All Contestants with at least seven years of State and National Truck Driving Championships experience (competing and volunteering) are eligible for the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award. This award is presented to the Contestant who most exemplifies all the best attributes of a professional truck driver. Contestants are judged on their driving record, skill, knowledge, attitude, and professionalism.
| Year | Award Winner |
| 1965 |
Albert E. Mellon Matlack Inc. New Jersey |
| 1966 |
Joe Toney Associated Transport Knoxville, TN |
| 1967 |
Leo Granello Mason & Dixon Lines New York |
| 1968 |
Ben C Spain Mason & Dixon Lines New Jersey |
| 1969 |
Leo F. Wolf Gateway Transportation Co. Wisconsin |
| 1970 |
Cecil E. Chaney Pacific Intermountain Express Indiana |
| Year | Sontheimer Award Winner |
|---|---|
| 1971 |
Claude A. Pollet Mason & Dixon Lines New York |
| 1972 |
Ernest W. Fernandez H.E. Butt Grocery Company Texas |
| 1973 |
Franklin Wiles Mitchell Transport, Inc. Maryland |
| 1974 |
Henry F. Fleishman Consolidated Freightways Ohio |
| 1975 |
Cletus C. Frank Akers Motor Lines, Inc. North Carolina |
| 1976 |
George P. Holik Eazor Express Illinois |
| 1977 |
Chester J. Radwan Neuendorf Transportation Cicero, IL |
| 1978 |
Robert Gardner Pacific Intermountain Express Indiana |
| 1979 |
Tito Carrero Suburban Motor Freight Oak Forest, IL |
| 1980 |
Elmer R. Raines Kroger Company Charleston, WV |
| 1981 |
Glen Dale Harris Manley Transfer Co. Kansas City, MO |
| 1982 |
William M. Whim Hilton Contract Service Kansas City, MO |
| 1983 |
Bob B. Blassingame Yellow Freight System Texas |
| 1984 |
Robert W. Sherman Exxon Company, U.S.A Richmond, VA |
| 1985 |
Les Beall Safeway Stores Bowie, MD |
| 1986 |
Jesse Stauffer A-P-A Transport Lancaster, PA |
| 1987 |
Gary R. Castes B.I. Transportation Madison Heights, VA |
| 1988 |
Ronald Nagel A-P-A Transport Marlboro, NY |
| 1989 |
Ronald J. Bowman, Sr. Getty Petroleum Corp. Aldan, PA |
| 1990 |
Richard Gillespie Star Tribune Newspaper Minneapolis, MN |
| 1991 |
Jerome H. Rider Consolidated Freightways Kansas |
| 1992 |
Johnny T. Ligon Southeastern Freight Lines South Carolina |
| 1993 |
John Chamberlain Giant Food, Inc. Maryland |
| 1994 |
Jim Wilcox Yellow Freight Systems, Inc. New Mexico |
| 1995 |
Norman Melanson Exxon Company U.S.A. District of Columbia |
| 1996 |
Ervin R. Lemon Boeing Licensed Washington |
| 1997 |
Michael Noel H.E.B. Grocery Company Texas |
| 1998 |
Eleno P. Lara H.E.B. Grocery Company Texas |
| 1999 |
Raymond McKee Watkins Motor Lines, Inc. Florida |
| 2000 |
Roger L. Lantham Overnight Transportation Company |
| Year | Professional Excellence Award Winner |
|---|---|
| 2001 |
Joe G. Gonzalez H.E. Butt Grocery Co. Texas / Straight Truck |
| 2002 |
Charles C. Brown Yellow Transportation, Inc. Kansas / 5-Axle |
| 2003 |
Robert C. Akers Overnight Transportation Co. Oklahoma / Twins |
| 2004 |
Ryland B. Hogan Wilson Trucking Corp. Virginia / 5-Axle |
| 2005 |
Gerald W. Cudmore Yellow Transportation, Inc. South Dakota / Twins |
| Year | Neil Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award Winner |
|---|---|
| 2006 |
Bruce A. Green Yellow Transportation, Inc. Kansas / 5-Axle |
| 2007 |
John J. Hazlett ABF Freight System Pennsylvania / 3-Axle |
| 2008 |
Clarence S. Jenkins, Jr. UPS Freight West Virginia / 4-Axle |
| 2009 |
Thomas C. Turner Martin-Brower Georgia / 5-Axle |
| 2010 |
Dennis Day Con-way Freight Georgia / Sleeper Berth |
| 2011 |
Laurier R. Dumont YRC New Hampshire / 5-Axle |
| 2012 |
Denis J. Litalien Clifford W. Perham, Inc. Maine / 5-Axle |
| 2013 |
Ralph D. Garcia ABF Freight System, Inc. New Mexico / 4-Axle |
| 2014 |
Jeffrey Payne Reddaway Utah / Twin |
| 2015 |
Douglas Padgett Robinson Terminal Warehouse Corp. Virginia / Flatbed |
| 2016 |
Charles Woodland FedEx Freight Arizona / Straight Truck |
| 2017 |
Daniel Shamrell FedEx Freight Oregon / 4-Axle |
| 2018 |
Neil Nogues YRC Freight New Hampshire |
| 2019 |
Robert Dolan XPO Logistics Pennsylvania / Straight Truck |
| 2022 |
Anthony Spero ABF Freight System Inc. Connecticut |
| 2023 |
Ina Daly XPO Logistics Arizona |
| 2024 |
Richard Sweeney XPO |