Customers Ask for Drivers by Name: What Appreciation-Week Nominations Tell Dealers About Hiring

The Situation

Heading into heating season, independent dealers are working to hold on to the drivers already on their roster, and good ones are hard to replace. During a Sept. 13-19, 2026 appreciation week, the Propane Education & Research Council honored delivery and transport drivers put forward by propane companies and customers. Read together, those nominations amount to a job description written by the people who pay the bills.

The Facts

Source: Propane Education & Research Council.

Safety came up most often. Nominators praised careful work, sticking to procedure, catching hazards early, keeping gear in good repair and doing inspections and leak checks the right way.

Relationships came next. The nominated drivers know the property layout, the family, the dog and the particular needs of each household on their routes. "Many customers specifically request Teddy as their delivery driver because they know they can count on him for safe, timely, and exceptional service," said Emily Pierce, who nominated Teddy Jenkins.

Reliability filled out the stories: covering weekends and holidays, taking extra shifts, running through winter storms, handling tough routes and helping coworkers finish their stops. Brandi Burr, who nominated John Christianson, pointed to his 41 years of service: "Wisconsin weather is unforgiving, yet John has never let it stand between him and the people who depend on him."

"What stands out in these nominations is the trust propane drivers earn every day," said Bridget Kidd, PERC's chief operating officer.

Nominees came from independent retailers, cooperatives, transport carriers and national marketers. Among them are Farmward Cooperative in Morgan, Minnesota, Demmer Oil Company in Worthington, Iowa, and Viking Transport, which had drivers nominated in Georgia and Mississippi. PERC plans to feature the nominees across its communications channels. Bulk Transporter also covered the recognition. Neither outlet reports a total nominee count, judging criteria, a winner or a ranking.

Business Impact

A driver that customers ask for effectively holds the account. If that driver leaves, the relationship can leave too, and a competitor starts pulling into that farmhouse driveway. The nominations also show that office staff and homeowners value the same things, so what a dispatcher praises is what a customer remembers. Recognizing it costs a dealer almost nothing and tells the crew what counts.

What this means for your business: 1. The nomination themes give you a ready-made rubric for interviews and annual reviews. 2. Route knowledge is a retention asset, so get it on paper before turnover happens. 3. Specific, public praise gives drivers a reason to stay, and a small shop can offer it just as easily as a large one.

Key Takeaways

• Score driver candidates on safety habits first, then customer rapport, then willingness to cover hard shifts.
• Know which accounts lean on a single driver before winter staffing gets tight.
• Keep a running file of driver praise from customers and dispatch all year long.
• Sell cooperative and independent-dealer culture when hiring, because smaller operations were recognized alongside national marketers.

Action Steps

1. 1.Add an interview question asking candidates to describe a hazard they caught and what they did about it.
2. 2.Have each driver record gate codes, dogs and fill locations for their route so the knowledge stays if they leave.
3. 3.Ask office staff which customers request a particular driver, and flag those accounts for follow-up if that driver moves on.
4. 4.Before heating season, gather one safety or service story about each driver from customers and dispatch, then use it in a written thank-you and in your next driver job posting.

Competitive Advantage

A national marketer can advertise benefits. A local dealer can show a candidate real stories about its own drivers, told by its own customers. That proof works in a job posting and gives experienced drivers a reason to ignore a recruiter's call. Collect the stories now, before the first cold snap.