Multiple States Cancel Truck Driving Championships
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Arizona, New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut have canceled their state truck driving championships over coronavirus-related concerns.
The New Hampshire Motor Transport Association and the Vermont Truck and Bus Association had planned to hold their joint competition May 30 in Pembroke, N.H. The groups, each representing small states, combine their championships into one event. The Motor Transport Association of Connecticut’s competition was scheduled for June 13 in Windsor Locks.
These decisions mark the first outright cancellations of state truck driving championships due to the coronavirus. Over the past couple of weeks, 10 states have decided to postpone their truck driving championships.
RELATED: 2020 State Truck Driving Championships Schedule
The Vermont Truck and Bus Association posted an update on its Facebook page March 31 confirming the cancellation. According to the notice, the two associations’ 2020 Truck Driving Championships Committee held a conference call earlier that morning to discuss the event.
This morning, the 2020 Truck Driving Championships Committee held a conference call to discuss this year’s event. A very... Posted by Vermont Truck and Bus Association on Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Motor Transport Association of Connecticut President Joe Sculley confirmed the cancellation April 1. According to Sculley, the association is postponing the state competition until 2021.
Arizona made its decision on April 3, saying on its website that it will "come back stronger in 2021."
According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, 314 cases of COVID-19 have been reported as of March 30. The Vermont Department of Health reported 256 cases of the virus as of March 30. The Connecticut Department of Public Health confirmed 3,128 cases of COVID-19 as of March 31.
The state championships, which determine the qualifiers for American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships, are slated to run through spring and early summer. As of April 1, the national competition, scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Indianapolis, is still on.
States that have postponed their championships include Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska, New Mexico and California.
Louisiana was supposed to kick off the season with a competition scheduled for March 27-28. The event has been postponed to July 10-11.
California, which was on the later end of the championship schedule, has delayed its competition, initially scheduled for June 12-14. A new date has not been announced.
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