FedEx Freight Sends 31 Drivers to National Truck Driving Championships; Drivers Earn the Right to Compete by Winning State-Level Competitions

    MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Aug. 7, 2002--Thirty-one FedEx Freight truck drivers from 21 states have earned the honor of competing at the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) 2002 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Milwaukee on Aug. 13-17. Collectively, the FedEx Freight team of professionals has 378 years of accident-free driving. FedEx Freight is the market leader in regional LTL (less-than-truckload) freight services and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. .
    The ATA hosts the annual safe-driving event -- which traditionally draws more than 2,000 spectators, company officials, drivers and judges in a festive atmosphere -- to promote highway safety. Each of the 31 FedEx Freight drivers finished first in his respective class of competition at state-level truck driving championships. The FedEx Freight team will compete among nearly 400 drivers for the National Champion title in six different classes by demonstrating their driving skills and knowledge of the trucking industry through a written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test and field test.
    "These 31 professionals exemplify our commitment to making safety an integral part of our operations day in and day out, and we're extremely proud of their accomplishments," said Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight. "As far as we're concerned, they're all winners. I look forward to supporting them personally in Milwaukee."
    Each FedEx Freight contestant and his guest will enjoy a company-sponsored all-expenses-paid trip to the National Truck Driving Championships. Joining the team will be a cheering section of more than 150 friends, family members and 16 company executives. The FedEx Freight drivers going to the competition will include the following state champions:

    Arizona
    Charlie Woodland, Phoenix (Straight Truck)

    Arkansas
    Tim Hess, Little Rock (Twins)

    California
    Eric Flick, Sacramento (Twins)

    Colorado
    Dave Mogler, Denver (4-Axle)
    Pat McGovern, Denver (3-Axle)
    Travis Westman, Colorado Springs (Twins)

    Indiana
    Willie Baylor, Indianapolis (4-Axle)

    Iowa
    Brian Gardner, Des Moines (Twins)

    Kentucky
    Douglas Howard, Louisville (Tanker)
    Andy Oder, Louisville (Twins)

    Louisiana
    Eric Courville, Lafayette (3-Axle)

    Massachusetts
    Bobby Baker, Avon (Flatbed)

    Michigan
    Phillip Pigeon, Warren (Tanker)
    Chris Thomas, Flint (Twins)

    Minnesota
    Douglas Baer, Minneapolis (Tanker)

    Mississippi
    Marcus Byrd, Jackson (Twins)

    Nebraska
    Toby Kort, North Platte (3-Axle)

    Nevada
    Kris Barstow, Reno (3-Axle)
    Dave McCue, Reno (Straight Truck)
    Steve Weaver, Reno (Twins)
    Bruce Wilson, Reno (Flatbed)

    New Mexico
    David Fieselman, Albuquerque (3-Axle)

    North Dakota
    Steven Thordarson, Fargo (4-Axle)
    John Janousek, Fargo (Twins)

    Ohio
    Randy Broderick, Mansfield (4-Axle)

    Oregon
    Ted Carlson, Portland (4-Axle)
    Dan Shamrell, Portland (3-Axle) -- Second-place winner in 3-Axle at 2001 NTDC

    Utah
    Chris Mahoney, Salt Lake City (Twins)
    Vic Wheeler, Salt Lake City (3-Axle)

    Washington
    Brian Kidd, Seattle (Straight Truck)

    West Virginia
    Thomas Edens, Charleston (Twins)

    FedEx Freight's Truck Driving Championship program is coordinated by Mark Courter, manager of safety and compliance for FedEx Freight East, and Scot Bishop, managing director of safety and human resources for FedEx Freight West.
    FedEx Freight has won numerous safety awards from the ATA and state trucking associations over the years, demonstrating its dedication to safety. In 2001, FedEx Freight East was awarded the ATA's prestigious President's Trophy -- the highest safety award in the trucking industry, while FedEx Freight West captured the same honor in 1999.
    The 31 drivers from FedEx Freight, up from 23 in 2001, will be joined by six colleagues from FedEx Ground and another five from FedEx Express who will also compete for top national honors at the NTDC. The 42-driver contingent is the largest ever sent to the national event by the FedEx family of companies.

    About FedEx Freight

    As a member of the FedEx Corp. family of companies, FedEx Freight is the $2 billion leading provider of next-day and second-day regional LTL freight services. FedEx Freight is composed of two operating companies, FedEx Freight East and FedEx Freight West, both known for exceptional service, reliability and on-time performance. Through a comprehensive network of service centers and advanced information systems, the two companies provide service to virtually all U.S. zip codes, including Alaska and Hawaii, plus Puerto Rico. Internationally, they provide service to North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. More information about FedEx Freight East, based in Harrison, Ark., and about FedEx Freight West, based in San Jose, Calif., can be found at www.fedexfreight.fedex.com.

    About FedEx

    With annual revenues of $21 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, the largest U.S. provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs clearance, international freight forwarding and trade facilitation.

    NOTE TO EDITORS: Press releases and additional information about FedEx Corp. and its operating companies can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.fedex.com.