Every two years, America鈥檚 Road Team searches for the country鈥檚 top drivers. This year, driver Neil Kirk has been nominated to be a part of the best of the best.
Created by , is a national public outreach program led by a group of professional truck drivers 鈥� nominated by their employers 鈥� who share superior driving skills and safety records, along with a desire to spread the word about safety on the highway.
The 2011-2012 team has 511 years of experience and has logged more than 38.2 million accident-free miles. Being a voice for this safety team is a true honor for proud truck drivers like Kirk.
鈥淚t would be the greatest honor to represent the trucking industry as an American Road Team Captain,鈥� said Kirk, a professional truck driver for 28 years, four of those at 黑料社 鈥淭rucking is the backbone of our great nation, ensuring that business have the means to continue operation and people have the resources they need to live.鈥�
Kirk delivers hospital supplies in and around the New York Metropolitan area. His supervisor, Paul Emmert, nominated him for his exceptional communication skills, his positive relationship with his peers, his exemplary attitude and, above all, his stellar safety record of almost 2.9 million accident/injury-free miles.
鈥淭he pride that Neil has for our industry shows every day, especially when I speak to Neil鈥檚 customers, who have only compliments about the quality and professionalism he portrays daily,鈥� said Emmert, operations manager for Penske Logistics.
Safety and courtesy are Kirk鈥檚 top priorities as a truck driver. He serves as an advanced instructor for professional driver training course , giving critical hands-on safety training to both the fleet鈥檚 newest recruits and the more seasoned drivers.
鈥淚 know that possessing a heightened awareness toward safety is crucial for keeping the roads and highways a safe place for other drivers to work and, more importantly, their respective families to travel on,鈥� said Kirk, who is a two-time Penske Safety Performance Award winner.
As a driver-elected shop steward, Kirk leads his peers of 80 fellow drivers and helps maintain the drivers鈥� morale.
鈥淚 understand the role that our attitude and dedication as a team has on the success of Penske and on the transportation industry as a whole,鈥� said Kirk, who also has been nominated for the Driver of the Year Award. 鈥淗ow we conduct ourselves on the job as truck drivers is what shapes the general public鈥檚 impression of all professional truck drivers.鈥�
America鈥檚 Road Team finalists will be selected Oct. 29, followed by the announcement of the 2013-2014 America鈥檚 Road Team Jan. 8.
Are you a hard-working driver who shares Kirk鈥檚 passion for safety? Visit for employment opportunities. The company offers competitive wages and a wide range of benefits. Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Editor鈥檚 Note: In recognition of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 17-21, Penske is celebrating our 2,900 dedicated drivers who ensure safe, prompt and seamless delivery of our customer鈥檚 goods while maintaining the highest level of safety and customer service.
By Kandace Wertz
Penske Logistics recently earned two awards from for supply chain excellence as 2011 3PL Supplier of the Year for its third consecutive year, and 2011 Specialty Service Supplier of the Year.
鈥淎ll of our Penske-managed sites have achieved excellent performance scores against our key performance indicators,鈥� said Michelle VanderMeer, senior director for Whirlpool Corporation鈥檚 North America logistics operations.
Penske earned Whirlpool鈥檚 Specialty Service Supplier of the Year award designation for implementing an innovative Lead Logistics approach, which reduces costs and boosts on-time delivery performance.
Penske has been named to the InformationWeek 500 list for the 12th consecutive time, ranking No. 114 this year.
With his 27th career IndyCar win, he is now in second place in the championship standings late in the season.
Penske Logistics further leverages its advanced technology to optimize its truck routes and reduce empty miles. In addition, its truck drivers are coached and measured using fleet technology to improve their on-road driving performance for maximum fuel efficiency.
A Penske truck is among the cast of supporting characters in Sony鈥檚 鈥溾�� which opened nationwide on Tuesday (see photo below). The PG-13 movie is a reboot of one of Marvel鈥檚 most popular superhero franchises. Available in both IMAX and in 3D, the film, set in New York City, stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Denis Leary.
The product placement was made possible by a California transportation vehicle entertainment firm that Penske contracts with.
鈥淚 like the challenge of trying to create elegant art out of ordinary energy sources and materials, and create something that isn鈥檛 usually regarded in the art world. The back of the truck seemed like the perfect place for that kind of challenge,鈥� said Ford, who visited 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 headquarters in Reading, Pa., in mid-June to display his work in progress and meet with its employees.
Today, Ford uses the entire back of a Penske rental truck to create his artwork. Ford鈥檚 pit stop at 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 headquarters was part of a commissioned trip by Packer Schopf Gallery of Chicago to showcase his truck drawing at the 8th annual Guerrilla Truck Show at Chicago鈥檚 Fulton Market June 12. Ford drove round-trip from Chicago to Philadelphia, where he displayed his art in progress during an event, before returning to the Windy City to show off the final creation.
is ready and willing to help businesses with their truck rental needs 鈥� except when it comes to transporting fireworks.