For One NTDC Contestant, Competition Trumps Birth

This story appears in the Aug. 13 print edition of Transport Topics.

MINNEAPOLIS — ABF Freight System truck driver Ralph Garcia had to make a choice between being at the hospital for the birth of his first grandson or competing here in the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships.

He chose the latter.

Not only would Garcia have to forgo a first glimpse of the family’s newest arrival, but he would have to follow the competition’s strict rules and request special “emergency” permission to use a cellphone to congratulate his daughter while a judge monitors the call to prevent any possible cheating.

“At first I was thinking I should just forget the competition and be there for my daughter,” said Garcia, a New Mexico state champion in the 4-axle class, “but she’s the one who insisted I come here to compete. She’s been to these competitions growing up and knows what a big deal they are.”

Garcia’s sacrifice is just one example of how seriously the 425 drivers competing in the 2012 NTDC and National Step Van Driving Championships regard the competition.

The three-day event got under way on Aug. 8, with drivers getting instructions on the competition’s many rules, the intricacies of its challenging course, details of a pre-trip inspection they’ll be given and taking a one-hour written test.

To get here is no easy task, but to go home a national champion — or the overall Grand Champion — is even more difficult.

While natural talent can be a factor, most drivers say the time practicing plays a significant role in qualifying for the nationals.

It’s not uncommon for drivers to take a week off before the competition to hone their skills, said Dean Yockey, a safety supervisor for Pitt Ohio and a member of the NTDC national committee.

Leon “Rusty” Towsley, a Con-way Freight driver who is Vermont 4-axle state champ, said he practices with the competition in mind every time he backs into a dock while on the job.

“It’s just like in the military,” said Towsley, who’s been a driver for 40 years. “You just do something over and over and over, and you become better at it. To get better, we practice daily.”

Jack Smith, a Wal-Mart Transportation driver and South Carolina 4-axle champ, said he not only spends hours behind the wheel practicing but also studies hard for the written test.

Martin Warfield, a YRC Freight sleeper berth champ from Illinois, said it’s the time of year when spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends could complain about being left alone during extended practices. Warfield said he had been practicing about eight hours every weekend as the competition neared.

The course the drivers must negotiate requires them to make four complete stops within 18 inches of a line that represents a dock, curb or scale. The closer they stop, the more points they receive. If it takes more than 10 minutes to complete the course — 8 minutes for step vans — points are deducted.

The precision required to run the course successfully was evident by the questions drivers asked during an Aug. 8 briefing reviewing the course:

• Which part of the tire — the tread or the bulge — could not touch a line?

• Can drivers stick their heads out the window when backing up?

• How must they sit in the seat?

The answers: Measurements are taken at the point the tread touches the road, drivers must use their mirrors to back up and they must wear a seat belt and maintain a “normal driving position” inside the cab.

Because of a small possibility of cheating, drivers are not allowed to have cellphones when they wait in their “bullpens” under the watchful eyes of their “den mothers.” The fear is that drivers could possibly relay the questions asked on the written exam or defects hidden during pre-trip inspections.

Such cheating is extremely rare, but last year, one driver was disqualified because he was caught simply talking on his cellphone outside the competition area.

Although every one of the state champs wants to be the Grand Champion, even in defeat they say they learn a lot from the experience, make new friends and share life stories.

“I’ve made a lot of friends here. We all get together and talk,” Wal-Mart’s Smith said on the eve of the driving competition, “but tomorrow’s going to be another story on the course.”

That’s when friends become fierce competitors, Smith added.