It was July 31 in Lawrence, Kansas, and truck driver Nicholas Lewis was driving in a construction zone. Luckily, it was about 10a.m., between the morning and afternoon rush hours, and traffic was flowing steadily enough. It was starting out to be a day just like any other, when suddenly a car shot past Lewis along the shoulder of the highway. He shook his head, thinking some people need to learn patience, when the car suddenly swerved directly in front of him;the shoulder it was driving on had come to a sudden end.
The car was too close and Lewis was going too fast to be able to stop in time. He knew the massive weight of his truck would crush the little car, and most likely the man inside. Using some quick thinking, Lewis jerked his steering wheel to the right and drove straight into a ditch. Fortunately, neither Lewis nor his truck were damaged, and the car drove away not knowing how close it had been to danger.
Highways across the nation are dotted with stories just like this one. The trucking industry is a place where drivers get the chance every day to show that there are still people out there care.Nicholas Lewis risked his life to save a driver who didn’t seem to pay him a single thought, and for that he has been named the Truckload Carriers Association’s newest Highway Angel.
The Highway Angel program is one where truck drivers like Lewis receive well-deserved recognition for their good deeds on the road. These deeds don’t always involve saving life,some of them are simple acts of kindness such as helping a stranded driver change a tire. However, each of these deeds did make a difference and each one of them deserve recognition.
Truck drivers often seem to get a bad reputation. Society sometimes looks down on them, not realizing the risks and sacrifices they make every day. The Highway Angel program is one which will show the public who truck drivers really are.
Any truck driver can be nominated for the program. Those nominated will receive a lapel pin, clothing patch and personalized certificate of appreciation as a Highway Angel.
If you notice a truck driver who displays an act of kindness that you feel goes above and beyond, you can nominate that driver by filling out the Highway Angel nomination form at https://www.truckload.org/index.asp?bid=34.
To read more about Nicholas Lewis and other Highway Angels, visit http://www.truckload.org/index.asp?sid=8.
