With talent, experience, professionalism, and the utmost dedication to serving the people of Alabama and beyond, 88 of Alabama’s best professional drivers converged on the Pelham Civic Center on June 5 for the Alabama Truck Driving Championships, an annual event hosted by the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety & Maintenance Management Council to showcase what it means to be a consummate professional in an industry that employs over 130,000 Alabamians.
Held annually, the Alabama TDC pits professional drivers from dozens of Alabama-based trucking fleets against the clock, themselves, and each other, in a series of obstacles that test their keen ability to maneuver large commercial vehicles, some of them 75 ft in length when connected to a trailer, through hairpin turns and marked problems that simulate the daily situations truckers face in shipping yards, loading docks, and on America’s highways and byways.
Bittersweet Victory
At the end of the day, Publix Super Markets driver Kyle Avery was crowned Grand Champion by posting the top overall combined score on the obstacle course, vehicle defects test, and a written test covering highway safety and CDL regulations.
Avery won the 5-axle division, besting his closest competitor, John Carter of FedEx Freight, by a staggering 65 points. However, in a bittersweet turn of events, Avery will be unable to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships later this summer because he has accepted a non-driving safety position with Publix. Representing Alabama in the 5-axle class at Nationals will be class runner-up Carter.
“Tonight is kind of difficult knowing that I won’t be able to go to Nationals to represent ATA and Publix,” he said. “Tomorrow, I start a new position with the Publix safety department, and while I am excited about that opportunity, this is difficult for me, and it’s really all I can say about that. Thank you to my team at Publix, my supervisors, my wife, my kids, the (TDC) volunteers, and to the entire team at the Alabama Trucking Association.”
For Avery, it was an incredible final bow capping an even more impressive driving career with one of the safest fleets on the road. Now, he can lead and mentor other drivers and employees to continue his legacy of safety and professionalism – exactly what this event is all about.
Other class winners heading to Nationals are Richard Pratt of FedEx Freight, who took first place in the Step Van class, while David Hawk, also of FedEx Freight, topped the Straight Truck field. Robert Moore of FedEx Freight claimed the 3-axle title and Donald Espy of Walmart Transportation won the 4-axle class. Ryan LaPoint of Publix Super Markets, who also earned Rookie of the Year honors, took first in Sleeper Berth. Cory King of FedEx Freight won the Tanker class, Thomas Rea of FedEx Freight came out on top in the Flatbed class, and last year’s Grand Champ, William Brandon, of FedEx Freight claimed victory in the Twins class.
Notable mentions: Sharon Parsley of FedEx Freight won the SUV “Powder Puff” competition, and Eddie Posey of Walmart Transportation took home the Vehicle Defects award.
Tight Course
It seems that each year the TDC committee seeks to make the course more challenging to better prepare contestants for the National courses, which are typically held indoors in large arenas.
Terry Nabors, a driver for Action Resources, said the course was especially challenging because drivers are often placed in vehicles that they don’t drive professionally. “I drive a long-nose Peterbilt — I’ve been driving one for 10 years,” he said. “But each time you come to this competition, they may put you in a day cab, a flatbed, or a box truck – something that you’re not used to. This year, I’m in a tanker; last year, I was in a box truck, and I hadn’t driven a box in 12 years. I really struggled with that one.”
He said that this year’s course was incredibly tight, which takes a more strategic approach. “You have to know exactly what you’re doing,” he said. “You’ve got to have nerves of steel. Block everything out and just do the course. If you get nervous or scared, you will mess up. But we’re professional drivers — we learn from our mistakes.”
Held annually, the Alabama TDC pits professional drivers from dozens of Alabama-based trucking fleets against the clock, themselves, and each other, in a series of obstacles that test their keen ability to maneuver large commercial vehicles, some of them 75 ft in length when connected to a trailer, through hairpin turns and marked problems that simulate the daily situations truckers face in shipping yards, loading docks, and on America’s highways and byways.
Two-time Alabama TDC winner and an eight-time Nationals competition veteran, David Hawk of FedEx Freight, stood at the edge of the course after the driver course walk-through, strategizing his approach.
“The last three obstacles involve a barrel design and a score pad, which makes you swing out to get back to the curb,” he said. “Most people might try to go past it to come back, or they can’t cross the line, and then you’re coming back to the bull’s-eye at an angle. So it’s a very tight course on the last three. The first three are a little more open. There are path obstacles, which we’ve had before.”
Still, he said that he actually liked the course, especially since he was competing in the Straight Truck class. “Yeah, it’s funny – this course does set up well for a shorter rig,” he said, smiling.
And, in true “High-Flying Hawk” fashion, he’ll make his ninth trip to Nationals.
‘For the Drivers‘
Putting on an event like this is a labor of love for Alabama Trucking Director of Events, Brandie Norcross. She and the dozens of volunteers from the ATA Safety & Maintenance Management Council spent an untold number of hours planning the event to ensure it honors the industry’s most important asset – the professional truck driver.
Working under the leadership of Alabama Trucking’s Senior Director for Safety Intelligence and Regulatory Affairs, Clinton Seymour, Norcross does the work for the industry she loves.
“It’s for the drivers,” she said. “It’s all about them, their families, and the companies they drive for. There’s so much that goes into the planning of this event. So many dedicated people volunteer their time. There are also so many companies that sponsor the event. It takes an entire year to plan, and we start preparing the day after the event for the next one.”
