Darling, Graves Praise Drivers as NTDC Competition Begins

ST. LOUIS — Scott Darling, in his first public appearance since his nomination to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, thanked the 431 truck drivers competing in the 2015 National Trucking Driving Championships for their “dedication to safety.”

Speaking to the drivers and their families at the event’s Breakfast of Champions on Aug. 13, Darling lauded the drivers for “the hard work you put in, the dedication you have to perfection and to the dedication you have to the industry.”

FULL COVERAGE: Photos, videos, news and more from NTDC

The event kicked off the truck driver competition, as well as the 2015 North American Inspectors Championship. Both were getting under way here as Transport Topics went to press.

“Your commitment to excellence no doubt has saved many lives along the way,” Darling said. “It doesn’t stop here. A true champion makes those around him even better. That is why I encourage all the champions here to continue to set a good example by practicing safe driving and making sure that we’re inspecting those who have issues and removing the bad actors from the road.”

Darling, who has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, declined an interview.

Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations, also wished the “stars of transportation” good luck in the competition.

“Every accident, every injury, every driver who weaves in and out of traffic, speeds or hugs a bumper defeats all of the good that trucking does,” Graves told the drivers. “That’s why, as an industry, we hold the championships and the champions in this room with such high esteem. The driving champions set the example. You inspire, and you put a positive face on our industry.”

Graves added: “Our success and the continued movement of commerce in this country and beyond are dependent not only on safe drivers but dedicated, knowledgeable inspectors. To have the very best of both in one room is exciting, and it’s truly inspiring.”

During the first day of competition, even the best truck drivers were reminded that the little things count — or can count against them — in the case of the championships.

For example, when driving the challenging skills course, points are deducted from a driver’s score if he sticks his head out the window to check his location, enters or exits the truck without using three points of contact or negotiates the course a little too slowly.

Many rules governed the 78th annual NTDC: Accidentally take a cellphone out onto the skills course, or take notes, or pace off distances during a walk­-through of the course ahead of the contest, and a driver is immediately sent home.

All of which makes the so-called “Super Bowl of Safety” a little like driving on a congested freeway, where focus and attention to detail are paramount.

Drivers ended the first day of the competition Aug. 12 with written tests after a briefing, driving course walk-throughs and equipment previews.

“I love learning from other drivers and sharing information with other drivers,” said FedEx Freight driver Donald Logan, the 2012 Grand Champion and 2015 Kansas champ in the

3-axle class. “It’s all about safety and making all of us safer. The more people get involved, the safer the highways are going to be. A lot of the stuff that we do here — like the pre-trip and driving — is stuff that we do every day.”

But many of the 431 drivers (39 of them rookies) said they spent long hours practicing in parking lots and studying for the competition’s written test.

More than 5,000 drivers competed at the state level. However, to reach the national competition, drivers had to win their class at the state level and perform free of accidents for a year.

Con-way Freight driver Jamey Larson, North Dakota’s sleeper-berth champ, said he spent his summer, not at the lake but in a parking lot practicing his moves for the state competition.

“I have an 11-year­old at home that practices with me,” Larson said. “He’s really into it, so that’s what we do on Saturdays. I spent a lot of time on it, and it’s not easy to do.”

He said some of the drivers already know each other well despite working for different companies.

“This is kind of a reunion,” Larson added. “It’s like an annual trek. You want to make sure you get here.”