Professional Drivers Vying for Coveted Title of America's Road Team Captain
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations welcomed 31 professional truck drivers who are beginning their quest to be named Captains on the 2015-2016 America's Road Team.
"Captains are universally respected ambassadors of our industry," said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves. "I wish this year's finalists luck and look forward to naming a select few of them to America's Road Team."
America's Road Team, a group of professional truck drivers with superior safety records, was created in 1986 to represent the trucking industry and has been sponsored by Volvo Trucks since 2002. As captains, the drivers travel the country, educating the public on the importance of trucking and on highway safety.
This year's finalists have more than 830 years of combined experience driving and have racked up nearly 55 million accident-free miles behind the wheel. All told, they hail from 26 states and represent 15 different carriers.
Over the next three days, a panel of industry officials and trucking news media will judge the contestants on their knowledge of the trucking industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry's messages and overall safe driving record, culminating in the announcement of the 2015-2016 America's Road Team on January 13.
The newly chosen 2015-2016 America's Road Team will be honored with the signature navy blue America's Road Team blazer. They will immediately begin working to share the industry's message of safety, essentiality and sustainability with the motoring public, news media, business and community leaders, public officials and their fellow drivers across the nation.
To be nominated to serve as an America's Road Team Captain, professional truck drivers must be employed or leased to an ATA member company. Each nominee should have an excellent safety record, and should demonstrate an ability to communicate his or her commitment to safety and passion for the industry. Nominees should also portray a positive image of the professional truck driver in all that they do.
The finalists include:
- Paul Brandon, FedEx Freight, Oxford, Conn.
- Henry Bruster, UPS Freight, Woodville, Miss.
- Ricardo Buitrago, Con-way Freight, Kissimmee, Fla.
- Gary Lee Capps, UPS Freight, Grantsville, Utah
- Kenneth Clark, YRC Freight, Desoto, Mo.
- Charles Demchock II, Walmart Transportation, Cocoa, Fla.
- Eric Flick, FedEx Freight, Dayton, Nev.
- David Green, Werner Enterprises, Hot Springs, Ark.
- Neil Kirk, Penske Logistics, Middletown, N.Y.
- Randall Luschen, Weinrich Truck Line Inc., Merrill, Iowa
- Clarence Wilburn Lyons, YRC Freight, Haltom City, Texas
- Thomas McIntosh, YRC Freight, Aurora, Colo.
- John McKown, UPS Freight, East Berlin, Penn.
- Tim Melody, ABF Freight System Inc., Payette, Idaho
- Chad Miller, ABF Freight System Inc., Crown Point, Ind.
- Bill Minor, Con-way Freight, West Milwaukee, Wis.
- Brent Quire, Con-way Freight, New Albany, Ind.
- Eric Ramsdell, Walmart Transportation, Wittmann, Ariz.
- Terry Rankins, Weinrich Truck Line Inc., Tollesboro, Ky.
- Paul Savill, UPS Freight, Hamilton, Ohio
- Gary Schmidt, Cliff Viessman Inc., Fergus Falls, Minn.
- Russell Simpson, Holland Inc., South Vienna, Ohio
- Danny Smith, Big G Express Inc., Shelbyville, Tenn.
- Clarence Taylor, Walmart Transportation, North Chesterfield, Va.
- Stanley Thrasher, Danny Herman Trucking Inc., Boaz, Ala.
- Brian Turner, Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., Newport, Tenn.
- Tim Vogt, Con-way Freight, Loganville, Ga.
- Kirk Weis, ABF Freight System Inc., Rio Rancho, N.M.
- William West, ABF Freight System Inc., Roopville, Ga.
- Derrick Whittle, Cargo Transporters Inc., Fieldale, Va.
- Scott Woodrome, FedEx Freight, Middletown, Ohio
The America's Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway.www.americasroadteam.com.
American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward
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SOURCE American Trucking Associations
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