Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Goodyear Seeks Highway Hero Nominees

Goodyear is accepting nominations for its 34th Highway Hero Award, honoring drivers who risked their own lives to help others while on the job.

by Staff
June 20, 2016
Goodyear Seeks Highway Hero Nominees

This year's winner Julian Kaczor makes a few remarks after accepting his award. Photo: Deborah Lockridge

2 min to read


This year's winner Julian Kaczor makes a few remarks after accepting his award. Photo: Deborah Lockridge

Goodyear is accepting nominations for its 34th Highway Hero Award through Nov. 29, 2016.

The Goodyear Highway Hero Award was created in 1983 to honor truck drivers who have risked themselves while on the job to help others. The winner will be announced in March 2017 at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

Ad Loading...

Watch video from this year's Highway Hero ceremony.

For consideration, candidates must be a full-time truck driver living in the U.S. or Canada. The heroic incident must have also taken place in the U.S. or Canada. A nominee’s truck must have 12 wheels or more at the time of the incident and the trucker must have been on the job or on the way to and from work at the time. The incident must have taken place between Nov. 16, 2015 and Nov. 16, 2016.

Last year’s winner, Julian Kaczor, a truck driver from Utica, N.Y., pulled a severely injured motorist from a flame-engulfed car. Another past winner, Clinton Blackburn, was recognized for rescuing a law enforcement official who was being strangled by a prisoner he was transporting.

“For more than 30 years, the Goodyear Highway Hero Award has honored professional truck drivers who put their lives on the line to help others during the course of their daily work,” said Gary Medalis, marketing director, Goodyear. “If you are aware of a truck driver who deserves recognition for saving another person from a life-threatening situation, please let us know.”

Ad Loading...

To nominate a truck driver for the award, go to the Highway Hero Award website and fill out the nomination form.

After the nomination period ends, Highway Hero Award candidates will be narrowed down to semi-finalists and finalists and a panel of trucking industry judges will select the winner. Final approval of Goodyear Highway Hero Award finalists and winner are subject to Goodyear’s discretion, and drivers must clear a background check to the company’s satisfaction.

More Drivers

YouTube thumbnail showing two Western Star trucks with the text "Behind the Experience: Western Star Star Nation"
Equipmentby Lauren FletcherAugust 3, 2026

Drivers Put Western Star Trucks to the Test at Star Nation Experience

Watch to get an inside look at the Western Star trucks, technology, and community behind the Star Nation Experience 2026!

Read More →
American flag in background with photos of military truck and Freedom Haulers ad graphic
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 30, 2026

Trump Administration Looks to Put More Veterans Behind the Wheel

The Freedom Haulers program pulls together existing and expanded programs at several federal agencies to recruit veterans to drive commercial heavy-duty trucks and cut the red tape for them to get a CDL, training, and employment.

Read More →
Equipmentby Jim ParkJuly 30, 2026

Putting Mack’s Command Steer to the Test

A test drive of Mack’s Command Steer active steering system evaluates how it can make truck driving easier and less tiring.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Truck driver behind the wheel with illustration overlaid of someone handing out cash
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 28, 2026

Competition Heating Up for Truck Drivers

New report reveals rising driver hiring costs, the return of sign-on bonuses, growing AI advantages, and the operational factors shaping driver retention.

Read More →
Line of gray semi trucks with Fraley & Schilling logo
Safety & ComplianceJuly 15, 2026

How Fraley & Schilling Improved Logbook Compliance by Over 50%

Fraley & Schilling needed a way to close a compliance workflow gap in its ELD system without adding more work from driver training, reminders, and back-office follow-ups. It found the answer in a custom driver app.

Read More →
Volvo American Truck Simulator.
Driversby News/Media ReleaseJuly 8, 2026

Volvo Goes Gaming

Volvo has roared into American Truck Simulator with two new flagship trucks.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two black men in safety vests walking together laughing in a truck fleet yard
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 6, 2026

What the Best Fleets to Drive For Teach About Driver Retention

Survey fatigue, AI-powered routing, owner-operator expectations, and the decline of social media all emerged as themes from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program.

Read More →
Podcast thumbnail showing Jane Jazrawy, the words "When Drivers Tune Out," and a line drawing of a truck.
DriversJuly 2, 2026

Driver Retention Lessons From the Best Fleets to Drive For

What separates trucking's best workplaces from the rest? Jane Jazrawy shares the biggest lessons from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program on driver retention, communication, AI, and workforce trends on the HDT Talks Trucking podcast.

Read More →
Man standing beside tractor-trailer in sepia tone with the words "Farewell CDL" superimposed on top
Driversby Jack RobertsJuly 1, 2026

Farewell, CDL: Why I'm Giving Up My Commercial Driver's License

After more than 20 years as a CDL holder, HDT Executive Editor Jack Roberts is letting his commercial license expire. Not because he wants to — but because trucking's nuclear verdict crisis has made the risks of public-road test drives too great for editors, manufacturers, and everyone involved.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
HDT Talks Trucking thumbnail with photo of Jane Jazrawy and the text,, "When Drivers Tune Out"
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJune 24, 2026

How Top Trucking Fleets Improve Driver Retention [Video]

What do healthy snacks, optimized routing, and just picking up the phone have in common? They're all strategies the Best Fleets to Drive For are using to retain truck drivers.

Read More →