Truck Driving Champions Named by South Carolina Trucking Association

6 May 1999

    COLUMBIA, S.C., May 6 -- Larry Grice of Leesville, a driver
for Southeastern Freight Lines, has been named grand champion of the 1999
South Carolina Truck Driving Championships.
    Grice won the title in Columbia by posting the highest score in a series
of driving, written, and interview-type tests in the annual competition
sponsored by the Safety Management Council of the South Carolina Trucking
Association.  His score in the three-axle van class was higher than leaders in
all other classifications.
    Other winners were: straight truck class, Preston Lindler of Lexington,
Con-Way Southern Express; four-axle truck class, Dennis Jackson of Boiling
Springs, Con-Way Southern Express; five-axle van class, Thomas Pierce of Lake
City, W. Lee Flowers & Co.; five-axle flatbed class, Ralph Whitaker of
Lancaster, Springs Industries, Inc.; five-axle tank class, Lloyd Baum of
Simpsonville, Roadway Express, Inc.; five-axle twin class, Johnny Ligon of
Batesburg, Southeastern Freight Lines; five-axle sleeper class, Mike Kase of
Williamston, Bi-Lo, Inc.; rookie of the year, Ralph Whitaker of Lancaster,
Springs Industries, Inc.; vehicle inspection award, Larry Grice of Lexington,
Southeastern Freight Lines; and Thomas Pierce of Lake City, W. Lee Flowers &
Co.; and Captain Bob Smith Team trophy, Southeastern Freight Lines.
    Winners will represent South Carolina in the American Trucking
Associations National Truck Driving Championships scheduled for Tampa,
Florida, August 18-21, 1999.
    Chairman of the event was Mike Harlan, G & P Trucking Co., Inc., Gaston,
with Conley Edwards, Roadway Express, Inc., Piedmont, as co-chairman.  Judges
were representatives of the South Carolina State Transport Police and US
Department of Transportation.
    Only SCTA member drivers who have accident-free driving records for the
past twelve months were eligible to compete.
    Guest speaker at the awards banquet was Eugene Cleckley, Director of
FHWA's Southern Resource Center, Atlanta, GA.