Robbie Jarman, freight handling professional at the Roadway service center in Meridian, MS, has been named Grand Champion at the company-sponsored Professional Freight Handlers Competition (PFHC). Chuck Pearson, driver account specialist/freight handling professional at Valdosta, GA, placed second and also earned the best pretrip inspection award. Tom Filbert, a switcher at the Roadway service center in Chicago, IL, placed third.
Roadway sponsors the Professional Freight Handlers Competition to recognize and promote safety performance on its shipping docks. This unique competition tested the skills and knowledge of safety and forklift operations of 30 Roadway employees from around the country.
The competition consists of four challenges: a forklift safety inspection, written examination, personal interview, and a forklift driving course that tests maneuverability and shipment-handling skills. This year's event was held April 21-23 in Orlando, FL.
Participants qualified for the national PFHC event in Orlando by placing first in local and regional competitions sponsored by Roadway. In addition, all competitors must be certified to operate a forklift and be injury- and accident-free for one year prior to the national event.
The PFHC showcases the skills that enable Roadway to operate safely and meet service commitments to customers. The competitors at the national PFHC event represent all Roadway employees who are engaged in making their workplaces safer and improving delivery quality. The PFHC is one of many Roadway-sponsored programs aimed at supporting employees' efforts to become the safest professionals they can be. Roadway emphasizes the prevention and elimination of accidents and injuries through its safety programs.
Robbie Jarman earned Grand Champion honors with his first-place finish. He has won three out of four regional PFHC competitions in previous years and placed third at the national PFCH in 2006. Robbie has been a Roadway employee for 10 years and has 15 years experience in the trucking industry.
A longtime PFHC competitor, Chuck Pearson placed second and won the best pretrip inspection award at this year's event. Chuck also won top honors for highest pretrip inspection score in 2007 and was the Grand Champion at both the 2005 and 2006 PFHC contests. A Roadway employee since 1989, Chuck has worked 17 years injury-free and is a certified forklift trainer. He also promotes safety as a member of the Valdosta service center's Prevention Improvement Council.
The third-place finisher is Tom Filbert, who began working in the trucking industry 24 years ago when he joined Roadway. Tom has earned awards for working 10 years injury-free and driving 17 years accident-free. He also has driven one million consecutive miles without an accident in his Roadway career.
"We congratulate our winners and honor all the Roadway professionals who qualified for our national competition by placing first at their regional events. They are safety leaders who make the Roadway brand better. Through their involvement, they help our workplaces to be safer, our service more reliable, and our transportation solutions more effective for our customers," said Roadway President T. M. Gilbert.
