Alberta crowns top truckers at annual driving championships

CALGARY, Alta. -- Alberta’s top drivers from across the province descended on the Rosenau Transport yard Calgary to compete in the AMTA Truck Driving Champtionship June 16. The annual event, hosted by Alberta Motor Transport Association, challenges each driver to demonstrate his or her driving and inspection skills, knowledge and professionalism through a series of rigourous tests. The drivers under went a written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test and driving skills test.

Finalists in each of five categories move on to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships which will be held in Moncton, N.B. later this year.

The event standings are as follows:

Straight Truck Division
First Place: Keith Franklin - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Randy James Smith - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Kevin Corscadden - Sokil Express

Single, Single Division
First Place: Calvin Briggs - Grimshaw Trucking
Second Place: Darren Tychkowsky - Fed-Ex Freight
Third Place: Kent Friesen - Canadian Freightways

Single Tandem Division
First Place: Rick Ross - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Gordon Lowen - Grimshaw Trucking
Third Place: Rob Pirzek - YRC Reimer Express

Tandem, Tandem Division
First Place: Paul Mills - Canada Safeway
Second Place: Rod Harrison - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Kevin Chapman - Orlicks Transport

B-Train Division
First Place: Lonni Wilton - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Steve Calhoun - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Jim Pennington - Sokil Express

Grand Champion:  Paul Mills - Canada Safeway

Rookie of the Year: Andre Roy - Bison Transport

Team Award: Canadian Freightways - Calgary

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MTA dishes out annual awards

WINNIPEG, Man. -- The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) held an awards gala Nov. 17, at which it recognized some of the trucking industry's finest representatives.

William DeGroot of Arnold Bros. Transport was named the 2011 Volvo Trucks Manitoba Driver of the Year. Larry Seel of Wajax Power Systems was recognized as the Payne Transportation LP Associate of the Year.

The MTA/RBC Royal Bank Service to Industry Award winner was Earl Coleman of Big Freight Systems. Arnold Bros. won an award the MTA/Shaw Tracking Distinguished Member Award while Pioneer Club inductees included: Borden Hadley, Smooth Freight; and Eldon Funk, Wajax Power Systems.

"We are delighted to be hosting this event for the seventh year now, and each year it becomes more difficult to pick just one recipient for these awards," said MTA executive director Bob Dolyniuk. "With so many deserving members to choose from the selection process is very tight. It's great to see so many members out supporting this banquet tonight."

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