ABF Driver Tony Spero Earns Top Honors at National Truck Driving Championships

ABF Freight System, Inc., driver Anthony (Tony) Spero won the National Championship in the Tank Truck Class during the 72nd National Truck Driving Championships, August 18-22, 2009, in Pittsburgh. This is Spero's second National Championship. He also won the Flatbed Class during the 2006 championships.

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 past year.

Spero, a city driver at the ABF Stratford Connecticut , service center, was one of 20 state champion drivers representing ABF in the national competition. Spero qualified for the national competition by winning the tank truck class in Connecticut's state championship, where he was named 2009 Grand Champion. His record of accomplishment includes two Connecticut Grand Champion awards and nine state championship victories since 1997. A former America's Road Team Captain and a three-time member of the ABF Road Team, Spero has driven more than 20 years accident free.

"Thanks to the commitment and leadership of outstanding employees like Tony Spero, ABF has a well-earned reputation as a trusted supply-chain partner," said Jim McFarlin, ABF safety and security director. "The drive and dedication of such productive, conscientious professionals bring unmatched value-added logistics solutions to ABF customers. Everyone at ABF greatly appreciates the dedication and hard work Tony puts into every endeavor. We are proud of the way he represents both ABF and the trucking industry at large."

2009 National Truck Driving Championships Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2009 National Truck Driving Championships were announced early this morning after a three day competition that tested driver's knowledge of safety, equipment, the industry and driving skills. Considered the "Super Bowl of Safety," the competition is in the midst of a drive-off.

The top three drivers in each of the eight competing categories, along with the affiliated step van competition, will now run a specially designed obstacle course that will be unveiled this morning to determine the top driver. At the end of the day, the best driver from all eight categories will be named, with one driver named the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

2009 National Truck Driving Championship Finalists

Straight Truck Class

Robert (Bob) J. Dolan - Con-way Freight (Catasauqua, Pa.)
Brent A. Glasenapp - FedEx Express (Franklin, Wis.)
Leroy Williams, Sr. - Con-way Freight (Zachary, La.)

3-Axle Class

Brian Clark - FedEx Express (Pittsboro, Ind.)
Don Logan - FedEx Freight (Eskridge, Kan.)
Joe Mangiaracino - FedEx Freight (Sullivan, Mo.)

4-Axle Class

Mike Stickley - Con-way Freight (Winchester, Va.)
Tim Dean - Werner Enterprises, Inc. (Omaha, Neb.)
Darryl Dodd - Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC (Phil Campbell, Ala.)

5-Axle Class

Dale Duncan - Con-way Freight (San Diego, Ca.)
Ray Jackson - H-E-B Grocery Co. (San Antonio, Texas)
J.W. (Jesse) Ballard - YRC (Portland, Ore.)

Flatbed Class

Rick Kinsey - Con-way Freight (Winchester, Va.)
Rich Sweeney - Con-way Freight (Springfield, Mass.)
Mick Simpson - Family Dollar Trucking, Inc. (Rose Hill, N.C.)

Tank Truck Class

Tony Spero - ABF Freight (Stratford, Conn.)
Dennis Chambers - Crete Carrier Corporation (Spartanburg, Neb.)
Jon Hume - FedEx Freight (Hillsboro, Mo.)

Twins Class

Mark McLean - FedEx Freight (Gardiner, N.Y.)
Stacy Sansom - YRC (Shreveport, La.)
Chris Poynor - Con-way Freight (Pasco, Wash.)

Sleeper Berth Class

Ralph Garcia - ABF Freight System, Inc. (Rio Rancho, N.M.)
John Hummel - UPS Freight (Gaffney, S.C.)
Troy Swenson - FedEx Freight (Watertown, S.D.)

Step Van

Skippy LeBlanc - FedEx Ground (Seaford, Del.)
Nick Paradiso - FedEx Ground (Portland, Ore.)
David Thompson - FedEx Ground (Alexander, Ark.)

Tennessee Truck Driving Champion Crowned

Nine Drivers Continue on to National Competition

Terry Certain, of Murfreesboro, was named the best professional truck driver in Tennessee after winning the three axle competition and receiving the highest overall score in the nine competing categories at the 2009 Tennessee Truck Driving Championships. The annual event is sponsored by the Tennessee Trucking Association.

Certain, who drives for Con-way Freight, now qualifies to compete in the American Trucking Associations' National Truck Driving Championships August 18-22, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Penn. -- 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 Pittsburgh 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 22, one contestant will drive away as the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Tennessee Trucking Association President Dave Huneryager. "I congratulate all the contestants, and I hope Tennessee roots for our drivers as they move on to Nationals in Pittsburgh."

Tennessee participants at Nationals for each category include:

Shaune Robles, H.B. Phillips, Inc., Memphis, Tenn. (Straight Truck)

Terry Certain, Con-way Freight, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Three-Axle)

Terry Jones, Averitt Express, Inc., Johnson City, Tenn. (Four-Axle)

Thomas Vandivort, Martin-Brower, Dickson, Tenn. (Five-Axle)

Thomas "Dale" Williams, Con-way Freight, Strawberry Plains, Tenn. (Five-Axle Sleeper)

David Magee, FedEx Freight, Huntington, Tenn. (Tankers)

Steven Heinz, Con-way Freight, Morristown, Tenn. (Flatbed)

John Lawrence, UPS Freight, Jackson, Tenn. (Twins)

Brady Todd, FedEx Express, Drummonds, Tenn. (Step Van)

YRC Driver is Indiana Truck Driving Champion

Dabiel Ferenczi, a driver for YRC Worldwide, was named the best professional truck driver in Indiana after winning the four axle competition and receiving the highest overall score in the eight competing categories at the 2009 Indiana Truck Driving Championships. The annual event is sponsored by the Indiana Motor Truck Association.

Ferenczi, who resides in Niles, Mich., now qualifies to compete in the American Trucking Associations' National Truck Driving Championships August 18-22, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Penn. -- also known as the "Super Bowl of Safety." The winners from each of the seven other categories are also eligible to compete in the national championship.

Nearly 400 drivers from all 50 states will compete in Pittsburgh 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 22, one contestant will drive away as the 2009 National Grand Champion Truck Driver.

"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Indiana Motor Truck Association President & CEO Kenny Cragen. "I congratulate all the contestants and I hope Indiana cheers for our drivers as they move on to Nationals in Pittsburgh."

Indiana participants at Nationals for each category include:

Wm "Neal" Belton, YRC Worldwide, Avon, Ind. (Straight Truck)

Brian Clark, FedEx Express, Pittsboro, Ind. (Three-Axle)

Aaron McCormick, Con-way Freight, Muncie, Ind. (Four-Axle)

Don Conklin, YRC Worldwide, LaPorte, Ind. (Five-Axle)

Ron Marker, Wal-Mart Transportation, Washington, Ky. (Five-Axle Sleeper)

Daniel Ferenczi, YRC Worldwide, Niles, Mich. (Tankers)

Ronald Tobin, J.E.T. Transit, Huntingburg, Ind. (Flatbed)

Ralph Bogue, Styline Logistics, New Carlisle, Ind. (Twins)

23 UPS and UPS Freight Drivers Going to U.S. Championships

Twenty-three state champions, including 10 returning state winners, will represent UPS and UPS Freight at the 2009 National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships in Pittsburgh next month.

Together, the 23 UPS drivers have garnered 67 state championships and more than 450 years of accident-free driving.

"These safety-first drivers, a mix of veteran and relative newcomers to the competition, represent the most skilled professionals in the trucking industry,” said Phil Warren, UPS Freight vice president for community affairs. "For UPS and all competitors, the Nationals -- the acknowledged Super Bowl of Safety -- represent a showcase of our industry’s top drivers.”

The veteran UPS contingent is led by returning state champion Ralph Gragg of Charleston, W.Va., who is making his 11th trip to the Nationals, and Dennis Kendrick of Richmond who won his third straight and ninth overall Virginia title this year. Kendrick will compete in the 3-axle competition at the August championships while Gragg will test the nation’s best in the 5-axle.

Returning for the third straight year to the Nationals is UPS feeder driver John Foran, who successfully defended the Vermont four-axle championship he first won in 2007.

Other members of the 2009 team include three UPS feeder drivers who will make their second straight trip to the Nationals. They are David Sharp from Nevada and Troy Turtle and Bill Harvey from Oklahoma.

First-time state winners making their Nationals debut will be UPS drivers Jeff Kalinowski and Bill Raff from Illinois and Ron Seltzer from Texas.

Raff will compete in the 3-axle competition while Kalinowski and Seltzer become the first UPS drivers in the Step Van competition that debuted this year in some 23 state championships.

The 23 UPS drivers advancing to the Nationals come from 14 states and captured team titles in the state championships of four states: South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Four South Carolinians, led by Steve Newsome, will wear the company’s colors in Pittsburgh. Newsome won his fifth state championship this year and was named Grand Champion in the state competition with the highest score among all competitors. Joining Newsome from the state are John Cook, also a five-time winner; John Hummel, a two-time state titleholder, and newcomer James Belcher. All four UPS Freight drivers are based in Gaffney, S.C.

Three UPS Freight drivers from Georgia will carry the company’s colors. Al Churchwell of Marietta will appear in his seventh Nationals and will be joined by Mike Britt of Marietta and Tommy Lasalata of North Atlanta.

Other company drivers earning their tickets to Pittsburgh are Rodney Cosper and Duane Holmes, both from UPS Freight’s Birmingham, Ala., service center; Randy Crews, Lynchburg, Va.; Manny Franco, Phoenix, Ariz.; John Lawrence, Jackson, Tenn.; Paul Savill, Ohio, and Jerry Sheble, Fontana, Calif.

Both the state and national competitions include difficult driving skills, maneuvering tests, equipment inspections and exams covering safety policies and regulations. More than 400 drivers from across the nation will compete in Pittsburgh in nine equipment classes between Aug. 18 and 22.

20 ABF State Driving Champions to Compete in National Truck Driving Championships

ABF Freight System, Inc., is sending 20 championship drivers from 10 states to the 72nd National Truck Driving Championships, August 18-22, 2009, in Pittsburgh. Professional drivers earn the right to compete in the National Championships by winning state driving championships and by maintaining an accident-free driving record for the past year.

Among the competitors representing ABF are nine repeat winners from 2008, including three former National Champion Drivers and three 2009 state driving Grand Champions. Two competitors, Paul Gattin and Ben Saiz, also currently serve as America's Road Team Captains.

Click here for the list of former National Champion drivers.....

2 New Penn drivers earn right to compete at National Truck Driving Championships

Two New Penn drivers won their classes at the Pennsylvania state truck driving championships over the weekend to earn the right to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).

Will Chrvala, of Reading, Pa., won the 4-axle class and received an award for having the highest score on the written test. Chrvala previously competed at the NTDC in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

From Camp Hill, Pa., Richard Walton placed first in the twin trailers class.
YRC drivers won the Pennsylvania team trophy, having two second- and one third-place finishes.

These YRC Worldwide drivers will represent their states and YRC at the 2009 National Truck Driving Championships from Aug. 17–22 in Pittsburgh.

YRC Drivers from North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi to Compete at NTDC

Four YRC Worldwide drivers won their classes at the State Truck Driving Championships

• YRC Driver Michael Cole of Charlotte, N.C., won the step-van championship and will be making his first trip to the national competition.

• Kevin Dean, a YRC driver of Marietta, Ga., won the straight truck class to proceed to national competition. He's no stranger to Nationals, having competed at the competitions every year since 2003.

• Tupelo, Miss., YRC Driver Tim Harris won the Twin Trailers class to earn a trip to
Nationals. This will be Harris' first national competition.

• John "J.C." Miller, driving for YRC out of Winston-Salem, N.C., won the twin trailers class. He has competed at two previous Nationals.

These YRC Worldwide drivers will represent their states and YRC at the 2009 National Truck Driving Championships from Aug. 17-22, 2009, in Pittsburgh.