John Smith, Jr. was named the best professional truck driver in Mississippi after winning the flatbed competition and receiving the highest overall score in the nine competing categories at the 2010 Mississippi Truck Driving Championships. The annual event is sponsored by the Mississippi Trucking Association.
Smith, who drives for FedEx Ground, now qualifies to compete in the American Trucking Associations' National Truck Driving Championships August 3-7, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio — also known as the "Super Bowl of Safety." The winners from each of the eight other categories are also eligible to compete in the national championship.
Nearly 400 drivers from all 50 states will compete in Columbus for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. From 18-wheeler five axle sleepers to tank trucks to twin trailers — they will drive a course that recreates situations truck drivers face daily. These maneuvers may include: an alley dock, a rear line stop, a side park, a scale stop, a right turn, a front line stop, and straight line driving through a diminishing clearance.
On Saturday night, August 7, one contestant will drive away as the 2010 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.
"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Mississippi Trucking Association President David Roberts. "I congratulate all the contestants and I hope Mississippi cheers for our drivers as they move on to Nationals in Columbus."
Mississippi participants at National for each category include:
Tim Walters, YRC, Grenada, Miss. (Straight Truck)
Cary Mayer, Con-way Freight, Potts Camp, Miss. (Three-Axle)
Jason Matte, FedEx Freight, Richland, Miss. (Four-Axle)
Gerald Delancey, Wal-Mart Transportation, Purvis, Miss. (Five-Axle)
Ricky Webster, Jr., Con-way Freight, Olive Branch, Miss. (Five-Axle Sleeper)
John Maddox, Jr., Ergon Trucking, Stringer, Miss. (Tankers)
John Smith, Jr., FedEx Ground, Mooreville, Miss. (Flatbed)
Don Nehring, FedEx Ground, Southaven, Miss. (Twins)
Rose Mathis, FedEx Ground, Blue Springs, Miss. (Step Van)
2 comments:
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) sponsors the annual National Truck Driving Championships, known as the "Super Bowl of Safety," to recognize industry leadership in safety and to promote professionalism among truck drivers. One hundred and fifteen professional drivers from 46 states representing FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx National LTL and FedEx SupplyChain qualified to compete at the national event by winning their respective state's competition and driving accident-free for at least one year.
The purpose of the driving competition is to improve safety by promoting, encouraging and rewarding safe and responsible driving practices. Drivers complete a written examination to test their knowledge of the industry, driving rules, first aid and other key subjects. Drivers then complete field-testing to measure their ability to identify safety defects in the equipment. Lastly, drivers maneuver tractor-trailers through obstacles to test their ability to operate safely in close quarters.
Post a Comment