Airgas Drivers of the Year

Airgas’ four National Driver of the Year Award winners are true professionals—selected based on stellar driving records in calendar year 2023, outstanding customer service skills and their love of being behind the wheel of Airgas trucks. Here, in their own words—and the words of their co-workers—are the reasons these drivers are now riding high.

Rodney Shaydik

Tractor Tanker - Airgas Specialty Products (Owosso, Michigan)

Rodney Shaydik is proof that karma—or in his case, “truck-ma”—exists. As an Airgas driver, he puts a lot of good into the world, and it keeps coming back to him.

Before getting into his cab, Shaydik makes sure he’s up-to-date on training, rested and in the right frame of mind. On the road, he’s never hurried or following too close to other vehicles, and always focused on the task at hand. “A positive attitude always allows you to be your best,” he says, and the proof is his safety record: zero accidents in his 10 years driving with Airgas.

Shaydik’s give-what-you-want-to-receive philosophy is also on display in his customer interactions. By cultivating good relationships at all his stops, he’s discovered that deliveries become more efficient.

“Having a good rapport and proper attitude with customers has paid dividends by saving everyone time and money.”

Jeff Greis

Straight Truck Cylinder - Northeast Region (Home Branch: Cheektowaga, New York)

If Airgas was a baseball team, Jeff Greis would be the unheralded utility player who made himself into an MVP. Arriving at the Cheektowaga plant in 2018, Greis did a little bit of everything — working the dock, loading trucks, helping branch customers. All the while, he had a commercial driver’s license with a hazmat endorsement in his back pocket.

When the driving route for the University of Buffalo (UB) — the branch’s biggest account and a complicated one with four different campuses and more than 300 delivery locations — became available, Greis grabbed the opportunity and ran with it. By answering or getting answers to lab customers’ questions about gases, catching order mistakes before deliveries go out and providing outstanding service day after day, he’s earning raves from his campus customers.?

Inside the plant, it’s the same story. “Jeff has become a defining voice for our drivers. He makes everyone understand the importance of pre- and post-trip inspections and other safety- related topics,” says Plant Manager Kevin Kaczmarek. “It’s people like Jeff that come into our lives and really create a spark that keeps our safety culture alive and thriving.”

Kevin Hergenroeder

Straight Truck Cylinder - Mid America Region (St. Louis, Missouri)

With six kids and 15 grandchildren, Kevin Hergenroeder knows that keeping everyone safe is a full-time job. “While driving, delivering product or in the plant, I always work on ways to maintain a safe environment for myself and others who are working with me,” the 40-year driving veteran says.

It doesn’t matter how many times he’s done something before—pre-truck inspections, container safety checks, loading at the dock or unloading at the customer site— if it is going to improve the odds of a safe outcome, Hergenroeder does it again with care and without putting his brain on autopilot. He brings that same approach to Airgas continuing education courses that keep his safety knowledge fresh, even going so far as sharing what he’s learned with his Airgas co-workers. “Hopefully it inspires them to be safe also,” he says.

In his decades in the trucking industry—including 10 years with Airgas—Hergenroeder has zero recorded safety violations. It’s an incredible accomplishment. When he says, “Safety is my number one priority,” it’s not a slogan, it’s a promise he keeps with every turn of the wheel.

Miguel Orozco

Microbulk Truck - NCN Region (Fresno, California)

Miguel Orozco loves to talk, which is great news for Airgas because a lot of what he says adds to our safety culture.

At drivers’ meetings, he takes the lead to give other drivers the benefit of his 20 years of accident- and injury-free performance. When the Fresno plant welcomed in drivers from an acquired operation in nearby Hanford, he took the newcomers under his wing to bring them up to Airgas standards. And if he sees something being done unsafely, he—of course—speaks out.

Tapping into Orozco’s gift of gab, the South California Valley (SCV) district named him a Driver Mentor in 2023. “It’s a valuable position within Airgas, and Miguel is the right guy to hold it,” says Tony Garibay, EH&S Specialist for SCV.

Customers, too, come out on the winning end after conversations with Orozco. With a smile and super-friendly attitude, he explains the reasons behind — and fixes for — customer issues, offers ideas on improving delivery set-ups and makes them feel good about being in business with Airgas.

“Being rude and getting upset will not make any situation better,” he says. “Listening to—and talking with—your customers and co-workers will get you everywhere.”

Thank you to our drivers for always embodying the Airgas values and for your ongoing commitment to driving safely on the roads! #DriverAppreciation