Phillips Named Grand Champ, Topping 428 Other Truckers

ORLANDO, Fla. — Con-way Freight driver Paul Phillips has participated in truck driving competitions for 15 years. Even though this year was only his second appearance at the nationals, he believed he had a shot at the top prize.

“I felt I was doing pretty good and I was comfortable,” he said of his time on the driving course. “I was relaxed more this year.”

It turned out Phillips was not just doing pretty good, he was doing great. That’s why the 60-year-old professional trucker from Coarsegold, Calif., was named the grand prize winner at this year’s 74th annual National Truck Driving Championships run by American Trucking Associations.

Phillips was officially crowned the 2011 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion on Aug. 14; Bendix Commercial Vehicles Systems LLC sponsored the award.

Phillips edged out 428 other professional drivers from across the United States, Canada and Mexico to grab the grand prize here.

It was the third year in a row that a driver from Con-way Freight has been named Grand Champion at the ATA’s “Super Bowl of Safety.” Con-way Inc. ranks No. 3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in the United States and Canada.

Phillips, who works out of Con-way’s Fresno, Calif., terminal, has been a professional truck driver for 35 years, and he has logged more than 1.6 million miles behind the wheel. He began competing in his state truck driving championships in 2004.

Phillips also won the NTDC individual straight truck driving competition and succeeds Carl Krites, a Con-way Freight driver from Wapakoneta, Ohio, as national grand champion. 

In 2009, Con-way Freight driver Dale Duncan of San Diego, was named NTDC grand champion.

Phillips said he first entered competitions to gauge the level of his road skills. “I wanted to see how good I could be,” he said, speaking minutes after he was awarded his trophy.

“I’m just soaking it in right now,” said Phillips. “I haven’t realized what it means yet.”

Like previous Con-way champions, Phillips will be given a brand new Ford F-150 pickup truck as well as a customized tractor emblazoned with his name and championship title that he’ll drive for a year.

Phillips’ achievement is especially impressive when compared with the field of challengers in Orlando.

ATA Chairman Barbara Windsor noted that almost 5,000 drivers competed at the state level and 483 qualified for the nationals. And the 483 drivers logged 595.2 million accident-free miles, she said at the NTDC banquet.

And during all these competitions, trucking companies are supporting contestants as well as spouses, children and other family members, Windsor said. “It’s great to realize that trucking really is a family event, she said. “I’m a trucker’s daughter and a trucker’s granddaughter. Trucking’s my family.”

Anne Ferro, administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, paid tribute to all the drivers whom she said had the courage to compete against the best drivers from other states. And several ended up sharing the winner’s podium with grand champion Phillips.

Ferro also noted that many drivers do not do as well as they hoped at the nationals. “But you have the courage to come back and try again,” Ferro told those contestants.

“You have the courage to take what you learn each time and do better the next time and bring it back home and teach and inspire other rookies or other colleagues who may have been driving for years,” Ferro said.

James Sheehan, a driver for FedEx Ground in Hendersonville, Tenn., was named 2011 National Step Van Champion. It’s the second year the step van competition has been part of NTDC.

In all, FedEx Corp. had 10 drivers who were top three finishers in their respective classes at this year’s event. FedEx ranks No. 2 on the TT Top 100 list of for-hire carriers.

ABF Freight System driver John Hazlett of Philadelphia won the three-axle competition. ABF Freight parent Arkansas Best Corp. ranks No. 14 on the TT Top 100 list.

Gary Harms of Walmart Transportation LLC in Olathe, Kan., was the top driver in the four-axle class. The private fleet of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ranks No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of private carriers.

Hershel Evans, a driver for YRC Worldwide Corp.’s Holland division in Bremen, Ga., won the top honors in the five-axle class. YRC ranks No. 4 on the TT Top 100 for-hire list.

Edward Hawkins, a driver for Leavitt’s Freight Service Inc. in Springfield, Ore., won this year’s NTDC flatbed trophy.

Leo Flack, a driver for A. Duie Pyle Inc. in West Chester, Pa., was the tank-truck class champion. A. Duie Pyle ranks No. 80 on the TT Top 100 for-hire list.

Jeffrey Payne, who hauls for Reddaway in Cedar City, Utah, is the 2011 twins class driving champion. Reddaway is the Pacific Northwest regional carrier unit of YRC Worldwide.

Joshua Carr, a driver for Walmart Transportation, McCall, Idaho, who drove on the Oregon team, was NTDC sleeper berth champion.

Michael Andrews, a driver for H-E-B Grocery Co. from Valley Mills, Texas, was named the 2011 National Rookie of the Year after competing in the three-axle division. H-E-B. Grocery ranks No. 52 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in the United States and Canada.

Michael Barnes, a driver for Walmart Transportation from Verona, Va., won the Vehicle Condition Award. Barnes participated in the twins competition.

Laurier Dumont, a driver for YRC Worldwide from Rochester, N.H., was awarded the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award. Dumont, who participated in the five-axle competition, got a chuckle when he told the audience of his award: “There’s a whole lot of people who deserve this more than me.” Then after pausing, he said: “I got it.”

The state truck driving championship team from Michigan won honors as the highest-scoring state team, followed by Pennsylvania and Utah.

Next year’s NTDC will be in Minneapolis. And this year’s champ, Phillips, promised that he’ll be busy recruiting fellow drivers to consider competing. “I know a lot of guys are scared,” he said. “But I tell them to get out there and try it.”