WESTLAKE, OH - TravelCenters of America, part of the bp portfolio, announced its 12th annual Citizen Driver Award honorees at the Mid-America Trucking Show, Friday, March 28. Craig Daniels of Columbus, Georgia, Jay Hosty of Diamondhead, Mississippi and Darryl Tolle of Cynthiana, Kentucky were selected for the prestigious recognition.

The award was created to recognize professional drivers who demonstrate a high level of respect to the truck driving profession through leadership, good citizenship, safety, health and wellness, and community involvement.

"It is a true privilege to recognize professional drivers who exemplify the highest standards of professionalism, safety, and citizenship. Their dedication extends far beyond the road—through community service and volunteering, they give back in meaningful ways, strengthening the communities they serve. It was a true honor to celebrate their hard work, generosity, and unwavering impact," said Senior Vice President of Fleet Sales Michael Stuewe, who presented the awards at a special ceremony.

As a Citizen Driver recipient, honorees may select a TA, Petro Stopping Center, or TA Express location to be dedicated in their name. To celebrate their career and contributions, a bronze historical marker with the driver’s picture and story will be installed on the front of the building, and a dedication ceremony is held with dozens of their closest family and friends. In addition, TA makes a $2,500 donation to each winner’s charitable organization of choice.

Let’s Meet Our 2025 Citizen Drivers

Craig Daniels

Craig is a leader at his company, a mentor for new drivers as a source of information and support and a true professional behind the wheel.

He served in Germany, specializing in heavy equipment and became a recovery specialist. After returning to the US, he was deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Craig retired from the Army in 1994. He was runner up for Soldier of the Year and received: Army Achievement awards, medals for Army commendation, a global war on terror medal, an Iraqi freedom medal as well as a Gold German Schützenschnur for expert marksmanship.

As a Veteran, Craig is passionate about veteran-related causes. He is the creator of the Joshua Chamberlain Society’s (JCS) Veteran Suicide Awareness campaign, which aids severely wounded military service members and the families of service members killed-in-action during the Global War on Terror. He designed a trucker hat that draws attention to the issue of veteran suicide that is distributed to the JCS Heroes they support, their friends in the military, and others lucky enough to benefit from the project. He loves interacting with other veterans in the industry and drives a Patriot Fleet Truck with the mission of providing veterans a way to share their stories, remember those lost, and sign his truck in memorial and remembrance. Many veterans have found healing during these stops and events.

Craig sits on the Driver Accident Review Board for Crete/Shaffer and has received an accident-free award every year. He spends countless hours on the phone giving advice and assistance to new and veteran drivers.

He shares people’s stories through his Parking Lot Conversations on YouTube. He also writes articles for RoadPro Family of Brands. He participates on Road Dog Radio and Sirius XM helping many other drivers with his opinions and solutions to problems they face out on the road. Craig is on the road but stays connected to his local church & participates in the choir.

About Jay W. Hosty

Jay’s journey began at the age of 19 when he purchased his first truck and became an owner-operator just a month before marrying his wife Kat in 1981. He shares his 42 years of experience with other owner operators, is involved in many trucking organizations and received two Silver Star of Quality awards from Landstar.

Jay is not only a dedicated driver, but also deeply committed to his family and community. He actively serves in his church and frequently visits nursing homes to support those without family. After losing everything in Hurricane Katrina, Jay and his wife Kat volunteered with Eight Days of Hope to help rebuild others’ lives. In 2022, Jay and Kat were named Hancock County’s Foster Parents of the Year, having fostered over 200 children, and adopting eight.

Jay was Overdrive Magazine’s 2024 Driver of the Year. Despite all his achievements, he remains incredibly humble. He has been honored numerous times throughout his driving career for his unwavering commitment to safety. With his years of safe driving recognized by OOIDA and his status as

a Landstar Million Miler, Jay has consistently prioritized safety as a paramount concern and was inducted into the Landstar Star program.

He exemplifies professionalism, and his career truly embodies his values. He has volunteered on OOIDA’s board for 16 consecutive years. As a dedicated member of OOIDA, he volunteered countless hours, advocating for commercial motor vehicle drivers. He was selected for the role in 1994 at only 32 years old. He was one of, if not the, youngest ever member of the OOIDA Board of Directors when he was elected and helped establish OOIDA’s Safe Driver Award.

His compassion is also evident in his frequent visits to care facilities, where he often adopts residents as family. In 2000, Jay’s dedication to service took him to a small village in Mexico with his church, where he volunteered to help dig wells and connect with local families—an experience that left a lasting impact on him. He serves with Eight Days of Hope, an organization helping communities devastated by two hurricanes, a flood, and an ice storm. Since 2005, the organization has served 8,600 families with rebuilding and repairing homes -- and lives.

Jay volunteers with America Truck Historical Society, supports St. Christopher’s Fund, and is involved in Trucker’s Final Mile. He is active with his local church groups and received a Gold Star of Quality award for his community involvement. Jay’s sense of giving is no surprise. He is a proud father, loving grandfather, devoted husband, and a valued member of his church and community, continuously exemplifying generosity, humility, and service.

About Darryl Tolle

Darryl is a safe driver and has the record to show it. In his time with Ryder, he’s had over 2.8 million safe miles, and over 3.5 million total career miles. This, coupled with his service in the Kentucky Army National Guard show Darryl’s character. He places immense importance on family, his country, and the company he works for.

Darryl has always been willing to go the extra mile for Ryder and has been an important part of the automotive account he works on as it has continued to grow over the last 30 years. He always keeps a bag packed as he has often been asked to travel to different states to help support new locations and train new professional drivers. He has built a tremendous rapport with his fellow drivers and the leadership within the company. Darryl told the hiring manager in his first interview that he would retire from Ryder if they hired him. It is 35 years later, and he is still making good on that commitment.

Darryl has over 32 years of service with the Kentucky Army National Guard providing support for many natural disaster relief events including floods, blizzards, forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. As part of the 201st Engineering Battalion, he received Army Achievement Medals, Letters & Coins of Recognition, Active-Duty Ribbons, and many other acknowledgments from various entities: Commanding Generals, The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of the Army, Director of the Kentucky Division of Forestry, the State of Louisiana, Army Material Command, and many others.

Darryl was honored with the 2024 CVSA International Driver Excellence Award as well as being named Ryder’s 2023 SCS Driver of the Year. He has a wealth of knowledge and always takes the time to invest in newer drivers that have questions on routes or directions. Darry’s motto is “safe driving isn’t tied to luck; it’s tied to perseverance and commitment to doing the job the right way every single time.” He does not cut corners or leave things to chance, and his driving record shows that. He has also assisted

with employee focus groups within Ryder where he was trusted to provide an honest and open voice for the driver.

Darryl, along with other retired Veterans he served with in the National Guard took it upon themselves to start a support group for local charities and organizations called The United Veteran’s Group. From local food banks to elementary school programs to support for local cemeteries, Darryl and his comrades continue to find ways to support their community in times of need. They have members from WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Granada, Iraq and Afghanistan all sharing support for one another.

Judges for Citizen Driver

The following distinguished members of the trucking industry served as this year’s judges:

· Dave Nemo, On Air Host, of the Radio Nemo Show on Sirius XM’s Road Dog Trucking Network

· Ellen Voie, former CEO of Women in Trucking

· Lindsay Lawler, Nashville recording artist and cohost on Sirius XM’s Radio Nemo. Also, the writer and vocalist of our Citizen Driver theme song, “I Drive.”

· Donna Kennedy, Executive Director, St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund

· Jenny Fall, Director of Driver Engagement, Women in Trucking

· Cynthia Atwood Vice President of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association

· Steve Newmark President of Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing

· Andrew Evans Vice President of Marketing for NATSO

· Dave Johnson CEO of ASE

Since its inception in 2013, TA has awarded 47 professional truck drivers with the Citizen Driver honor.