Con-way Freight's Paul Phillips is 2011 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Phillips, a Con-way Freight professional truck driver from Coarsegold, Calif. was named the 2011 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion. Paul's driving skills and knowledge of transportation and truck safety information topped those of 428 other professional drivers from all across the United States in the National Truck Driving Championships, held in Orlando, Fla. The 74th annual "Super Bowl of Safety" is sponsored by the American Trucking Associations.

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In route to his title, Paul has logged 35 years as a professional truck driver, with over 1.6 million miles behind the wheel. Paul began competing in his state truck driving championships in 2004, and this year he made his second trip to the National Truck Driving Championships.

The contestants were the state champions in nine truck types from all 50 states. Collectively, they have driven 595,155,665 accident-free miles.

In their respective classes, drivers tested their expertise in the driving skills they use daily. The competition course inside the Orange County Convention Center challenged their knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. The skills course tested drivers' ability to judge distances, maneuver tight spaces, reverse, park, and position their vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves.

"The National Truck Driving Championships showcase the industry's commitment to safety," said ATA President & CEO Bill Graves. "I applaud all the competitors for their efforts in making our highways safe, and congratulate Paul for demonstrating how a dedication to safe driving skills can make you a Grand Champion."

Paul also won the individual straight truck driving competition. Joining Paul as champions in their respective classes:

Straight Truck:  CA - Paul Phillips, Con-way Freight, Coarsegold, Calif.
Three-Axle: PA - John Hazlett, ABF Freight System, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.
Four-Axle: KS - Gary Harms, Walmart Transportation LLC, Olathe, Kan.
Five-Axle: GA - Hershel Evans, Holland, Bremen, Ga.
Flatbed:  OR - Edward Hawkins, Leavitt's Freight Service, Springfield, Ore.
Tank Truck:  PA - Leo Flack, A. Duie Pyle, Inc., West Chester, Pa.
Twins: UT - Jeffrey W. Payne, Reddaway, Cedar City, Utah
Sleeper Berth:  OR - Joshua Carr, Walmart Transportation LLC, McCall, Idaho
Step Van: TN - James Sheehan, FedEx Ground, Hendersonville, Tenn.

Paul Phillips succeeds Carl Krites, a professional truck driver also with Con-way Freight from Wapakoneta, Ohio, as the National Grand Champion.

Michael Andrews, a driver for HEB from Valley Mills, Texas, was named the 2011 National Rookie of the Year after competing in the Three-Axle division.

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

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

Laurier R. Dumont, a driver for YRC from Rochester, N.H. was awarded the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award.  Dumont participated in the Five-Axle competition.

A full list of award winners is attached.

*Editors: High resolution photos of the winners are available.

ATA's Truck Driving Championships included top professional truck drivers from around the nation competing at state and regional levels to make it to the national competition Aug. 9-13 in Orlando, Fla.  The Orlando NTDC annually attracted over 2,000 cheering friends, family, colleagues and spectators. For more information, visit the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships website: www.truckline.com/Federation/Councils/slpmc/NTDC/Pages/Default.aspx

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.  Follow TrucksBringIt on Facebook and Twitter.

The American Trucking Associations leads the effort for safer highways, focusing on greater education, enforcement and enhancement of traffic safety laws for all drivers.  www.truckline.com

2011 National Truck Driving Championship Winners:

Straight Truck Class

1. CA - Paul Phillips, Con-way Freight, Coarsegold, Calif.
2. AZ - Sean Saxon, FedEx Ground, Scottsdale, Ariz.
3. CO - John Lopez, Reddaway, Ranch, Colo.

3-Axle Class

1. PA - John Hazlett, ABF Freight System, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.
2. VA - Michael Stickley, Con-way Freight, Middletown, Va.
3. MS - Virgil Boyanton, FedEx Freight, Florence, Miss.

4-Axle Class

1. KS - Gary Harms, Walmart Transportation, LLC, Olathe, Kan.
2. MA - Kenneth Ferencie, Norwell, Mass.
3. OK - Larry Kendall, FedEx Express, Tulsa, Okla.

5-Axle Class

1. GA - Hershel Evans, Holland, Bremen, Ga.
2. WA - John Enyeart, Safeway Stores, Inc., Ravensdale, Wash.
3. OK - Russell Beachler, FedEx Freight, Moore, Okla.

Flatbed Class

1. OR - Edward Hawkins, Leavitt's Freight Service, Springfield, Ore.
2. NH - Mark Bailey, Walmart Transportation LLC, Springvale, Maine
3. ME - Robert Magnuson, Hannaford Trucking Company, Portland, Maine

Tank Truck Class

1. PA - Leo Flack, A. Duie Pyle, Inc., Westchester, Pa.
2. SC - Thomas Winston, FedEx Freight, Greenville, S.C.
3. TX -  Thomas Wilson, H-E-B, Katy, Texas

Twins Class

1. UT - Jeffrey Payne, Reddaway, Cedar City, Utah
2. NY - Gerald Thompson, Con-way Freight, Grand Island, N.Y.
3. CA - Gary Martin, FedEx Ground, Galt, Calif.

Sleeper Berth Class

1. OR - Joshua Carr, Walmart Transportation, LLC , McCall, Idaho
2. LA - Pat Rudesill, FedEx Ground, Hammond, La.
3. MT - Brandon Hicks, Mergenthaler Transfer & Storage, Helena, Mont.

Step Van

1. TN - James Sheehan, FedEx Ground, Hendersonville, Tenn.
2. WI - Timothy Cole, FedEx Ground, Muskego, Wis.
3. MA - Robert Ledoux, FedEx Express, Swansen, Mass.

Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion:  Paul Phillips, Con-way Freight, Coarsegold, Calif.

National Rookie of the Year:  Michael Andrews, HEB, Valley Mills, Texas

Team Trophy:  The Michigan state truck driving championship team won honors as the highest scoring state team, followed by Pennsylvania and Utah respectively.

Vehicle Condition Award:  Michael Barnes, Walmart Transportation LLC, Verona, Va.

Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award:  Laurier R. Dumont, YRC, Rochester, N.H.

SOURCE American Trucking Associations