10 FedEx drivers receive top honours at 2018 National Truck Driving Championships

10 FedEx drivers received top honours at the 2018 National Truck Driving Championships and the National Step Van Driving Championships in the US.

Seven won the title of National Champion for their class of vehicle: Scott Woodrome, who also won the Bendix Grand Champion Award (tank truck); Nick Arnold (4-axle); Miguel Corral (twins); Eric Courville (3-axle); Eric Damon (step van); Artur Lesniowski (5-axle sleeper berth); and Duane Staveness (5-axle).

Two drivers, Eric Courville and Todd Flippin, won awards for a perfect score in the written exam, while Mike Whitehead earned the Vehicle Condition Award. Ronny Zieser of FedEx Freight was crowned Rookie of the Year.

The annual competition, hosted by the American Trucking Associations, took place from August 15th to August 18th in Columbus, Ohio. The competition was founded in 1937. FedEx first got involved in 2003 when CEO Fred Smith called on his drivers to participate.

This year, 185 FedEx drivers qualified for the championships, the largest ever number. Around 450 drivers competed in total. The drivers earned points through a driving skills challenge, a written exam and a pre-tip inspection.

Participants had to have been with a carrier for at least a year and not involved in any accidents for twelve months prior to the competition.

“As a global transportation company, FedEx is deeply committed to road safety, and we are proud of our team members who were recognized for their superior driving skills at NTDC,” said Fred Smith.

“Each of these drivers represents both our commitment to excellence and our dedication to ‘safety above all’ in the communities in which we operate.”

(Source: FedEx)