Dogged Pursuit Helps Ronnie Luckadoo Again Become South Carolina’s Top Trucker
Winning South Carolina’s truck driving championships for the fifth time last weekend feels, well, very satisfying, Ronnie Luckadoo of UPS Freight told Transport Topics.
“It feels good just knowing you’re the top dog for the year,” Luckadoo said April 19. He won the 3-axle class at the state tournament April 13-14 in West Columbia, S.C. His outstanding performance earned him the grand champion title as well as a chance to compete at nationals for the eighth time.
The Road to the National Truck Driving Championships
Qualifiers | Map | Photos | Video
Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level advance to the national competition, with a grand champion crowned
What: Contestants are judged on a written examination and their driving skills
When: Aug. 15-18
Where: Columbus, Ohio
The UPS Freight driver for nearly four decades said he’ll put in the practice and hope for a little bit of luck when he tests his talents in the 3-axle against class winners from around the country in August. As he put it, to become the country’s “top dog” in trucking, “just do your best.”
“You got the driving test and the pre-trip. It takes all three of those together to get to the top,” Luckadoo explained. The contest also includes a written test.
Also earning a spot to the national tournament from the Palmetto State were Dubby Freeman of FedEx Ground in the straight truck category, Clay Hensley of C&S Wholesale Services in 4-Axle, Steve Newsome of UPS Freight in the flatbed class, Ray Shelton of FedEx Freight in sleeper berth, Ben Hampton of FedEx Freight in the tanker class, John Cook of UPS Freight in the twins category, and Richard McCoy of C&S Wholesale Services in 5-Axle. Eddie Day of FedEx Express won the step van division.
The National Truck Driving Championships will be held Aug. 15-18 in Columbus, Ohio.
