AKRON, Ohio - August 1, 2003 - Roadway Express, Inc. proudly announces that thirty-five of its best professional drivers will be on their way to compete at the 66th National Truck Driving Championships August 19 - 23, 2003 to be held in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The American Trucking Associations sponsors the event.
These state champions deserve the highest recognition for their dedication to safety, driving skills and professionalism. Just the opportunity of attending is one of the highest honors a driver can receive during his or her career. Both the state and national competitions include difficult driving skills and maneuvering test, pre-trip inspections and a written examination covering vehicle operation and federal safety regulations.
"Safety is a top priority for our engaged workforce," said Roadway Express President, Robert Stull. "We all congratulate Roadway's new state champions, who exemplify the tremendous professionalism and commitment to safety essential to make our highways as safe as possible and serving our customers needs. We wish them the best in the National competition."
Here are this year's elite state champions from Roadway and their First Place wins:
Bob Appel - Denver, Colorado - Twins Champion
Dave Armstrong - Providence, Rhode Island - 3-Axle Champion
Chuck Barrett - Billings, Montana - Twins Champion
Mike Bortnick - Bridgeport/New Haven, Connecticut - Twins Champion
Jim Brown - Brockton, Massachusetts - 3-Axle Champion
Dan Chaves - Minneapolis, Minnesota - 4-Axle Champion
Dale Cook - Lakeland, Florida - Straight Truck Champion
Kevin J. Dean - Atlanta, Georgia - Straight Truck Champion
Jim DePouw - Green Bay, Wisconsin - 5-Axle Champion
Ken Epley - Chicago Heights, Illinois - Tanker Champion
Dean Helget - Mankato, Minnesota - 5-Axle Sleeper Champion
Kim Hendrex - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Straight Truck Champion
Mike Horak - Akron, Ohio - 4-Axle Champion
Chris Jamison - Memphis, Tennessee - Flatbed Champion
Keith Johnson - Tacoma, Washington - 4-Axle Champion
Will Jones - Baltimore, Maryland - 3-Axle Champion
Ed Knapp - Des Moines, Iowa - Flatbed Champion
Tom Koch - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - 4-Axle Champion
Felipe Leyva - Oakland, California - Straight Truck Champion
Kevin Locke - Fort Worth, Texas - Twins Champion
Ermelindo (Chico) Maldonado - Detroit, Michigan - Twins Champion
Don Marr - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Tanker Champion
Greg Nauertz - Phoenix, Arizona - 3-Axle Grand Champion
Tom Nestler - La Salle/Peru, Illinois - 5-Axle Champion
Fernando (Junior) Noel - Worcester, Massachusetts - Flatbed Champion
Chris Ott - Billings, Montana - 3-Axle Champion
Michael (Mickey) Rafeal - Concord, New Hampshire - Twins Champion
David J. Salerno - Phoenix, Arizona - Flatbed Champion
Eric Stutz - South Bend/Elkhart, Indiana - Twins Grand Champion
Tony Thompson - Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Twins Champion
Terry Weeter - Gaylord, Michigan - 3-Axle Champion
Gary Weicht - Cincinnati, Ohio - Tanker Champion
George West - Chicago Heights, Illinois - Flatbed Grand Champion
Rick Wickman - Concord, New Hampshire - 3-Axle Champion
Paul Wzientek - Buffalo, New York - 4-Axle Champion
GRAND CHAMPIONS: Greg Nauertz, Eric Stutz, George West
TEAM TROPHY WINNERS: Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kevin J. Dean, Atlanta, Georgia
BEST PRE-TRIP: Chuck Barrett, Billings, Montana
