2023 Professional Truck Driving Championship

Under blue skies, thirty-two professional drivers competed in the 2023 Manitoba Professional Truck Driving Championship on Saturday, June 17 at the Headingley Husky Travel Centre.

Once the track was run, the test was written, and the vehicle defects were discovered, the winners from the day were:

3rd Place:

Super-B Trains: David Henry, Maple Leaf Agri Farms

Tandem-Tandem: Denis Roberts, Kindersley Transport

Single-Tandem: Rodney Birdsbill, Allscape

Turnpike: Doug McEwen, Bison Transport

Team: XPO Logistics

2nd Place

Super-B Trains: Bruce McKechnie, Bison Transport

Tandem-Tandem: Prabhjot Randhawa, Bison Transport

Single-Tandem: Sergii Linkevich, Bison Transport

Turnpike: Darren Cassan, Arnold Bros. Transport

Team: Bison 2

1st Place

Super-B Trains: Murray Manuliak, Bison Transport

Tandem-Tandem: Jaswinder Sandhu, Bison Transport

Single-Tandem: Gord Unger, Searcy Trucking

Turnpike: David Phillips, Bison Transport

This year’s first-time entrant, or “Rookie” award went to Ryan Kyle of Professional Transport Driver Training. The Top Team was Bison 1, which consisted of Bruce McKechnie, Prabhjot Randhawa, Mario Tyszuk, and Doug McEwan. The Hal Bjornson Memorial Award went to David Phillips of Bison Transport.

The overall winner, or Grand Champion, of the event was Bison Transport’s Jaswinder Sandhu, who competed in Tandem-Tandem.

Following the truck driving championship was the Driver Awards Banquet, where the MTA-Inland Group Industry Excellence Award winners were announced. This year’s Industry Excellence Award recipients are:

Glen Burton, KAG Canada
Bill Gagnon, Big Freight Systems
Kan Ha, Core-Mark International
Jacob Giesbrecht, Penner International
Jerry Brodoway, Searcy Trucking
Henry Klassen, Penner International
Tony Smale, Big Freight Systems
Gerald Bartel, Penner International
Billy Wiebe, Penner International
Alvin Tonn, Jade Transport

The final award of the evening was the MTA-Volvo Trucks Canada Driver of the Year for Manitoba Award, which went to Glen Burton of KAG Canada. With over thirty years’ driving experience, a representative for KAG Canada had this to say about Glen: “Whenever an opportunity presents itself, he is always taking time to stop and talk to each and every driver he crosses paths with. These moments can take place on the road, fueling up in the yard, or in the driver’s lounge. Glen is always there to be a friendly face.”

The MTA would like to thank all participants, volunteers, and sponsors of the 2023 Manitoba Professional Truck Driving Championship and Driver Awards Banquet.