AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you know a professional truck driver who has performed an act of heroism while on the road? The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company wants to hear the story!

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Goodyear is accepting nominations for its 31^st North America Highway Hero Award at www.goodyeartrucktires.com through Nov. 29, 2013.

The Goodyear Highway Hero Award, which is the oldest and most prestigious award of its kind, honors truck drivers who put themselves in harm's way to help others.

Goodyear will announce the 31^st Highway Hero Award winner during the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky.

The winner will receive a $5,000 prize, a custom Goodyear Highway Hero ring, and other honors.

The Highway Hero Award was created in 1983 to help elevate the image of the trucking industry and recognize truck drivers for their courage and selflessness. (Click here to watch a video about the Goodyear Highway Hero Award, including footage from last year's Highway Hero Award announcement event during MATS.)

Last year's Goodyear Highway Hero Award winner, Jason Harte, rescued a family of six, including four children, from a crushed minivan. The previous year's Goodyear Highway Hero Award recipient, Mike Schiotis, rescued a woman from a gun-wielding attacker.

Other past winners include a driver who pulled an elderly man from a car moments before it was destroyed by on oncoming train, a driver who rescued two girls who were trapped in a burning vehicle, and a driver who dove into a pond to save a child who was stuck in a rapidly sinking car.

"Truck drivers are often first responders to on-highway incidents, springing into action without regard for their own well-being and putting their lives on the line to save others," said Phillip Kane, vice president, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems.

"Through the Goodyear Highway Hero program, we've heard hundreds of stories about truck drivers' bravery. If you know a truck driver who has put his or her own safety at risk to help someone else, please let us know."

To nominate a truck driver for Goodyear's 31^st North America Highway Hero Award, click on this link, fill out the online Highway Hero registration form, and hit the "submit" button, which will send your nomination directly to Goodyear. For consideration, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a full-time truck driver
• Must reside in the U.S. or Canada
• The incident must have occurred in the U.S. or Canada
• Nominee's truck at the time of the incident must have had 12 wheels or more
• Nominee must have been on the job – or on the way to or from work in his or her truck – at the time of the incident
• Incident must have taken place between Nov. 16, 2012, and Nov. 16, 2013, to qualify for this year's program.

After the Goodyear Highway Hero Award nomination period ends, the list of eligible Highway Hero Award candidates will be narrowed down to four finalists. A panel of trucking industry judges will then select the 31^st Goodyear North America Highway Hero, who will be revealed March 2014 during a special event at MATS. (Final approval of Goodyear Highway Hero finalists and the Highway Hero Award winner is at Goodyear's sole discretion. Finalists must clear background checks to Goodyear's satisfaction.)

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company:
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 69,000 people and manufactures its products in 52 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company