Life on the road is an obstacal course -credit Lindsay Godfree
Right now the National Truck Driving Championships is already underway to see who the best truck driver in America is. The competition for professional truck drivers is hosted each year by American Trucking Associations. This year it is on August 9-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
This competition has a long history dating back to 1937, when it was known as the “National Truck Roadeo.” The contestants are state champions from all 50 states. I guess if we are not there, we did not make the cut and need more practice. It would be outstanding to be able to be there to see the competition if time and money were no obst possible to get there!
Our hats are off to the competitors who are made up of the winners in eight classes of competition from 50 State Trucking Associations’ Truck Driving Championships, and the winners of the auto transporters class at the regional championships. Over 400 top professional truck drivers from all across the U.S. are in Orlando, Fla. for the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) and National Step Van Driving Championships (NSVDC).
The “Super Bowl of Safety” is designed to inspire tens of thousands of drivers to operate accident-free for the right to compete. States send winners from each class of competition – from 18-wheeled five-axle sleepers to tank trucks to twin trailers to straight trucks – eight competing classes in all with an affiliated competition for step vans. The 19th annual North American Inspectors Championship will again take place alongside the Championships in Orlando.
Always check the tires
These super-drivers will compete for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. each driver has a chance to demonstrate his or her driving and inspection skills, knowledge and professionalism through a series of tests. Then they head to the competition course, which recreates real world obstacles that drivers encounter daily, such as an alley dock, a rear and/or front line stop, a scales stop, a right or left turn, parallel parking, or straight line driving through a diminishing clearance. Five classes will drive Thursday and four classes will take to the obstacle course Friday.
The Championships are a great incentive for professional truck drivers to operate safely, because they must be accident-free for at least one year prior to the competition. Many of the competitors have millions of accident-free driving miles to their credit.
When it is all over on Saturday, August 13, the U.S. will have a new National Grand Champion professional truck driver, individual champions in each class, and a state champion team.
The championships usually attract over 2,000 cheering friends, family, colleagues and spectators. The rest of us professional drivers would be there if we could to cheer them on.
For myself, I need many more years of practice. I was always good at driving and always loved it, but driving an 18-wheeler has been harder than I thought it would be. I am a very careful and safe driver but have to acknowledge that I am in awe of you guys and gals who can do those blind-side backs between other trucks in small spaces.
For more information, visit the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships website: www.truckline.com/Federation/Councils/slpmc/NTDC/Pages/Default.aspx
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