Pilot Honors Industry Veterans as 2024 Road Warriors
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Co. revealed the winners of its annual Road Warrior contest, held in September as part of Driver Appreciation Month.
The event was created to recognize the dedication and commitment of professional truck drivers who go beyond the call of duty to keep North America moving.
After reviewing numerous nominations and recognizing four weekly winners with $1,000 each, Pilot selected Elizabeth "Liz" Leon of Victorville, Calif., as the 2024 Road Warrior grand prize winner, presenting her with a check for $25,000.
Leon, a professional driver for more than 19 years, transports containers in and out of Southern California ports for 4Gen Logistics. She started her career with Toys "R" Us, where, she stated, she fell in love with the road and found her passion for driving.
Driving an average of 100,000 miles a year, Leon is accident-free and has been recognized by the California Trucking Association for her driving record.
In addition to Leon, the Road Warrior contest’s weekly winners included:
- Herschel Evans, a driver from Bremen, Ga., with 38-plus years of experience and 3.5 million safe driving miles. He has helped countless families through his charity work, including Atlanta Ride for Kids, Convoy of Care and Safety Drive for a Cure.
- Joe Mondor, a driver from Grand Forks, N.D, who has logged more than 4.5 million safe driving miles over his 33 years in the trucking industry.
- Roy Prentice from Reno, Nev., who has accrued more than 3 million safe driving miles and has been a professional driver for more than 30 years.
"Congratulations to this year's Road Warrior, Liz Leon, who stood out among the many deserving drivers we read about during the contest," said Jordan Spradling, vice president of transportation and logistics at Pilot. "We appreciate all the nominations and stories of drivers like Liz, Herschel, Joe and Roy, who show up day in and day out, put in countless hours and miles and embody everything we value at Pilot."
The Pilot and Flying J travel center network — a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway — includes nearly 900 locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces.
Pilot Co. is headquartered in Knoxville.