Intermodal driver, pilot soars to victory in 'Semi Showdown' photo contest

COVID-19 may have forced the cancellation of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament, but it couldn’t ruin Schneider’s “Semi Showdown: Truck Photo Faceoff” bracket contest.

After thousands of votes cast on Facebook, Schneider Regional Intermodal driver Nathan Young emerged victorious with his sunset shot from San Antonio, Texas.

He edged Kenyada West’s beautiful London, Ky., sky photo, 456-349 in total championship votes.

The prize and the contest

Nathan’s photo was one of over 100 submitted during the Feb. 24 – March 6 contest entry, which Schneider seeded into a 16-matchup bracket across four regions. Voting took place March 17 – April 7, which would have coincided directly with the NCAA basketball bracket.

Nathan won a prize package, including:

• A Schneider-branded zip-up hooded sweatshirt.
• Schneider tote bag.
• Ride of Pride military tribute truck coins.
• Schneider sticker.

Check out the full bracket below and the full contest details on our contest launch blog post, and you can scroll to see each match-up on the Schneider Truck Driving Jobs Facebook page.

The perfect sunset at the perfect time

With 37,000-plus photos on his iPhone 11 Pro, Nathan loves taking photos — for friends, family and the broader truck driver community.

If last year’s winner was any indication, voters love a good sunset photo, but it was a bit of luck that put Nathan in the right spot to capture the winning shot:

Here’s a quick collage of photos Nathan has captured during his time with Schneider:

By traveling the country, drivers are often in position to capture beautiful photos. Share yours anytime through Schneider’s Facebook and Instagram.

From pilot to police to professional truck driver

Nathan has been a Schneider driver since July 2016, but it was an interesting journey before that:

• Born in Minneapolis, Minn., grew up in Orlando and Port St. Lucie, Fla., then moved to Miami and then Dallas, Texas.
• Earned his airplane pilot’s license in 2010 while still in high school at age 17 — before even his normal driver’s license.
• Pursued a degree in criminal justice to pay for flying and graduated from the police academy in 2015.
• Got close to landing a few law enforcement opportunities, but a year after graduating, decided to try commercial truck driving.
• Graduated from SAGE truck driving school in Fort Pierce, Fla., before choosing to start his driving career with Schneider.

Since starting with Schneider, Nathan has enjoyed being able to move into different types of driving positions without leaving the company:

• Started with Van Truckload Over-the-Road out of Atlanta, Ga., and enjoyed visiting family all around the country.
• Switched to a Dedicated account hauling freight for a large national retailer out of Midway, Ga., and liked working consistently with the same customers.
• Switched to Intermodal overnights in Fort Worth, Texas, then to Regional Intermodal, where he is now, enjoying the different type of work.

Congratulations to Nathan on his career progression at Schneider and for winning this year’s Semi Showdown photo contest!