Celebrations at the Ohio Trucking Association Driver of the Year Banquet

The Continental Express team had plenty to celebrate at the Ohio Trucking Association’s 2024 Driver of the Year banquet. The event, held in Columbus, Ohio in early April, honored the top professional drivers in the state for their dedication to safe driving and making a positive impact on the trucking industry. 

Continental Express has made an appearance at the last seven OTA Driver of the Year banquets, as drivers Jeffrey Perine (2018 DOTY finalist, 2020 DOTY finalist), David Wolford (2019 finalist, 2020 finalist, 2021 finalist, 2022 finalist), and Robert Ritter (2023 finalist, 2024 finalist) were named top 12 finalists for the award.

In 2023, David Wolford was named the 2022 Ohio Trucking Association Driver of the Year. Wolford, who continues the third decade of his driving career at Continental today, was called back to the 2024 Driver of the Year banquet to speak about how he represented the state of Ohio as the 2023 American Trucking Association’s National Driver of the Year.

Wolford addressed all those at the banquet about the impact that the OTA and ATA Driver of the Year awards have had on his life, including being one of the last accomplishments he could share with his father before his passing. Wolford also expressed how neither award would be possible without the backing and support of Continental Express.

The evening continued with a meal and ceremony honoring the twelve finalists for the 2024 award. General Manager Jake Albers introduced Robert Ritter.

“At Continental Express, our mentality is to focus on progress and quality ‘one mile at a time’, which is exactly what Bob does,” said Albers in his speech. “[Ritter] does not get overly excited. From pre-trip inspections to defensive driving, Bob places safety at the forefront of his day, which makes for level-headed, prepared trips every time. Bob runs on one of Continental’s dedicated routes, driving between Ohio and Utah. He does not get complacent and always rises to the level of focus this mountainous run demands.”

Albers continued, “What is most commendable is that Bob not only focused on his success. The nature of this dedicated run is that Bob sees and works with the same large fleet of drivers, all of whom Bob goes out of his way to check on, help, and coach when needed.”

Ritter has an outstanding career that continues still at Continental Express. 

His career mileage totals 5.5 million safe miles over 35 years of professional driving. He is commended across the fleet for his industry expertise and willingness to help others. Although not named the Driver of the Year at this banquet, the Continental team is excited to continue to watch Ritter’s career unfold.