ATS GOES TO THE “ROADEO” TRUCK DRIVING THAT IS

Sawin, competed in the 5-axle sleeper berth Class, and Hess competed in the 5-axle flat bed Class. There are eight classes in the contest. Both Sawin and Hess had the second top cumulative score following the written test, personal interview, driving skills course and a pre-trip inspection where drivers must identify planted safety defects on a tractor-trailer.

The competition, which is sometimes referred to as a “Roadeo”, is made up of four examinations which reflect aspects of the professional truck driver’s job; a written test covering the trucking industry, safe driving rules, first aid and fire fighting; an oral interview assessing the driver’s character and attitude; physical inspection of the truck prior to driving to identify defects planted by the judges; and driving through six pre-arranged problems on the skills course. The competition is held among nine classes of trucks, ranging from straight trucks to tractor-trailer combinations with a variety of axle configurations and trailing equipment.

The "Roadeo" was held on Saturday & Sunday at the Yellow Freight facility in Burnsville, MN. There were a total of 97 contestants participating from a number of trucking companies from across the State of Minnesota. “We are extremely proud of these driver’s for taking the time and initiative to study and practice for this competition.” Said Scott Anderson, Safety Director.

The other two members of the team are Alex Aguerro and Dan Sorby. Neither of them placed but they both put out an outstanding effort.

I would like to say a special thank you to Bill “Duck” Wang and Jim Denny who coached this year’s team and who with out we would not have been able to do as well as we did.

The Minnesota Truck Driving Championship is an annual competition hosted by the Minnesota Trucking Association.