For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
For Information Contact:
Gary Petty, NPTC
703-838-8876
Four Inducted into 2024 NPTC Driver Hall of Fame
ARLINGTON, VA –Four drivers, who collectively have driven for more than 169 years while racking up nearly 16.55 million miles of service without a chargeable accident, injury or moving violation, have been inducted into the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame sponsored by International Truck. The recognition took place in conjunction with the NPTC Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition, which was held April 21-23 in Orlando, Fla.
The drivers are from NPTC member companies and have met the minimum qualifications of 20 years, three million miles or 50,000 hours of driving without a preventable accident. Many of the drivers have far exceeded these qualifications and are known for having made significant contributions to their industry and their communities. Since its inception, 152 drivers have been installed in the Driver Hall of Fame. This year’s Driver Hall of Fame inductees are:
Chuck traces his driving history back to his early years, sitting on his grandfather’s lap in his pickup truck on the open road. As Chuck matured, he learned to drive in his high school’s driver’s education course at the age of 15. He honed his skills behind the wheel of a car, mastering the rules of the road and the intricacies of vehicle control. This structured education provided Chuck with a solid foundation, instilling in him the principles of safe and responsible driving.
Charles Babcock | Shaw Industries Group, Inc. | Livonia, MI
After completing a two-year tour in the U.S. Navy, Chuck embarked on a new chapter in his driving journey. Eager to expand his horizons, he began his commercial driving career in California, at the helm of a single-axle dump truck, navigating winding roads and bustling highways working for Randy’s Roofing. With each mile traveled, Chuck’s expertise grew throughout his career. Chuck’s passion for driving and challenges has remained unwavering. For him, it’s more than just a means of transportation, it’s a gateway to freedom and independence. After eight years working for various commercial movers and motor carriers, he was hired by Shaw Industries Group, where he has achieved 3.3 million miles over the last 30 years. Over Chuck’s 40-year career with driving commercial vehicles, he has driven a multitude of vehicles including single axle dump trucks, straight trucks and semi-trucks, racking up 3.7 million miles without no preventable accidents, injuries or moving violations.
“Throughout my three decades as a driver with Shaw, four decades as a driver total, I have endeavored to exceed expectations, in all facets of my job as a commercial semi-truck driver. As a veteran working in the civilian sector, there is nothing I am prouder to have done than to serve my country, be one of the original flagship drivers in Michigan for Shaw, and happily provide for my family every day. Truck driving, like marriage, is a job that people must have a passion for, and I am lucky to say I have been married to the love of my life, my wife Kristin, and driving trucks professionally for over 40 years.”
Kirk Phillips | Johnsonville Trucking LLC | Plymouth, WI
Kirk started with Johnsonville on May 16,1981 and has accumulated more than 3.1 million miles without an accident, injury or moving violation. Prior to his time behind the wheel, he was a mechanic that worked on Johnsonville’s trucks. Kirk was hired at Johnsonville to work in the plant. On his fourth day, knowing Kirk had his chauffeur’s license, Kirk was asked to move some product down to Milwaukee.
From there, Kirk was hooked on driving! Whether he was delivering product to a warehouse in Stevens Point, picking up product, and watching for low bridges in Chicago, or delivering sausages to a butcher shop, Kirk loved being in a truck. Besides driving for Johnsonville, Kirk also worked in maintenance and production to make ends meet.
A typical week for Kirk is 5 days, working 10 hours per day. In that week he averages about 2300 miles with 8-10 deliveries per week. Kirk covers routes from Wisconsin and goes as far s\west as Denver, into the Southeast, Southwest or East Coast.
In 1995, to celebrate Johnsonville’s 50th anniversary, the Big Taste grill was put on the road and Kirk was the sole driver for about 2-½ years, hauling the 45-ft. grill and cold storage unit to various community, sporting, promotional events, and relief efforts.
“I am always looking to be a safer driver by being a trainer, mentor, reviewing accident reports with drivers like we did in the early years of driving,” he says. “Also, I helped write our safety program plus all the life lessons you get from doing the job. Professionalism comes in part from the Johnsonville way and the courtesy we show our customers. Every person is or could be a customer and you treat them with the respect that you would like to receive.”
Carl Russell | New South Express, Inc. | Estill, SC
Carl Russell began his career behind the wheel in 1980 running a tandem axle dump truck. He learned as he went and started working with a construction company running equipment and driving semi-trucks. In 1992, Carl came to Robert Elliott Trucking based in Estill, SC, which was subsequently acquired by Canfor Southern Pine, the parent company of New South Express. In his 32 years with Canfor, he has racked up 3.2 million safe driving miles. For his entire 45-year diving career he has tallied 4.5 million miles all without an accident, injury or moving violation.
Over the last 32 years he has pulled shavings, bark, chips, fuel, and lumber. Over the last 30-plus years of learning the industry and developing safe driving habits, he has become a safe driver who is dependable and will help his team in any way possible. Today, he averages 2,000 miles per week driving in lower South Carolina. He is responsible for loading trailers, tarping loads, making safe deliveries, and sometimes completing yard work to make sure our mills can run. In his spare time, Carl has served his hometown of Allendale County as a volunteer firefighter for 20 years.
“Staying focused and thorough inspections is the key to being safe on the road,” he says. “There are many people out on the road that do not put safety first and are driving distracted, you must compensate for their incompetence. Taking extra precautions in high traffic areas or in high pedestrian areas will help prevent accidents. Speaking to your manager or supervisors about high-risk areas in your yard will help prevent injuries as well. I have been hauling to some of the same customers for 20 years and good open lines of communication help tremendously. This good business relationship with peers and customers is based on respect, hard work, and dedication. Helping others succeed in the business is a passion and in the best interest of the company.
“Some advice I have to others up and coming into the industry is, find a good company to work for that respects you and when you do, give it all you have. Work hard and treat everyone with respect. Some days are frustrating and if you have an issue speak up to your managers. This open line of communication will help make you successful. Work hard, work safe, and treat everyone like you want to be treated.”
Stuart Shuck | John Deere, assigned by CPC Logistics, Inc. | Rock Island, IL
Stuart began his driving career in 1981 pulling a reefer trailer of swinging meat from Midwest to both coasts and returning with produce. In 1984 he came to CPC for 3 years assigned to HON Industries hauling office furniture until they went out of business. He returned to CPC in 1998 assigned to the John Deere account where he has been an example for all drivers assigned to that fleet. Today, Stuart typically drives around 10.5 hours per day. He is part of a team run with his son, Stuart Jr. They run from Davenport IA to Huntsville, AL averaging around 6,750 miles per week.
In 42 years behind the wheel, he has driven more than 5 million miles (3.1 million miles with CPC), with no preventable accidents, injuries or moving violations. While he says that he maintains his personal health and well-being by being outdoors as much as possible, he attributes his safe driving habits “to not becoming complacent and keeping an open mind. You are always learning something while being a truck driver, it doesn’t matter how long you have been driving. You must keep an open mind, or you will become complacent. I am constantly observing other drivers and thinking about ways to improve my driving habits.
“For me, I think being a professional is rather easy. I come to work every day, prepared to do my job properly, and I treat everyone with respect. This includes the dispatcher giving me my load, the desk clerk at the customer giving me my paperwork, the technicians working on my truck, and fellow drivers out there. Every one of these people are just doing their job.”
Bob Mann, Member, NPTC Board of Directors and Vice President, Government Sales & Diamond Logic Builder, International Truck (left) and David Barth, CTP, Chair, NPTC Board of Directors and Transportation Operations Manager Wegmans Food Markets (right), congratulate the 2024 Driver Hall of Fame inductees (from left) Carl Russell, New South Express, Inc.; Charles Babcock, Shaw Industries Group, Inc.; Kirk Phillips, Johnsonville Trucking LLC; and Stuart Shuck, John Deere, assigned by CPC Logistics, Inc.
About NPTC
Founded in 1939, the National Private Truck Council is the only national trade association exclusively representing the interests of the private truck industry and corporate/business private truck fleet management. With an actively engaged leadership team of Board representatives, member volunteers and staff, NPTC in the past decade has grown significantly to serve a rising professional class of private fleet practitioners meeting the challenges of modern corporate transportation. NPTC is the leading learning resource center, government affairs advocate, and business networking culture for America’s top private fleet and supplier member companies. The Council produces benchmarking, best practices, and economic data reports on the private fleet market; administers the highly regarded Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) training program, and conducts some of the most successful events in the trucking industry including the Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition, the Private Fleet Management Institute, and the National Safety Conference. For more information about the Council’s activities and programs, visit our website at www.nptc.org.