FedEx Freight’s Light Conquers Pennsylvania
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This summer, the one time Mike Light focused all his energy on demonstrating the full prowess of his precision-driving skills, he took home Pennsylvania’s grand champion trophy.
Light, a friendly FedEx Freight driver with something of a quiet demeanor, has been soft-launching an intense training campaign since earning the blue ribbon distinction at the Keystone State qualifier in early June.
Competing in the straight truck class, Light punched his ticket to his second trip to the National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships. He has been amplifying his focus on technique as well as fundamentals nearly every weekend. Light believes he is equipped with a solid playbook, geared toward making a run at a title. He is addicted to the preparation ahead of his sophomore visit to the big stage.
For weeks, the Lights have been consistent about weekend workouts, which are meant to perfect maneuvers on intricate courses. Admittedly, the training, often led by his wife, Karen, has helped boost his confidence.
2024 National Truck Driving Championships
Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level who have advanced to the national competition, where a Grand Champion will be crowned
What: Contestants are judged on a written exam, pre-trip inspection and driving skills
When: Aug. 21-24
Where: Indianapolis
“We practice on the weekends, and we’ll set up our little short courses. And that gets us tuned up … and then when you get to competition time, you have to adjust to whatever the course is — have no clue what the course is going to be — and everything that we practice will hopefully fall in place,” Light said recently.
Specific to Karen’s guidance, he added: “She’s the coach. And if I’m doing something wrong sometimes we video it. If I can’t see actually where it is, she puts a video up on there. But she knows all the rules and regulations and stuff like that, so she doesn’t give me any slack on it.”
Getting to Know You
Name: Michael Light
Age: 58
From: North East, Pa.
Vehicle: Straight truck
Music: Old and new country
Hobby: Camping
Food: Rack of BBQ ribs
Movie: The Expendables 2
Most memorable moment at NTDC: Having a large souvenir rubber ducky signed by fellow competitors and organizers last year.
The last word: “Stay safe and see you at the nationals.”
The “Super Bowl of Safety” may be the only great precision-driving contest in the United States that matters. State contests dominate the road to NTDC. Still, the national arena, with its pronounced pageantry, its emphasis on professionalism, and its celebration of the driver, is arguably the industry’s supreme safety showcase.
Light, who will compete in the straight truck class at the 87th rendition of the event, shared his perspective.
“I feel really good about it. I’ve been hitting the book every day, a little bit,” he said, noting NTDC’s requisite reading. “We’re still tuning up on the practice, there. We’re not going to stop until it’s time to go. And I feel pretty good about it. We’re going to give it 100 percent when we go.”
Other Pennsylvania winners:
3-Axle: Bernard Wayno, UPS
4-Axle: William Giles, Old Dominion Freight Line
5-Axle: Matt Fletcher, Martin Brower
Flatbed: Daryl Miller Cope Company Salt
Sleeper Berth: Bryan Krol, Martin Brower
Step Van: Daniel Verbanek, FedEx
Tank Truck: Brian Smeltzer, RH Crawford
Twins: Michael Hoover, Old Dominion Freight Line
The record-breaking, biggest-ever Pennsylvania Truck Driving Championships is off to a great start!
These drivers are the cream of the crop, the safest of the safe, the gold standard when it comes to truck drivers here to compete for the top spot.
GOOD LUCK DRIVERS!!! pic.twitter.com/UpsznLQGw7 — PMTA (@P_M_T_A) June 7, 2024
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