NTDC Drivers Learn to Sweat the Small Stuff
John Sommers II for Transport TopicsST. LOUIS — Even the best truck drivers in the nation have to be reminded sometimes that the little things count — or can count against them, in the case of the 2015 National Truck Driving 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.
Every contest has rules, and the 78th annual NTDC taking place here this week is no exception.
Accidentally take a cellphone out onto the skills course, or take notes, or pace off distances during a pre-contest walk-through of the course, and a driver is immediately sent home.
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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.
Donald Logan by John Sommers II for Transport TopicsDrivers 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 NTDC grand champion and Kansas champ this year 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 hard 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 be accident-free for a year.
Con-way Freight driver Jamey Larson, North Dakota sleeper berth champ, said he spent his summer not at the lake, but in a parking lot practicing his moves for the state competition.
John Sommers II for Transport Topics“I have an 11-year-old 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 says 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.”
Carmen Anderson, South Dakota Step Van champion, said she got involved in the competition to “test my skills.”
“I drive over the road in a big truck,” said Anderson, one of only five female drivers who made it to the NTDC. “I never even drove a step van until the day I got into the state competition. And then I won and got to come to the nationals for the first time ever.”
Wal-Mart Transportation driver Daniel Brandt, Wyoming flatbed champ, said he drove in a company “rodeo” last fall.
“They said if you drive in the rodeo, we’ll give you a steak dinner,” Brandt said. “I did pretty well, and I was invited to participate in the Wyoming rodeo. My first time there was this spring, and I won the state flatbed championship and then they sent me here for a week of fun. I’m a 51-year-old rookie.”
Brandt added, “This week my choice was I could work and drive 3,000 miles or I could drive here for 10 minutes.”
“It takes dedication. You have to want to be here,” said Dustin Hustad, a Boeing Co. driver and Washington state twins champion. “You have to practice, and you have to study and have the support of a team. We’ve got some experienced drivers that give back by helping out the younger guys.”
Lisa Bry, also a Boeing driver and Washington straight truck champion, said her quest to return to the nationals began in March.
“We have a regional contest in Spokane, which is in May,” Bry said. “So we start practicing in March. Our state [competition] is in June. You have to commit a lot of time to practicing. You have to sacrifice sleep and time away from your family.”
