June 11, 2026— After nearly three decades behind the wheel and a career built on safety, mentorship and service, Andrew Givens has earned one of the highest honors in ADM Trucking.
The veteran driver trainer was recognized this week as ADM Trucking’s 2025 Local Driver of the Year during a ceremony in Decatur attended by colleagues, managers and employees from locations across the company’s nationwide transportation network.
For Givens, the award represents much more than personal achievement.
“This is a milestone for me in my life,” Givens said. “I look back at all the years that have led up to this. It’s all been preparation. For me, I’m at a place in life where I have an opportunity to give back. That’s what this means to me.”
Givens, based at ADM’s Chattanooga terminal, recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with the company. Combined with his previous experience, he has spent 27 years driving trucks professionally.
ADM leaders say his impact extends far beyond his own driving record.
“When I first met Andrew six years ago, he was just a local driver on our night shift,” said Seth Becker, terminal manager for ADM Trucking’s Chattanooga location. “He was the hardest-working guy that we had. We saw a lot of potential in him, and he naturally started coaching others.”
That leadership led Givens into a driver trainer role, where he now helps prepare new drivers not only in Chattanooga but throughout ADM’s trucking operations.
“One word I can use to describe this guy is passion,” Becker said. “He’s passionate about driving a truck, making sure he delivers the best customer service possible, but he also loves guiding, leading and mentoring the next generation of drivers.”
The recognition comes after a standout year for Givens. In addition to earning ADM’s Driver of the Year distinction, he was selected as one of the top eight finalists nationwide for the National Tank Truck Carriers Driver of the Year award.
The honor placed him among an elite group of professional drivers from across the United States after hundreds of nominations were submitted by tank truck carriers nationwide.
“Just to make it to the top eight amongst all those great drivers was a pretty cool deal,” Becker said.
ADM’s Driver of the Year selection process begins with monthly driver awards. Drivers must maintain exemplary safety records, avoid accidents, spills and unexcused absences, and consistently demonstrate professionalism. Winners from ADM’s 38 trucking locations are then considered for annual honors.
For Becker, one of the qualities that separated Givens from other candidates was his willingness to invest in others.
“When we were trying to decide a winner, a lot of what he does outside the truck stands out,” Becker said. “He volunteers, helps with training events and even speaks about mental health awareness in a field where people don’t really talk about mental health that much. That says a lot about his character and who he is.”
The ceremony included another surprise for Givens — the presentation of a brand-new black truck that will serve as his new rig.
“It’s brand new,” Becker said. “What’s cool about it is it’s a different color than any other truck that we have. He’s going to stand out in front of the entire fleet.”
The truck was outfitted with features selected specifically for drivers, including a toolbox Givens said was exactly what he would have chosen himself.
“I feel so blessed,” Givens said. “I love the color. I love the decals. I love the toolbox that’s on it. Every little detail was perfect. I wouldn’t change one thing on the truck.”
True to form, Givens said the truck would immediately go to work.
“I’m actually going to put this truck to work Monday morning,” he said. “I’m going to be training a new hire.”
Throughout the ceremony, Givens repeatedly credited others for his success. He recalled a particularly difficult period when his mother was critically ill and ADM leaders immediately focused on supporting him as a person.
“One of the most profound things they did for me was when my mother was essentially on her deathbed,” Givens said. “In tears, I called Seth, and his first reaction was, ‘What do you need?’ It wasn’t about the job. It was about what I needed at that moment in my life.”
The experience reinforced his belief in ADM’s culture and commitment to employees.
“ADM develops incredible talent,” Givens said. “The quality of people that ADM has — they’ve invested in me and given me the opportunity to be the best that I can be.”
For Givens, the recognition ultimately comes back to the relationships formed on the road and the opportunity to mentor future drivers.
“I’m the hands and the face of everything that everybody else does,” he said. “I get to go to the customer. I get to develop relationships with customers. I get to train people to do that.”
He added that while he appreciates the award, plaque and new truck, his greatest reward is helping shape the next generation of professional drivers.
“I don’t have to come to work every day,” Givens said. “I get to come to work every day. I love my job, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
