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America's Leading Truck Driver Celebrated at Championship

13 September 1999

America's Leading Truck Driver Celebrated at Championship; Mobil and ATA Team to Champion Safety

    FAIRFAX, Va.--(AutomotiveWire)--Sept. 13, 1999--For the second year in a row, Harley-Davidson Transportation Co. driver Marty H. Lawson, Jr., was named Grand Champion of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC). Sponsored by Mobil, the 1999 NTDC was held in Tampa, Fla., August 18-21 at the Tampa Convention Center. Lawson, who competed in the Twins division in 1998, this time won top honors for his performance in the Sleeper Berth division.
    The country's leading professional truck drivers from all 50 states competed for the Grand Champion title in one of nine divisions: 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, auto carrier, flatbed, sleeper berth, straight truck, tank truck and twin trailers. Grand Champion Lawson scored highest in competition points from the following categories:

    - Test of safety rules and regulations, and ability to inspect vehicles to determine if they are safe to operate.

    - Field course that required intricate and precise driving maneuvers, which simulated conditions encountered in actual truck operation on streets and highways.

    - Personal interview that judged attitude and character.

    In addition to the category scores, each participant is scored through a handicapping system, which is designed to compensate for inherent differences in the operating characteristics of equipment in the various classes.
    Established in 1937 by the ATA, the NTDC brings together winners of both employer- and state-sponsored truck driving championships held throughout the year. In order to be considered as a competitor, drivers must maintain an accident-free record for at least one year prior to the championships while meeting other qualifications concerning physical health and employment status.
    "Each driver who is chosen to participate exemplifies excellence in their field and should be honored by both their colleagues and the American public," said Mark Velkoff, Mobil's commercial vehicle lubricants programs manager. "Mobil has tremendous respect for the level of professionalism we have witnessed throughout our two-year involvement with the ATA Championships. Safety is a key component in Mobil's evaluation system and we have enjoyed promoting a cause so important to us as a company."
    Drivers who competed in both the state and national truck driving championships for the first time were eligible to be named Rookie of the Year. The 1999 winner was Morris O. O'Keefe of Con-Way Central Express of Massachusetts. O'Keefe's award was based on the average of his semifinal score, the input of interview judges, pre-trip judges and "den mothers" who act as dispatchers for contestants in the various classes.
    "This year's National Truck Driving Championships were a first class example of the commitment to safety shared by the ATA and many of the nation's leading truck drivers," said John Wren, chairman of the American Trucking Associations. "With drivers such as Marty Lawson and up-and-comers like Morris O'Keefe, Americans can be proud of the professionalism, positive attitude and commitment to safety our truck drivers possess."
    Mobil, headquartered in Fairfax, Va., is a leading global oil, natural gas and petrochemical company whose subsidiaries have operations in more than 140 countries. In the U.S., the company markets gasoline in 28 states and the District of Columbia through 7,500 branded retail outlets. Mobil and its predecessor companies have manufactured and marketed high quality lubricants for automotive and industrial applications for more than 130 years.
    In the lubricants market, Mobil is widely recognized as the leader in lubricants technology and is the marketer of Mobil Delvac 1, which was named 1998 Product of the Year by Hart's Lubricants World. Mobil also provides Mobil Diesel PowerPlus, a premium diesel fuel, which is available nationwide at participating Petro Stopping Centers and Mobil locations. Additional information regarding Mobil products can be found at www.mobil.com or by calling 1-800-662-4525 or 1-888-662-4582 (in Canada).
    The American Trucking Associations Inc. is the national trade association of the trucking industry, representing more than 35,000 motor carriers, trucking services and industry services and industry suppliers through the ATA Federation, which includes 50 affiliated state trucking associations, 14 national conferences representing specific sectors of the industry and several independent organizations. For additional information, check out www.truckline.com.