Even the most experienced driver can learn something new, especially when it concerns a side of the trucking industry that isn’t seen from the cab of a truck.
That’s been the experience of Scott Lindsey, selected as one of the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2025 Professional Drivers of the Year. Drivers selected for the honor gain the opportunity to participate in TCA events in addition to the awards ceremony during the association’s 2025 convention last March.
During TCA’s 2025 Safety and Security Meeting, held June 8-10 in Louisville, Kentucky, Lindsey was part of the “View from the Driver’s Seat” panel.
“It gave me a whole new perspective and outlook on the industry,” he said of the Safety and Security Meeting as a whole. “I’ve been on the driver’s side of it for all these years, and then to see what goes on behind the scenes was really an eye-opener.”
He says the knowledge he’s gained as a TCA Professional Driver of the Year will help him better train new drivers for Pacific, Washington-based Cheema Freightlines. Before hiring on at Cheema, Lindsey filled a similar role for Gordon Trucking for 26 years, until the company was sold.
“Scott (Lindsey) brought decades of safe driving experience to Cheema,” said Rob Newell, Cheema’s vice president of driver services. “Along with that came a broad understanding of basic priorities necessary to be successful as a driver and a trucking company.”
Lindsey’s driving career actually began during his stint in the Air Force. After leaving the service, he discovered that, back then, military driving experience wasn’t recognized for commercial driving. He attended an eight-week truck driving school and then tested to obtain his Washington state chauffeur’s license. A few years later, the license was converted to a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Lindsey laments the shorter two- to three-week programs often presented in CDL schools today.
“The school was informative, and we had to have 300 hours behind the wheel,” he said of his driver training. “I wish schools today were like that one, because the drivers that are coming out of these schools today — they’re not ready. They’re trained to pass the CDL test, but not to be truck drivers.”
In addition to training new drivers, Cheema entrusts Lindsey with initiatives used to evaluate new equipment and processes.
“Most recently he was selected among 10 drivers who were early adopters of our new Platform Science telematics system,” Newell said. “He and that group attended a full day of training. He was instrumental in assisting us with the development and integration of the system as we customized it for our specific requirements from the road up.”
Scott returns the respect he gets from Cheema.
“When you come to work for Cheema, you don’t come to work for a company. You become part of the family,” he said. “If they tell you something, you can take it to the bank.”
During an interview with Truckload Authority, Lindsey shared the support he received from Cheema during the tragic illness and loss of his wife two years ago.
“I took her to the doctor, and they said the medications weren’t working anymore,” he said, adding that he talked to Harman Cheema, the carrier’s president and CEO, to discuss his wife’s condition and the time off he needed.
“I told Harman, ‘I got your truck here in my yard. What do you want me to do with it (while I take care of my wife?’” Lindsey recalled. “He asked me if the location was safe and told me to hang on to it. That truck sat there for three months — no phone calls, no pressure. That was more valuable to me than any amount of pay raise or anything.”
Giving back to other drivers isn’t limited to Lindsey’s time and counsel. He currently lives close to the carrier’s terminal in Albany, Oregon, and says he enjoys inviting drivers to his home during the holidays.
“Guys that are stuck out on the road, they can at least come to the house and have a nice meal,” he said.
When asked what advice he’d share with drivers that are new to the industry, Lindsey has plenty.
“Practice patience; don’t get in a hurry,” he said. “Also, trip plan, trip plan, trip plan. Regardless of GPS or routing messages, you still have to plan out your trip.”
He recommends using Google Earth to get a picture of the destination.
“You can see your way in — where the docks are and everything — so when you get there, you’re not going in blind,” he explained. “Use the technology and tools that are given to you to make your job easier.”
Lindsey is also a big proponent of carrier pet programs. He travels with Tripod, his faithful canine companion.
“(Having a pet along) makes a big difference for drivers physical and mental well-being,” he said. “Tripod is my rock. He keeps me grounded. He keeps me sane.”
Newell praises Lindsey’s work ethic and the pride he takes in being a true professional.
“Scott has also been a great team player — or ‘Cheemate’ as we like to say — and he’s always willing to assist other drivers as needed.”
With no plans to retire any time soon, Scott Lindsey should be helping Cheema drivers succeed well into the next decade.
This story originally appeared in the January/February 2026 edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
