Held at Texas State Technical College in Waco, the 2024 State Truck Driving Championship and Technician of the Year Contest attracted elite drivers from major Texas cities including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. The winners from each category will represent Texas at the upcoming American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championship in Indianapolis, scheduled from August 21 to 24.

Class Winners in the Truck Driving Championship:

• Flatbed: Ruben Cortez, HEB

• Step Van: Matthew Logan Montandon, FedEx Ground

• Sleeper Berth: Juan Carrillo, FedEx Ground

• Straight Truck: Clint Anderson, FedEx Express

• Tank Truck: Randolph Gamez, HEB

• Twin Trailers: Christopher Flippin, FedEx Freight

• 5-Axle Van: Andres Garcia, FedEx Freight

• 4-Axle Van: Mario Gonzales, Jr., HEB

• 3-Axle Van: Olamide Olayiwola, FedEx Freight

“These competitions showcase the elite driving abilities and technical expertise required to operate and maintain commercial trucks safely on our highways,” stated John D. Esparza, President and CEO of TXTA. “We’re proud to honor these outstanding professionals who keep our economy moving every day.”

Source: Truckers News

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Key Winners and Highlights

Bret McBain was undoubtedly the star of the event, but he wasn’t the only one to shine. Chaunce Umfleet from FedEx Express earned the position of grand championship runner-up.

Here’s a breakdown of the class winners:

• Straight Truck and Highest Pre-Trip Score: Albert Mullen – Walmart Transportation

• 5-Axle and 2024 Grand Champion: Bret McBain – Walmart Transportation

• 3-Axle: Loren Hatfield – ABF Freight

• Step Van: Bradley McKay – FedEx Ground

• Twins: Jeff Cochran – FedEx Freight

• Sleeper: Tom Merrill – Walmart Transportation

• Tank: Randy Lovell – Walmart Transportation

• 4-Axle and Grand Champion Runner-Up: Chaunce Umfleet – FedEx Express

• Flatbed and Highest Written Exam Score: Larry Rhein – FedEx Freight

Special Awards

Additional accolades went to individuals and teams showcasing exceptional skill and sportsmanship:

• Sportsmanship Award: Tommy Hargis – Maverick Transportation

• Rookie of the Year: Nathaniel Evans – Tyson Foods

• Small Team Award: ABF Freight

• Large Team Award: J.B. Hunt Transport

Road to Nationals

The winners in each category have now qualified to represent Arkansas at the national truck show, set to take place from August 21-24 in Indianapolis.

Source: Truckers News

Image: Arkansas Trucking Association

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With over 30 years of experience in commercial driving, Dean had an outstanding drive on the skills course as well as excellent performance in the written examination of rules and regulations. He also got to show off proficiency in pre-trip inspections, a particular passion of his.

Dean credits his success to his support system, which includes his employer, XPO, his spouse, Joanna, his friends and colleagues, and his training partner and mentor, Chris Poynor, an XPO driver and a consistent qualifier at the NTDC for the past several years.

Dean emphasizes the importance of prioritizing training for significant events such as state and national transportation safety competitions. He plans to resume intense training routines with Poynor to prepare for the national competition in Columbus, Ohio, featuring over 400 professional drivers from across the U.S.

“My strategy is, when, right before I practice, I take the courses that I have seen and my cousin [Poynor] has seen. And we put them together and we try to guess what problems they [will] throw at us,” Dean said recently when asked to explain his comprehensive method of training. “And we practice those,” he concluded.

Dean finds training with Poynor highly motivating, and it inspires him to improve his performance on the flatbed. This training is not only beneficial for his skills behind the wheel but also helps him adapt to high-pressure situations – a skill that is essential during nationals.

“Both him and I have won multiple times at our state level in our class and gone to nationals. So, he won last year. I won last year. So, we both went to nationals. And it’s kind of ironic we both win this year and then I win grand champion, and now we’re going to nationals together again,” Dean observed.

Dean’s secret weapon for competitions is maintaining a positive attitude and visualizing successful maneuvers and outcomes. This mental training boosts his confidence and helps him prepare for NTDC.

“I feel good going to nationals,” the driver said.

Other class champions from Washington include:

• 3-Axle: Chris Poynor, XPO
• 4-Axle: Andrey Grishchuk, XPO
• 5-Axle: Michael Dickinson, USF Reddaway
• Sleeper Berth: Joe Ryles, Walmart
• Step Van: Jaime Bautista, FedEx Express
• Straight Truck: Carl Gibson, The Boeing Co.
• Tank Truck: Aleksandr Dragonchuk, Walmart
• Twins: Josh Jenkin, Peninsula Truck Lines

Source: Transport Topics

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