FedEx Freight to Send 24 Drivers to National Truck Driving Championships
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Aug. 7, 2001--With a stellar combined safe driving record, twenty-four professional truck drivers from FedEx Freight operating companies Viking Freight and American Freightways (AF) have earned the right to compete at the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) 2001 National Truck Driving Championships. The ATA holds the annual event, which takes place August 22 to 25 in Minneapolis this year, to promote highway safety. Each of the 24 drivers for AF and Viking, representing 14 different states, finished first in his respective class at state-level truck driving championships.
"We're extremely proud to send and sponsor 16 of our drivers to this year's ATA national competition," said Scot Bishop, Viking's director of safety and human resources. "These professionals personify the commitment to safety, on-time performance and being Easy-to-Do-Business-With that all Vikings display day in and day out."
"Sharing the road safely with motorists takes precedence over everything we do," said Mark Courter, AF's manager of safety and compliance. "Our state driving champions have proven that, and they look forward to demonstrating their professional skills at the national championship."
The FedEx Freight contestants will compete among approximately 355 state champions from 49 states for the National Champion title in nine different classes. Additionally, the ATA will award the title of Grand Champion to the driver with the highest point total. Drivers compete based on driving skill and knowledge of the trucking industry, equipment, safety policies and regulations.
Both AF and Viking have won numerous safety awards from state trucking associations over the years, demonstrating the carriers' dedication to safety. In 1999, Viking was awarded the ATA's President's Trophy -- the highest safety award in the trucking industry.
State champions from AF and Viking who will compete at the national level include:
Straight Truck Gerard Avossa (AF) -- Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. Tim Clowers (Viking) -- Reno, Nev. Mark Dietsch (Viking) -- Salem, Ore. Gary Findling (Viking) -- Boise, Idaho Alan Gale, past national winner of Best Pre-Trip Award (Viking) -- Salt Lake City, Utah James Ross (AF) -- Little Rock, Ark. Richard Templeton (AF) -- Indianapolis, Ind. Flatbed Bud Deforest (Viking) -- Salt Lake City, Utah Twins David Fluke, former ATA America's Road Team Captain (Viking) -- Sacramento, Calif. Jerry Lambert (Viking) -- Portland, Ore. Bobby Slaton (AF) -- Tulsa, Okla. Paul Willoughby (Viking) -- Phoenix, Arizona 3-Axle David Fieselman (Viking) -- Albuquerque, N.M. Roy Holt (Viking) -- Reno, Nev. Toby Kort (AF) -- Grand Island, Neb. Robert Lee (Viking) -- Salt Lake City, Utah Leo Lopez (AF) -- Hollywood, Fla. Pat McGovern (Viking) -- Denver, Colorado Dan Shamrell, past national winner of Best Pre-Trip Award (Viking) -- Portland, Ore. 4-Axle Wayne Creager (Viking) -- Salt Lake City, Utah Daniel Dilena (AF) -- Montpellier, Vt. 5-Axle Jeff Wemmer (Viking) -- Sacramento, Calif. Gragg Wilson, past national winner of Best Pre-Trip Award (Viking) -- Reno, Nev. 5-Axle Sleeper James Kilpatrick (AF) -- Jackson, Miss.
In addition to the drivers' guests and family members, Doug Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight, as well as executives from both AF and Viking will be on hand at the national championships to cheer the team on.
As a member of the FedEx Corp. family of companies, FedEx Freight is a $1.9 billion leading provider of next-day and second-day regional LTL freight services. FedEx Freight is composed of two operating companies, American Freightways and Viking Freight, both known for exceptional service, reliability and on-time performance. Through a comprehensive network of service centers and real-time information systems, the two companies provide direct service to virtually all U.S. ZIP codes, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Internationally, American and Viking provide service to North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. More information about AF, which is based in Harrison, Ark., can be found at www.af.com, and about Viking, based in San Jose, Calif., at www.vikingfreight.com.
With annual revenues of $20 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, a leading provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, the world's largest provider of expedited, time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions.
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