Safety first for truckers

Joe Clements won at the State Truck Driving Championships for the third year in a row.

Most people try to avoid accidents on the road, but for Joe Clements, it's an occupational hazard.

Clements, who drives for UPS Freight, competes every year in the State Truck Driving Championships, as well as the National Truck Driving Championships. In order to be eligible to compete, Clements must remain accident-free for 12 months, in both his personal car and UPS truck.

"That means not only accidents, but no speeding tickets, no nothing," said Clements, whose parents, Harry and Doris Clements, still live in Mathews. "It's what the competitions are all about, and why the American Trucker Association, ATA, supports us. It really makes you a better driver and a better person during the year."

Clements has been competing for 15 years in the competitions and has placed first in the last three state championships. The highest he's placed in the national championship is 11th.

"You have to place in the state championships to be able to compete in the national competition," Clements said. "There are nine classes at nationals, and each class has 47 competitors. There's a first-place winner in each class.

Classes at the National Truck Driving Championships include straight truck, three-axle, four-axle, five-axle, flatbed, tank truck, twins, sleeper and auto transporter. Last year, Clements competed in the tanker division, but this year, he will compete in the flatbed class.

"The competitions are both enjoyable, and they really help build confidence in yourself," said Clements.

During the national competition, there are four main tests for the drivers: a written exam, personal interview, pre-trip inspection and skills test/field course. The written exam tests the knowledge of the driver in the fields of general trucking knowledge, safe driving rules, first aid and firefighting. All the questions from the written exam are taken from the ATA publication Facts for Drivers.

The most challenging tests are the pre-trip inspection and field course. The pre-trip inspection challenges the competitor to find defects planted on a test vehicle within a specified amount of time. This test simulates how the drivers have to inspect their equipment before each trip.

"The pre-trip is what kept me from placing last year," said Clements. "They gave me 10 minutes to find all the defects they'd planted, and I just messed up. That's one thing about these competitions — you cannot have a bad day. You cannot be up on three of the tests and down on the other. You've got to be perfect."

All the tests are held indoors, which makes the field test even more challenging.

"They set up a course for you, something simulating what you'd have to do on one of your normal runs, like an alley dock. You have to back up to the dock, like you were going to unload something, without hitting it. But the catch is that you've got to be within 18 inches of it. If you're outside of that, you don't score," Clements said.

"By having the test indoors, it makes it even more challenging. There's no sun, so you don't have shadows to help you maneuver. It's all done through mirrors and your own merit. This is another reason why I love competing in these truck championships. You're only ever competing against yourself. I'm the only one that can do good or bad."

Clements believes the most rewarding part of what he does is the camaraderie and recognition by UPS Freight and others in the industry.

"I remember being out at one of the competitions, and as I was getting into my truck, after my wife gave me a kiss, I heard some people talking. One man asked another as I was about to drive off in my truck, 'What are you most worried about on the course,' and the man pointed up at me in my truck. He was worried about what I was going to be able to do on the course, versus what he could. It was a pretty amazing moment of recognition for me," Clements said.

Dennis Kendrick, another UPS Freight driver, mentioned the competitions to Clements, which piqued his interest and got him started.

"He just asked me about competing one time, and I decided, 'Why not?' He's got eight state titles and placed fifth at the national competition last year," said Clements. "He inspires me to do better every time I watch him. I just know I want to be like that."

In preparation for the National Truck Driving Championships — which are being held in Houston on Aug. 19-23 — Clements is boning up on the material in the ATA book, as well as setting up small practice courses containing problems he thinks might be on the course.

"When I won my first state championship title in 2006, I was elated. I didn't even think I was in the running for it. They were calling out the third- and second-place winners, and then they called my name for first. I remember looking up at them and saying, 'Are you sure?' "

After winning his first state championship, something he'd been trying to accomplish for years, Clements said he had "finally gotten his ducks in the right row."