N.D. Grand Champion Gets By With a Little Help From His Friends
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Scott Meyers, Grand Champion of this year’s North Dakota Truck Driving Championships, says support from his coworkers and the competition truck driving community helped power him to a first-place trophy.
NORTH DAKOTA ARCHIVE: Preview, recaps and more
Meyers, a FedEx Freight driver, won the Tank Truck division at the competition held June 1 by the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association. Meyers also won the 5-Axle division title at the 2018 competition and went on to represent North Dakota at the national competition, where he placed 12th in that division.
The 2019 National Truck Driving Championships
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Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level have advanced to the national competition, where a Grand Champion will be crowned
What: Contestants are judged on a written examination and their driving skills
When: Aug. 14-17
Where: Pittsburgh
Meyers told Transport Topics in an e-mail that the support of his coworkers and the friends he has made through the competition have been important in preparing for the tournaments.
“They would text me questions to help me prepare for the TDCs. Also, we would get together as a team to practice and study. Everybody has been so supportive of me and have really invested in my success throughout this entire process,” Meyers wrote.
RELATED: Rookie competitor Julie Hjelle becomes North Dakota’s first woman qualifier for nationals
Meyers also complimented the community fostered through the truck driving championships, noting he has made friends from other states throughout the process and even gone to practice with them in their home states.
Meyers will join the other state Grand Champions and division winners Aug. 14-17 in Pittsburgh to see who takes home the top prizes. “I know that it will be a tough competition, but I am looking forward to the challenge,” Meyers said.
All North Dakota competitors moving on to nationals:
- 3-Axle: Cameron Janousek, FedEx Freight
- 4-Axle: Christopher Scholand, FedEx Freight
- 5-Axle: Steve Johnson, XPO Logistics
- Sleeper Berth: Julie Hjelle, Altendorf Trucking
- Straight Truck: Jamie Ackerland, FedEx Freight
- Flatbed: Edward Oliver, Magnum
- Tank Truck: Scott Meyers, FedEx Freight
- Twins: John Janousek, FedEx Freight
- Step Van: Josh Metzger, FedEx Express
