March 12, 2024 (North Little Rock, Ark.) – Maverick Transportation has announced their 2023 Drivers of the Year. Sam Landrum was named the 2023 Over-the-Road (OTR) Driver of the Year and Thomas Sholar the Dedicated Driver of the Year.

This prestigious honor is awarded each year to Maverick drivers who not only demonstrate a strong dedication to safety but also exemplify exceptional integrity and professionalism in every facet of their responsibilities. These drivers will also serve as ambassadors for all professional Maverick drivers going forward.

John Coppens, Maverick's Vice President of Operations said, “I’m incredibly impressed and encouraged by Sam Landrum after hearing his comments immediately after being announced as our OTR driver of the year. After more than 30 years with Maverick, his four Driver of the Month nominations, a 2023 Lytx Driver of the Year award, and 3 million safe miles he still has a fresh perspective on his career and Maverick. As much as anyone in the company, he knows how far we’ve come and how far we can go if we continue to work together and strive to make the driving job better. Sam is a great addition to the driver of the year group, and I look forward to working with him as part of our ongoing advisory councils.”

Sam is a 31-year veteran of Maverick and had this to say: “I had so many people come up to me and tell me how much they appreciated me last week and it meant so much. The fact that people thought that much of me, you know? I would tell these up-and-coming drivers to continue with this career. Everything won’t always go your way but take the bad with the good and it’s always worth it in the end.”

Maverick’s Vice President of Dedicated Operations Justin Brown had this to say about Thomas Sholar: “Congratulations to Thomas on this well-earned honor. He has been instrumental with feedback over the years for all areas of the company and is a trusted voice for the Dedicated Services Team.”

“I am so proud for Thomas to receive this honor and be recognized as our 2023 Dedicated Driver of the Year,” added Dedicated Operations Manager Chris Coombs. “He has a 20-year career with Maverick and has racked up multiple awards including the TCA Driver of the year award in 2022, is a 3-time Dedicated Driver of the Month, a 2019 Trainer Finalist, and a 19-year safety award to highlight just a few. Beyond all of this, Thomas just cares so much. He cares about his work, his safety record and about his fellow drivers on the road. Congratulations, Thomas!”

Thomas Sholar said, "I am just so proud and honored that you all thought I was worthy to be a Dedicated Driver of the Year at Maverick. To all the younger drivers, don’t take any shortcuts. Do everything right and complete. When you love what you do, it shows.”

Congratulations to these professional drivers on their well-deserved honor.

Founded in 1980, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and operating over 1,600 units, Maverick provides OTR and Dedicated services to the flatbed, glass and specialized transportation markets throughout North America. To learn more about Maverick Transportation visit www.maverickusa.com.