Heavy Duty Trucking has opened nominations for outstanding heavy-duty trucking fleet executives to honor as HDT Truck Fleet Innovators for 2025.

HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators are forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets. It may be a top executive, or it can be someone in charge of a specific department or area, such as equipment, maintenance, safety, drivers, sustainability/fuel economy, operations, IT, etc. 

They may be honored because of one specific innovation, or for fostering an overall culture of encouraging innovative thinking at their company. Innovators also are willing to share their insights and inspiration with others in the industry.

Award winners will be profiled in the July/August issue of HDT. Then they will be HDT’s guests at the Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange event in Scottsdale, Arizona, September 3-5, where they will receive their awards in a ceremony and participate in a panel discussion.

Previous HDT Truck Fleet Innovators have stood out in areas such as:

• Equipment spec’ing

• Sustainability

• Information technology

• Safety

• Maintenance

• Driver recruiting and retention

• Operational efficiency

• Industry image

• Logistics

• New technologies

• Autonomous truck technology

• Artificial intelligence

• Customer service

Heavy Duty Trucking founded the Truck Fleet Innovators award in 2006.

Who Is Eligible for Consideration as an HDT Truck Fleet innovator?

To be eligible for consideration as an HDT Truck Fleet Innovator, nominees must be a leader or executive at a trucking fleet running Class 8 trucks — for-hire, private, or government. (Mixed fleets that also operate lighter-duty vehicles in addition to heavy-duty also are eligible.)

Nominees may be a top executive, or it can be someone in charge of a specific department or area, such as equipment, maintenance, safety, drivers, sustainability/fuel economy, operations, IT, etc.

Industry suppliers are not eligible for the HDT Truck Fleet Innovator award. 

Nominations can be submitted by anyone who knows the nominee and is familiar with their specific innovative accomplishments — co-workers, family, customers, suppliers, etc. Individuals also can nominate themselves.

Nominations are due on or before April 25, 2025.