(pictured, l-r: Murray Manuliak, Rodney Birdsbill, Kawaljit Singh, Brian Chandler)
Members of Manitoba’s trucking industry gathered to celebrate the industry’s top drivers at the annual MTA Driver Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Rodney Birdsbill of Allscape took home top honours from the day’s Professional Truck Driving Championship (PTDC) with a score 113 points above average in the Day-Cab Tandem category. Birdsbill was also the Hal Bjornson Memorial Award recipient (top score overall).
Other PTDC winners were Marcel Frank (Northern Resource Trucking) in the Super-B category as Top Rookie. Top Team was Shake N Bake (XPO Logistics).
First place PTDC recipients (Team Manitoba) are:
- Day Cab Tandem: Rodney Birdsbill, Allscape
- Tandem-Tandem: Brian Chandler, XPO Logistics
- Super-B: Murray Manuliak, Bison Transport
- Turnpike: Kawaljit Singh, TransX Group of Companies
- Team: XPO Logistics Team Shake N Bake
Second place PTDC recipients are:
- Day Cab Tandem: Arshdeep Singh, XPO Logistics
- Tandem-Tandem: Benjamin Carino Jr, Penner International
- Super-B: Marcel Frank, Northern Resource Trucking
- Turnpike: Parampreet Singh Gill, TransX Group of Companies
- Team: Bison Transport
Third place PTDC recipients include:
- Day Cab Tandem:, Sergii Linkevych, Bison Transport
- Tandem-Tandem: Mario Tyszuk, Payne Transportation Ltd.
- Super-B: Bradley Kearns, Gardewine
- Turnpike: Doug McEwan, Bison Transport
- Team: XPO Logistics Team: Challengers
Winners from the PTDC were not the only drivers recognized at the Driver Awards Banquet. Through the MTA-Inland Group Industry Excellence Awards, other professional drivers were recognized for their commitment to industry, safe driving records, acts of heroism, and contributions to community. MTA-Inland Group Industry Excellence Award winners recognized at the event included:
- David Loewen (Penner International)
- Ken Doerksen (Steve’s Livestock Transport)
- Larry Procure (Arnold Bros. Transport)
- Melissa Klassen (Penner International)
- Satnam Bumrah (Searcy Trucking)
- Sergei Petrov (Trappers Transport)
- Shane Warburton (KAG Canada)
- Thomas Purdy (Arnold Bros. Transport)
- Upkar Bhamrah (TransX Group of Companies)
- Warren Hiebert (Steve’s Livestock Transport)
Bryan Johnson, General Manager at Inland Group noted that when combined, this group has almost three hundred years’ driving experience and more than 30 million miles.
From the group of ten Industry Excellence recipients, a selection committee consisting of industry and law enforcement members selected Larry Procure of Arnold Bros. Transport Inc as the 2025 MTA-Volvo Trucks Canada Driver of the Year for Manitoba. With almost 3 million career miles, he is described as someone “who does his job to the highest level while also maintaining an overwhelmingly positive attitude. He is known as a knowledgeable coach, a trusted colleague, and a role model of what it means to be a Professional Truck Driver”. He is the lead driver for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet when they are on tour, a trained in-cab instructor and is an integral part of the Driver Mentorship Program at Arnold Bros. Transport Inc. He has been a past PTDC participant, as well as a support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Truck Ride for Special Olympics.
New to the Driver Awards Banquet this year was the CVSA Inspectors’ Competition Award, which went to Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer Harbir Sidhu. For the past two years, Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement has held their inspectors’ competition in conjunction with the Manitoba Trucking and Career Expo. Members of Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement also volunteer with the PTDC as judges.
The event was opened with greetings from Pauline Wiebe Peters, President of the MTA’s Board of Directors. Greetings from the Province of Manitoba were brought by Kevin Mantie (Chief Inspection Officer, Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement) and Nichole Elvebo (MPI).
The MTA would like to congratulate all participants and thank all of the volunteers and sponsors for their continued hard work and dedication to this event.