Eight Mississippi Professional Drivers Head to National Truck Driving Championships

JACKSON, MS--Aug. 21, 2013: Eight Mississippi professional truck drivers arrived in Salt Lake City this week to compete in the National Truck Driving Championships at the Salt Palace Convention Center. These elite drivers earned their way to compete in the "Superbowl of Safety" after winning their title earlier this summer at the state level.

Over 420 drivers from all 50 states will compete in Salt Lake City for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. From 18-wheeler five axle sleepers to tank trucks to twin trailers—they will drive a course that recreates situations truck drivers face daily. These maneuvers may include: an alley dock, a rear line stop, a side park, a scale stop, a right turn, a front line stop, and straight line driving through a diminishing clearance.

On August 24, one contestant will drive away as the Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion.

"The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry's dedication to safety," said Mississippi Trucking Association President David Roberts. "I congratulate all the contestants and I hope Mississippi cheers for our drivers this week."

Mississippi participants at National Truck Driving Championships for each category include:

Robert J. Adams, Con-way Freight - Straight Truck Charles H. Bowman, Walmart Transportation, LLC - Four-Axle Willie R. Johnson, YRC Freight - Three-Axle John J. Maddox, Jr., Ergon Trucking, Inc. - Flatbed Jason D. Matte, FedEx Freight - Tank Truck Kenneth C. Neal, FedEx Ground - Five-Axle Rickey D. Oliver, Walmart Transportation, LLC - Sleeper Berth Donald C. Smith, FedEx Ground - Step Van

ATA's National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships include top professional truck drivers from around the United States competing at company, state and regional levels to make it to the national competition Aug. 21-24 in Salt Lake City. The NTDC annually attracts over 2,000 cheering friends, family, colleagues and spectators. For more information, visit the 2013 National Truck Driving Championships website. Follow NTDC this week on Facebook.