CLEVELAND, Ohio – June 18, 2012 – Eleven drivers representing FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating companies placed among the top finishers at the 2012 Ohio State Truck Driving Championship in Cleveland on June 15-16.
- Scott Woodrome, a driver for FedEx Freight based in Dayton, captured his seventh Ohio state title – this one in the 5-Axle Sleeper class. He also earned the Grand Champion title for achieving the highest score among the winners of all classes.
- Marton Birkas, a Columbus-based driver for FedEx Freight, won the 3-Axle class.
- FedEx Express driver Louis Gaspar (Cleveland) attained the top spot in the Straight Truck class.
- Andrew Tuck, a driver for A. R. Huffman domiciled at the FedEx Ground station in Dayton, won the Step Van class.
- Tim Livingston, owner ofMartin Welch Transportation domiciled at the FedEx Ground station in Columbus, finished second in the Tank Truck class. He also earned the Sportsmanship Award.
- FedEx Freight driver Frederick Fager (Dayton) took second in the Flatbed class.
- Andrew Vance, a driver for Schoonover Transit based at the FedEx Ground station in Columbus, was second in the Step Van class.
- FedEx Freight drivers Bryan Elges (Youngstown), Mike Steiner (Mansfield) and Steven Brand (Dayton) posted third-place finishes in the 3-Axle, 4-Axle and Straight Truck classes, respectively.
- Melissa Waddle, a driver forDNT, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Columbus, finished third in Step Van.
Woodrome, Birkas, Gaspar and Tuck will go on to compete at the American Trucking Associations’ 2012 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), known as the “Super Bowl of Safety,” August 7-11 in Minneapolis, Minn. In addition, each state winner will be recognized by FedEx as part of its safe driving initiative, The Chairman’s Challenge.
“The entire team of drivers representing FedEx is dedicated to safety. It is an integral part of everything they do,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO, FedEx Corp. “The performance of these participants at the Ohio championship is a testament to their commitment to safety excellence.”
The Ohio State Truck Driving Championship is an opportunity for professional truck drivers to demonstrate their driving skills and safety expertise. The event includes a difficult driving skills test, pre-trip inspection and written examination covering vehicle operation and knowledge of federal safety regulations.
In 2011, 115 driving professionals from 45 states representing FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, and FedEx Custom Critical qualified to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships by winning their respective state’s competition and driving accident-free for at least one year. One FedEx competitor captured the National Champion title in the Step Van class. In addition, FedEx drivers earned nine additional top-three finishes in their respective vehicle classes.