AKRON, Ohio - June 27, 2003 - Roadway Express, Inc. today announced that Chris Bates, a pickup and delivery city driver for the freight carrier, has won honors at the Spokane Transportation Club's 19th annual Truck Driving Championships in the state of Washington. He won first place in the 4-axle competition and tied for first place in the Pre-trip Inspection event in the competition held May 17, 2003. Bates has won the Washington State Competition three of the last four years.
"Safety has always been a core value for Roadway," stated President of Roadway Express, Bob Stull. "Chris' strong commitment to working safely while serving our customers demonstrates his engagement in the success of our company, his respect for others who share our public highways and the superior professionalism that stands out in our industry. Congratulations to Chris for his fine accomplishment."
Bates has been a truck driver for 28 years and has been employed by Roadway for one year. He is currently domiciled at the Hermiston, OR terminal and a member of Local 560 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
"Chris is a key player at our Hermiston terminal. We are very proud of his skill as a professional driver and his exceptional performance as a driver/sales representative," said Terminal Manager, Michael Johnson. "We are very fortunate to have highly skilled, professional employees like Chris on our team."
Bates resides in Riceland, WA, and has three children. In addition to competing in truck driving competitions, Chris enjoys supporting his sons in collegiate wrestling. He also finds time to buy and restore homes in the Richland, WA area.
