Roadway

National Truck Driving Championships

Each year, professional drivers from across America compete in regional competitions to earn the opportunity to advance to the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC). Sponsored by the American Trucking Associations, this event gives each driver the chance to demonstrate his or her driving skill and knowledge of the trucking industry through a series of tests. Drivers complete a written examination, personal interview and pretrip inspection test before they actually get behind the wheel for the field test.

At both the regional and national level, participation in the NTDC fosters a strong spirit of safety awareness. Each year, several dozen Roadway drivers, each a champion in their state competition, qualify for the NTDC.

Thirty-eight Roadway drivers placed first in their respective state-level competitions to qualify for the national event in 2007. Alphonso Lewis, a driver account specialist at the Roadway service center in Montgomery, Ala., earned a national title for his first-place finish in the 4-axle class and was chosen from among the eight national champions as the competition's Grand Champion. The Grand Champion title is the trucking industry's highest honor and goes to the competitor who displays the highest skills and professionalism of the nearly 400 drivers at the National Truck Driving Championships.

In addition, Lynn Springer, a driver account specialist at the Roadway service center in Portland, Ore., placed third in the tanker class. Greg Nauertz and David Messmer, who are driver account specialists at the Roadway service center in Phoenix, were part of the Arizona team of drivers awarded the State Team Trophy.

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