Black & White Transportation Driver Named Driver of the Year
Black & White Transportation Driver Named Driver of the Year
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TRANSPORTATION REGULATORS GIVES
PRESTIGIOUS AWARD TO TOM WALDECK OF WHITEHOUSE
Toledo, OH—Black & White Transportation driver Tom Waldeck will be named
Driver of the Year by the International Association of Transportation
Regulators (IATR) on September 22. His act of valor - taking the time to alert
an Erie Township, Mich. family that their house was on fire - made him the
IATR's clear-cut choice to receive the prestigious award.
"We knew from the very beginning that Tom was a good fit for our Black &
White culture," said Scott Potter, owner of Black & White
Transportation. "Tom always shows a commitment to going above and
beyond the call of duty."
While drivers from all across the country are nominated for the Driver of the
Year award, only one is selected. Nominees must have shown exemplary
service and maintain a spotless driving record. The 2010 Driver of the Year
award will be presented to Waldeck at the IATR Annual Conference in Chicago
later this month.
"A lot of transportation press comes through the IATR office every year – and
this time, Tom's story stood out," said Karen Cameron, IATR director of
membership services. "We were undoubtedly impressed by his story of
heroism."
Waldeck refuses to call himself a hero, but he did everything with a swift,
clear mind and in a timely manner. It was a little before 3 a.m. on July 5,
2010 when Tom ran his final fare for the evening. That call took him from
Toledo to Erie Township, and while driving at a slow crawl to find the correct
house, he took action when he saw smoke coming from a storage shed.
After making sure everyone was out safely, Waldeck called 911 and waited
for fire crews to arrive. The fire spread quickly and jumped to an empty
neighboring home. Everyone, including multiple family pets, was able to get
out safely. The homeowner remarked that it was all thanks to a good
samaritan.
Of his award, Tom says, "It's a miracle. Had I not been where I was at the
time, they would have been badly injured or worse. I'm so thankful they all
survived. They say I'm a hero, but I don't feel like a hero," he added.
Waldeck, an employee of Black & White Transportation since June 2010, lives
in Whitehouse, Ohio with his wife Margaret and their four children.
Press Release Contact Name: Sara
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: Black & White Transportation