Campaign Overview

TravelCenters of America (TA) created the Citizen Driver Contest to honor professional truck drivers who embody the values of citizenship, safety, community involvement, health & wellness, and leadership. Designed to celebrate the people within the profession, the contest invites drivers to nominate themselves or honor a peer whose character and contributions truly stand out, creating a powerful sense of pride and connection across the trucking community.

Now a long-standing tradition at TA, the Citizen Driver program has become a signature initiative that reflects the company’s deep commitment to the trucking industry. Realtime Media has proudly partnered with TA to help sustain and evolve this campaign, delivering a seamless digital experience that recognizes and celebrates exceptional drivers across the country, year after year.

Our Solution

To advance TA’s mission of recognizing distinguished drivers, Realtime Media delivered a fully managed digital nomination contest designed for efficiency, engagement, and scale.

Our Approach

• Nomination-Based UGC Collection: We designed a user-friendly experience that enabled drivers or supporters to share meaningful personal stories and accomplishments aligned with TA’s five core values. As part of this process, we gathered detailed nominee and finalist information that allowed TA to showcase the remarkable achievements of its honorees.
• Seamless Program Execution: Beyond powering the submission and initial review process, Realtime Media handled iterative updates to the campaign website, coordinated finalist outreach, and built a secure finalist portal to streamline communication and next-step management.
• Celebratory Recognition & Meaningful Prizing:
  • 10 finalists each received 10,000 UltraONE® points.
  • Up to two Grand Prize winners were invited to an award ceremony held at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
  • Grand Prize winners also received a dedication in their honor at a TA, Petro, or TA Express location of their choice. This dedication includes a permanent on-site marker and a celebration with up to 30 invited guests.
  • Additional prizing, including a $5,000 cash prize, $2,500 donation to a charity of choice, and travel accommodations further elevated the Grand Prize winner experience.

Key Benefits

• Fostered Community-Driven Engagement: By inviting heartfelt nominations from across the industry, the campaign tapped into shared pride and personal connection. The recent 2025 campaign microsite drove significant awareness and engagement, attracting thousands of visitors and elevating brand visibility among TA’s core audience.
• Elevated Brand Alignment with Core Values: TA reinforced its commitment to the trucking community by honoring real-world role models.
• Generated Authentic, Shareable Content: Nominations highlighted inspiring stories, adding long-term value through user-generated content and potential for earned media.

Conclusion

The Citizen Driver Contest exemplifies how a values-driven promotion can deliver both emotional impact and strategic engagement. Through an intuitive nomination platform, thoughtful judging process, and high-profile recognition, Realtime Media helped TA celebrate the heart of the trucking industry: its drivers.

Interested in learning more about how we can help with your next Digital Promotion? Get in touch with us today!