20-08-2019
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today announced that five drivers representing the global transportation company were recognized with top honors at the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships (NTDC/NSVDC). Scott Woodrome won the Twins title and earned his second straight NTDC Grand Champion award. This is the third straight year a driver representing a FedEx operating company has been named Grand Champion. Five were crowned National Champions in their respective driving classes, and FedEx Express driver John Sanderson was named the National Rookie of the Year.
The competition, which took place August 14-17 in Pittsburgh, PA, is hosted each year by the American Trucking Associations and has a long history dating back to 1937, when it was known as the National Truck “Roadeo.”
“We are proud of all the men and women who competed in the National Truck Driving Championships, and particularly those who took top honors at the national level,” said Frederick W. Smith, Chairman and CEO, FedEx Corp. “Each of these drivers represents both our commitment to excellence and our dedication to ‘safety above all’ in the communities in which we operate.”
This year, FedEx had the privilege of sending a total of 176 drivers from across the country to the NTDC. In the past 17 years, FedEx drivers have earned six National Grand Champion titles, 62 National Championships, and nine National Rookie of the Year titles.
Individuals honored this year include:
Scott Woodrome (Middletown, OH) won the Twins National Championship, his fourth national title in five years. He was also named the Grand Champion. The 2006 Ohio Rookie of the Year, Scott has never lost at the state level and has competed in seven different driving classes at the NTDC. He is a member of the America’s Road Team and the FedEx Freight Road Team. Scott was also named the 2015 Driver of the Year by the Ohio Trucking Association. He has logged more than 1.9 million safe-driving miles.
Adam Heim (Rathdrum, ID) won the 4-Axle National Championship to culminate his first appearance at the NTDC. The FedEx Freight team member has driven professionally for 19 years and logged more than 700,000 safe-driving miles.
Adam Stroup (Council Bluffs, IA) won the Step Van National Championship. This was Adam’s fourth consecutive NTDC appearance. The FedEx Express team member has driven professionally for 20 years and logged more than 760,000 safe-driving miles.
Basher Pierce (Sophia, NC) won the Flatbed National Championship, his second national title. The FedEx Freight team member also won the 3-Axle National Championship in 2014. Basher has accumulated more than 1 million safe-driving miles during his 27-year professional career.
Paul Brandon (Oxford, CT) won the Tank Truck National Championship. The FedEx Freight team member was also the 2014 National Flatbed Champion. This is the 11th straight year Paul has qualified for the NTDC. Named the 2011 Driver of the Year by the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, he has logged more than 1.55 million safe-driving miles during his 40-year career.
In addition to five national champions, nine drivers were top finishers in their respective driving class:
Cecil “Sparky” Hicks, FedEx Freight (Norwood, NC), 3rd Place, Tank Truck
Dave Mogler, FedEx Freight (Denver, CO), 2nd Place, Twins
Dave Rohman, FedEx Express (Charlotte, NC), 2nd Place, 4-Axle
Eric Damon, FedEx Express (Colorado Springs, CO), 3rd Place, Step Van
Eric Flick, FedEx Freight (Dayton, NV), 3rd Place, Flatbed
Greg Long, FedEx Express (Frederick, MD), 2nd Place, Step Van
John Sanderson, FedEx Express (Vancouver, WA), 3rd Place, 3-Axle
Matt Hart, FedEx Freight (Elko, NV), 3rd Place, Straight Truck
Scott Osborne, FedEx Freight (Brandon, MS), 2nd Place, Flatbed
A FedEx driver received the Rookie of the Year award for the fifth straight year:
John Sanderson, FedEx Express (Vancouver, WA), 3-Axle
Five drivers from FedEx were among the nine competitors who received the Highest Score on the Written Exam (All with perfect scores):
Brent Glasenapp, FedEx Express (Franklin, WI), Flatbed
Jottyn Santos, FedEx Express (Orlando, FL), 4-Axle
Miguel Corral Jr., FedEx Freight (Crown Point, IN), 4-Axle
Paul Brandon, FedEx Freight (Oxford, CT), Tank Truck
Scott Woodrome, FedEx Freight (Middletown, OH), Twins
Also, two drivers from FedEx were members of Pennsylvania’s Team Champions:
Bob Burnett of Burnett Trucking Inc., FedEx Ground (Erie, PA), Step Van
Zach Eckenroth FedEx Freight (Grantville, PA), Flatbed
Nearly 450 drivers total competed in the NTDC and NSVDC this year. Drivers vied for national titles in nine different classes of vehicles and for the National Grand Champion title. Drivers accumulated points by demonstrating their driving skills and knowledge of the industry through a written exam, pre-trip inspection and driving skills challenge. To be eligible, a participant must have continuously driven for a motor carrier fleet for a minimum of one year and remained accident free for one year prior to the competition.
Source: FedEx