Holland Sends Three Professional Drivers to National Truck Driving Championships

Three professional drivers will represent Holland at the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Minneapolis, Minn., August 7-11.

To qualify for the national competition, drivers must place first in their respective class at state contests and maintain accident-free safety records the preceding year. This year three Holland drivers earned state titles to advance to the national event: Herschel Evans, Georgia, five-axle (Georgia State Driver of the Year); Mike Tobolic, Michigan, five-axle; and David White, Ohio, tanker.

Fans and supporters of Holland drivers are invited to follow their progress at the NTDC this week on Facebook and Twitter.

The NTDC is an annual competition of professional truck drivers hosted by the American Trucking Associations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the event. The NTDC will test more than 400 drivers on many levels including skill behind the wheel, knowledge of safety rules and regulations, and the ability to spot safety hazards during a pre-trip inspection. The NTDC is a competitive event, but it's also a fun-filled, family activity celebrating the achievements of professional drivers and safety.

"Herschel, Mike and David have proven themselves to be among the nation's most professional and safest drivers. This is a special time for us to celebrate the professionalism of Holland drivers. Local, state and national driving contests are more than a test of how well a driver can operate a vehicle — they are a safety program that challenges drivers to sharpen their driving skills. We congratulate all Holland drivers who participated in driving competitions," said Scott Ware, Holland president.

Congratulations to all of the safety-conscious Holland drivers who competed in local state driving championships this year:

William Argeroplos, Dayton, Ohio
Gary Barfield, Columbia, S.C.
Sean Bates, Atlanta, Ga.
Charles Bauman, Chicago, Ill.
Marty Blandford, Louisville, Ky. 
James Bowman, Atlanta, Ga.
Michel Boyce, Kansas City, Kans.
John Bumgardner, Minneapolis, Minn.
Brett Buzard, Dayton, Ohio
Billy Carnes, Atlanta, Ga.
Thomas Carlson, Minneapolis, Minn.
Dennis Cole, Kansas City, Kans.
Roger Couch, Atlanta, Ga.
Raymond Donaldson, Atlanta, Ga.
Ronald Doty, Buffalo, N.Y.
Steve Dowden, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Dave Durham, Indianapolis, Ind.
Albert Epperson, Atlanta, Ga.
Charles Essex, Atlanta, Ga.
Frederick Eitenmiller, Lincoln, Ill.
Dwayne Flemming, Charlotte, N.C. 
John Fiorentini, Cleveland, Ohio
Joseph Gandy, Knoxville, Tenn.
Michael Gaskins, Atlanta, Ga.
Jon Good, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Danny Graham, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Jessie Harren, Minneapolis, Minn.
Harry Helgeson, Gaylord, Mich.
William (Don) Hill, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Tim Hines, Louisville, Ky.
Brian (Mitch) Jordan, Spartanburg, S.C.
Charles King, Lincoln, Ill.
Shawn Lashmet, Joplin, Mo.
James Lawless, Charlotte, N.C.
Noel Leach, Detroit, Mich.
James Looks, Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Rickey Lukehart, Lincoln, Ill.
Gregory Maki, Akron, Ohio
Stephen McConley, Atlanta, Ga.
Shawn McCutcheon, Akron, Ohio
Daniel McKee, Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Timothy McWhorter, Lincoln, Ill.
Brian Mertz, Detroit, Mich.
Shane Olds, Joplin, Mo.
Jerry Porchia, Kansas City, Kans.
Cecil Purkes, Lincoln, Ill.
Donald Putnam, Rockford, Ill.
James Rolow, Minneapolis, Minn.
Jack Rudeen, Minneapolis, Minn.
Eric Schoener, Buffalo, N.Y.
Russell Simpson, Columbus, Ohio
Todd Singleton, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Michael Snyder, Columbus, Ohio
James Steele, Minneapolis, Minn.
Arthur Suzuki, St. Louis, Mo.
David Weatherford, Knoxville, Tenn.
Donny Wethington, Louisville, Ky.
Jeffrey Whitaker, Charlotte, N.C.
Rayfus Williams, Charlotte, N.C.
Mike Wingerter, Kansas City, Kans.
Robert Wolford, Detroit, Mich.
James Yates, Atlanta, Ga.
Vladimir Yarulin, Charlotte, N.C.

New Penn Sends Two Professional Drivers to National Truck Driving Championships

Two professional drivers will represent New Penn at the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Minneapolis, Minn., August 7-11.

To qualify for the national competition, drivers must place first in their respective class at state contests and maintain accident-free safety records the preceding year. This year two New Penn drivers earned state titles to advance to the national event: Marc Ditomasso, Rhode Island, 3-axle; and Rich Walton, Pennsylvania, 4-axle.

Fans and supporters of New Penn drivers are invited to follow their progress at the NTDC this week on Facebook and Twitter.

The NTDC is an annual competition of professional truck drivers hosted by the American Trucking Associations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the event. The NTDC will test more than 400 drivers on many levels including skills behind the wheel, knowledge of safety rules and regulations, and the ability to spot safety hazards during a pre-trip inspection. The NTDC is a competitive event, but it's also a fun-filled, family activity celebrating the achievements of professional drivers and safety.

"The industry's safest and most-skilled drivers strive to qualify for this challenging national competition. The entire New Penn team congratulates Marc and Rich. Their motivation to compete is a reflection of their outstanding driving skills, professionalism and commitment to safety. We are proud of all New Penn drivers who participated in local and state competitions. Competing makes them safer professionals. All New Penn employees understand that safety enables us to meet our service commitments to our customers and return home safely to our families after every shift," said Steve Gast, New Penn president.

New Penn safety-conscious drivers who competed in local state driving championships this year are:

Chris Buckless, Milton, Pa.
Eric Consaul, Rochester, N.Y.
Frank Thompson, Providence, R.I.
Matthew Ketcham, Burlington, Vt.
Peter Glogowski, Rochester, N.Y. 
Richard Gagnon, Providence, R.I.
Roger Bertrand, Albany, N.Y.
Steven Soscia, Providence, R.I.
William Asaro, Providence, R.I. 

YRC reports positive income from operations

Trucking company YRC Worldwide Inc. reported it lost $22.6 million, or $3.21 a share, for its second quarter ending June 30, while its top executive said the firm was performing slightly better than predicted.

The loss reported Friday is an improvement from a year ago, when the Overland Park, Kan.-based company with operations in Summit County lost $43 million, or $267.33 a share, for the same period a year earlier.

The per-share difference totals reflect a financial restructuring that has taken place over the last year. A 1-to-300 reverse stock split took effect Dec. 1, 2011. YRC is the parent of the former Akron-based Roadway.

The soft economy caused revenue to drop slightly from a year ago, the company said. YRC said it took in $1.251 billion, down 0.5 percent from $1.257 billion from the second quarter of 2011.  Full Story........