Seven FedEx Drivers Earn Top Honors at National Truck Driving Championships
August 16 2016 - 08:08AM
Business Wire
Competitors Reflect FedEx Commitment to Safety
and Professionalism
Four drivers representing FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating
companies were crowned National Champions in their respective
driving classes at the 2016 National Truck Driving Championships
(NTDC) in Indianapolis Aug. 9-13.
An additional 15 drivers with Team FedEx were among the top five
finalists in their categories. Also, a FedEx Freight driver was
named National Rookie of the Year, a driver from FedEx Express was
recognized for his attention to vehicle condition, awarded to the
driver with the best pre-trip inspection, and a FedEx Freight
driver received the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence
award, given to the driver who best exemplifies the characteristics
of a professional truck driver. A safety advisor with FedEx Ground
was also presented with a Lifetime Volunteer Award.
Ron Metternick, a FedEx Freight driver based in Grand Rapids,
Mich., won the National Champion in the 4-Axle trophy. He is a
third-generation truck driver and has logged more than 2.8 million
accident-free miles during his 36-year driving career.
Fellow FedEx Freight driver Toby Kort captured his second
National Champion trophy in the 5-Axle category. He is based in
Aurora, Neb., and has driven more than 2.3 million miles without an
accident during his 21-year driving career. Toby was the 5-Axle
National Champion in 2004.
Jay Love, a FedEx Freight driver based in Sioux Falls, S.D., won
his first National Championship, capturing the Flatbed trophy. A
35-year professional driver and the mayor of Davis, S.D., he has
logged more than two million accident-free miles and is a captain
on the newly-created South Dakota Road team.
FedEx Express Courier Daniel Woods won his first National
Championship in the Step Van category. He is based in
Christansburg, Va., and has accumulated more than 187,000
safe-driving miles during his 10-year career with FedEx
Express.
Professionalism and dedication to the trucking industry were key
themes during this year’s National Truck Driving Championships.
Charlie Woodland, a FedEx Freight driver based in Surprise, Ariz.,
was presented with the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence
Award and FedEx Express driver Bill Pudney, based in Minneapolis,
Minn., was recognized for his attention to Vehicle Condition,
having received a perfect score on his pre-trip inspection. In
addition, Rich Merich, a driver for FedEx Freight in Denver, Colo.,
earned the National Rookie of the Year award and FedEx Ground
Safety Advisor Chris Ignowski was presented with a Lifetime
Volunteer Award.
Fifteen FedEx drivers placed among the top finishers in their
respective truck classes:
- Robin Sams, FedEx Freight (Texarkana,
Ark.), 3rd place, 3-Axle
- Cedric Pack, FedEx Freight (Seattle,
Wash.), 5th place, 3-Axle
- Allen Sohn, FedEx Freight (Des Moines,
Iowa), 3rd place, 4-Axle
- Andres Orozco, FedEx Freight (Tucson,
Ariz.), 4th place, 4-Axle
- Dan Bruch, FedEx Freight (Albuquerque,
N.M.), 3rd place, 5-Axle
- Chris Novak, FedEx Express (Williston,
Vt.), 4th place, 5-Axle
- Don Logan, FedEx Freight (Topeka,
Kan.), 3rd place, Flatbed
- Bryan Elges, FedEx Freight (Youngstown,
Ohio), 2nd place, Sleeper Berth
- Roland Bolduc, FedEx Express (Windsor,
Conn.), 4th place, Sleeper Berth
- Denny Johnson, FedEx Freight (Tampa,
Fla.), 3rd place, Straight Truck
- Jesse Benkert, FedEx Ground
(Louisville, Ky.), 5th place, Straight Truck
- James McNeill, FedEx Freight (Northeast
Memphis, Tenn.), 4th place, Twins
- Jeff Evans, FedEx Ground (Syracuse,
N.Y.), 2nd place, Step Van
- Curtis Harpole, FedEx Ground (Oklahoma
City, Okla.), 3rd place, Step Van
- Matthew Allison, FedEx Ground (Denver,
Colo.); 5th place, Step Van
“The dedication of these champions, and all the drivers who
represented FedEx at the NTDC, exemplifies the FedEx commitment to
safety and professionalism,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman and
CEO, FedEx Corp.
A record 174 professional drivers representing FedEx Express,
FedEx Freight and FedEx Ground from all 50 states qualified to
compete at this year’s NTDC by winning their respective state’s
competition and driving accident-free for at least one year.
Collectively, Team FedEx represents more than 230 million
safe-driving miles and more than 3,800 years of experience.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) sponsors the annual
championships, known as the “Super Bowl of Safety,” to recognize
industry leadership in safety and to promote professionalism among
truck drivers. Each driver was required to demonstrate his or her
driving skills and knowledge of the industry through a series of
tests, including a written exam, vehicle pre-trip inspection and
driving-skills challenge.
About FedEx
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses
worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and
business services. With annual revenues of $58 billion, the company
offers integrated business applications through operating companies
competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the
respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most
admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000
team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety,
the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of
their customers and communities. For more information, visit
news.fedex.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160816005638/en/
FedEx Corp.Jennifer Caccavo Cordeau,
901-434-8100Jennifer.Caccavo@fedex.com
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