Truck Driver Appreciation Essay Contest

Essay topics

Acuity is sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate truck drivers and the work they do. Contestants choose one of the following topics: 

• How has a truck driver in your life gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• How has someone in your life gone above and beyond in supporting a truck driver or their family during the COVID-19 pandemic?

 

Contest details

See official rules for complete contest details. 

• The contest is open to all truck drivers as well as anyone with a personal connection to a truck driver or a truck driver’s family. Contestants must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and D.C.
• CONTESTANTS WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR JURISDICTION OF RESIDENCE MUST OBTAIN CONSENT OF THEIR PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN TO ENTER.
• Contestants under the age of 13 must have a parent or legal guardian submit their entries electronically.
• One entry per contestant. Contestants may only enter one category.
• Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
• CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the contest may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
• Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company is not responsible for technical issues or issues related to the deliverability of email submissions.
• Failure to adhere to the contest rules or submission guidelines will result in disqualification from the contest.
• No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or win.

 

Entry requirements and format

• Entries must be an essay submission to be considered
• Essays must be submitted online or emailed to ThankYouDrivers@acuity.com
• Entries must be typed
• Entries are limited to essays of no more than 500 words
• Entries may include a photo of both the applicant and the person the applicant is recognizing, but it is not required
• Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the contestant
• Entries will not be accepted if they contain:
  • Inappropriate words.
  • Inappropriate images.
  • Mean, cruel or hateful behavior or attitudes.
  • Disrespect towards others.
  • Violence or other dark or frightening subjects
• This contest is conducted in American English.

 

Submission instructions

• Contest entries are accepted from June 1 through July 21, 2021.
• Entries must be submitted electronically.

 

Judging

All eligible entries will be evaluated and scored by the contest judges based on the following criteria:

• Originality – Uniqueness of the story
• Use of language relevant to the topic
• Creativity in how ideas are expressed.

 

In each category, the entry with the highest total score will be deemed the First Place Winner. The entry with the second-highest score will be deemed the Second Place Winner. The entry with the third-highest score will be deemed the Third Place Winner. In the event of a tie, the entry with the highest score for originality followed by creativity will be deemed the winner from among all tying entries. Winners will be notified on or before August 15, 2021.

Prizes

Truck Driver Being Recognized

• First Place Winner - $2,500 Check. In addition, Acuity will donate $500 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

• Second Place Winner - $1,500 Check.  In addition, Acuity will donate $250 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

• Third Place Winner - $1,000 Check. In addition, Acuity will donate $250 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

 

Other Person Being Recognized

• First Place Winner - $2,500 Check. In addition, Acuity will donate $500 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

• Second Place Winner - $1,500 Check. In addition, Acuity will donate $250 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

• Third Place Winner - $1,000 Check. In addition, Acuity will donate $250 to a trucking charity chosen by the winner from the approved charities listed below.

 

Prize acceptance: Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company will use reasonable best efforts to notify the winners. In the event that a winner cannot be located within five days of the judging period, the winner shall forfeit the prize and we may elect another winner. Winners must submit a completed W9 prior to claiming a prize; instructions can be found here.

 

Charity: Winners will be asked to choose one organization from the list of approved charitable organizations to receive a donation from Acuity. The donation will be made directly from Acuity to the selected charitable organization.

 

Approved charities for winners to select (must choose ONE):

• St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund - The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF) helps over-the-road/regional semi-truck drivers and their families when an illness or injury, occurring within the last year, has caused them to be out of work. The SCF also offers free health and wellness programs, including diabetes prevention, smoking cessation, free vaccines, and health challenges, to benefit professional drivers and the trucking industry.
• Truckers Against Trafficking - Truckers Against Trafficking is raising up a mobile army of transportation professionals to assist law enforcement in the recognition and reporting of human trafficking to aid in the recovery of victims and the arrest of their perpetrators.
• Women in Trucking Foundation - The Women in Trucking Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports ambitious students, drivers, and professionals in the trucking industry who seek to grow their skills through classroom and vocational training through scholarships in the fields of safety, driving, technical and leadership.  They work to ensure that women in the trucking industry have the support they need to turn jobs into careers through education and training.