeth “Betsy” Berrens, joined Paper Transport in September of 2022 as a driver recruiter. Since then, she has gifted us with a great deal of insight into her extensive driving experience. We have compiled some of Betsy’s extensive truck driver tips knowledge, advice for adapting the trucking lifestyle.