ABF Drivers Sutton and Camarda Earn Recognition at National Driving Championships

ABF drivers Robert Sutton and Rick Camarda earned recognition at the 75th National Truck Driving Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., August 7-11, 2012. Sutton won National Rookie of the Year, while Camarda placed second in the five-axle class.

Professional drivers earn the right to compete in the National Championships by winning state driving championships and by maintaining accident-free driving records for the preceding year. Sutton competed as the Idaho State Champion in the 3-Axle Class, while Camarda competed as California’s Five-Axle Champion. The two were part of an ABF team of 24 drivers, including two-time National Champion Tony Spero (2006, 2009). The team also included Grand Champions from their respective states: Spero, Connecticut; Chuck Smetzer, Maryland; and Kent Jones, Oklahoma.

Domiciled in Ontario, Ore., Sutton has recorded nearly 350,000 accident-free miles.  Camarda, a three-time competitor in the national event, is domiciled in Sacramento. His record includes driving more than 18,000 hours accident free.

“Earning the right to compete in the National Truck Driving Championship is an honor in itself, and we are proud of entire team of ABF drivers that competed in Minneapolis,” said ABF President and CEO Roy Slagle. “Everyone at ABF greatly appreciates the dedication and hard work of these driving professionals. It is due to their commitment and leadership that ABF has a well-earned reputation as a trusted supply-chain partner.”

Known informally as the Super Bowl of Safety, the annual event is sponsored by the Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council of the American Trucking Associations. The goal is to promote driving safety among the nation’s three million professional truck drivers. The comprehensive competitions include written examinations, pre-trip inspections and demonstrations of braking, parking, backing and maneuvering skills.

CSA Doesn’t Accurately Reflect Safety, Fleets Tell FMCSA in New Comments

Several trucking fleets said that the government’s safety scoring methodology does not accurately assess safety performance.

In comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, YRC Worldwide Inc. said that its concerns about the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program are amplified by the fact shippers are increasingly relying on the system.

“The impact of the [CSA] safety measurement system cannot be underestimated,” Terry Budimlija, YRC Freight’s safety director, wrote in July 30 comments. “Shippers are increasingly scrutinizing the records of their carriers.”

Shippers fear that plaintiffs’ attorneys will use the CSA safety ratings to pursue multi-million-dollar vicarious liability lawsuits, YRC said.  Full Story.........

YRC Freight Professional Driver Scott Stroup Named 4-axle Champion At The 2012 National Truck Driving Championships

Kevin Miskiewicz Places Third In Same Class

YRC Freight, a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc. is proud to announce that professional driver Scott Stroup of Omaha, NE has been named 4-axle champion at the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).

Kevin Miskiewicz of Landsdale, PA placed third in the same class. Stroup and Miskiewicz competed with 425 other professional drivers from across the United States at the event which took place August 7 – 11 in Minneapolis, MN.

Mr. Stroup, who has been in the trucking industry for 33 years, has been with the company for 22 years accident-free. Recognized by YRC Worldwide as a Million Mile safe driver, he received a Professional Excellence and Vehicle Condition award at his state competition before moving on to the national event. Actively involved in his community, Mr. Stroup helps train the cadets at the Nebraska State Highway Patrol Carrier Enforcement Division Academy.

Mr. Miskiewicz, named Grand Champion at his state competition, has been a driver with YRC Freight for 18 years. A Pennsylvania Road Team member, he has competed in every Pennsylvania Truck Driving Championship since 1997 and has been accident-free his entire career. A military veteran, Mr. Miskiewicz is a member of the Royersford VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and is also a member of the American Truck Historical Society.

"We salute Scott and Kevin for their achievements and thank them for their continued commitment to safety," said Jeff Rogers, president of YRC Freight. "We would like to extend our congratulations to all of our employees who participated in this year's event. Their remarkable skill and dedication to keeping our highways safe enables us to provide our customers with the highest level of service each and every day."

The four day competition tested driver's knowledge of safety, equipment, the industry and driving skills. Now in its 75th year, the NTDC and affiliated state TDCs are considered one of the industry's largest and most effective safety programs. Known to many as the "Super Bowl of Safety," these annual events inspire tens of thousands of drivers to operate accident-free for the right to compete.

To participate, drivers must be accident-free, regardless of fault, for one year and through the national championships.