Pittsburgh – This morning, American Trucking Associations and ATA’s Safety Management Council announced finalists in nine vehicle classes at the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships, finishing today in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Highly skilled professional truck drivers have spent the past three days demonstrating their precision and knowledge of the industry at the 82nd National Truck Driving Championships,” said ATA Chairman Barry Pottle, president of Pottle’s Transportation. “We narrowed the field from 427 truck drivers to just 45 finalists who are now vying for the title of national champion in their driving class as well as the overall Bendix Grand Champion title. ATA and the entire trucking industry are waiting anxiously to see who will emerge today to take home top honors.”
This year’s finalists represent 15 companies and 26 states.
Competition at the NTDCs began August 14 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center with state champions from all 50 states taking the written examination – one of three scored phases of the competition. Over the past two days, competitors also tackled the difficult driving course and competed in the pre-trip inspection segments of the competition.
The NTDCs conclude today with the top five competitors in nine vehicle classes competing on the championship round driving course.
“Every driver who competed this week is a champion and a standout representative of their company and our industry,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Now we get to see which drivers can take their performance to the next level to win trucking’s biggest prize. Our industry is excited to follow today’s action.”
The awards ceremony will be held tonight, recognizing the Bendix Grand Champion, Rookie of the Year and top state delegation, among several other highly-respected trucking industry honors. ATA will broadcast the awards banquet via Facebook Live on the official ATA Facebook Page.
ATA’s Safety Management Council is hosting this year’s National Truck Driving Championships with Premiere Sponsor ACT 1.
Finalists for this year’s National Truck Driving Championships are as follows:
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Class |
Name |
Employer |
State |
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3-Axle |
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Paul Swan |
FedEx Freight |
Colorado |
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Jeffrey Slaten |
YRC Freight |
Florida |
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Ritch Fundell |
FedEx Freight |
Illinois |
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Brian Walker |
UPS Freight |
North Carolina |
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John Sanderson |
FedEx Express |
Oregon |
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4-Axle |
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Jottyn Santos |
Fedex Express |
Florida |
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Adam Heim |
FedEx Freight |
Idaho |
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David Rohman |
FedEx Express |
North Carolina |
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James Plaxco |
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. |
Oregon |
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Walter Ebinger |
YRC Freight |
Virginia |
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5-Axle |
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Alphonso Lewis |
YRC Freight |
Alabama |
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Ina Daly |
XPO Logistics |
Arizona |
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David Hall |
ABF Freight |
Arkansas |
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Steven Johnson |
XPO Logistics |
North Dakota |
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Bryan Krol |
The Martin-Brower Company L.L.C. |
Pennsylvania |
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Flatbed |
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Scott Osborne |
FedEx Freight |
Mississippi |
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Scott Fischer |
Prime, Inc. |
Missouri |
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Eric Flick |
FedEx Freight |
Nevada |
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Basher Pierce |
FedEx Freight |
North Carolina |
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Robert Lilly |
FedEx Freight |
Virginia |
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Sleeper Berth |
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Gregory Ryan |
Walmart Transportation LLC |
Arizona |
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Luke Yoakum |
Southeastern Freight Lines |
Georgia |
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Charles White |
Walmart Transportation LLC |
Indiana |
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Terry Wood |
Walmart Transportation LLC |
Pennsylvania |
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Michael Barnes |
Walmart Transportation LLC |
Virginia |
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Straight Truck |
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Matthew Hart |
FedEx Freight |
Nevada |
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Neil Nogues |
YRC Freight |
New Hampshire |
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James Kohr |
FedEx Express |
New York |
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Jason Imhoff |
Walmart Transportation LLC |
Ohio |
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Robert Dolan |
XPO Logistics |
Pennsylvania |
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Tank Truck |
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George Wells |
Shamrock Foods Company |
Arizona |
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Cecil Hicks |
FedEx Freight |
North Carolina |
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Paul Brandon |
FedEx Freight |
Connecticut |
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Edward Pennington |
FedEx Freight |
Florida |
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George Foster |
Casey's General Stores |
Iowa |
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Twins |
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Mark Knight |
AAA Cooper Transportation |
Alabama |
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David Mogler |
FedEx Freight |
Colorado |
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Donald Lynch |
United Parcel Service Inc. |
Indiana |
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Scott Woodrome |
FedEx Freight |
Ohio |
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James Belcher |
UPS Freight |
South Carolina |
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Step Van |
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Eric Damon |
FedEx Express |
Colorado |
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Robert Ledoux |
FedEx Express |
Massachusetts |
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Adam Stroup |
FedEx Express |
Nebraska |
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James Sheehan |
FedEx Ground |
Tennessee |
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Gregory Long |
FedEx Express |
Virginia |
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ATA continues to develop relationships with key industry partners looking to promote the elite, dedicated drivers who lead the trucking workforce. As such, ATA thanks NTDC Corporate Sponsors AAA Cooper Transportation, ABF Freight System, Inc., FedEx, FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., PITT OHIO, PrePass Safety Alliance, UPS Freight, and Walmart Transportation LLC. ATA also recognizes Bendix as the Grand Champion award sponsor.
American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward
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