MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 19, 2011 – One hundred and fifteen drivers from 45 states representing the FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating companies will compete in the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Orlando, Fla., August 9-13.
Each FedEx driver earned the right to compete in the NTDC by qualifying at state-level truck driving championships. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) sponsors the NTDC, which is designed to recognize industry leadership in safety and to promote professionalism among truck drivers.
“At FedEx, safety is a top priority in every aspect of our business,” said Frederick W. Smith, President, CEO and Chairman, FedEx Corp. “This commitment is evident through the performance of the more than 1,400 FedEx team members who competed in their respective state truck driving championships and of our 115 national finalists.”
Here are some facts about the 2011 FedEx NTDC competitors:
- Collectively, the drivers have 2,202 years of professional driving experience among them.
- In total, the team has safely driven nearly 125 million miles during their careers – enough to circle the globe more than 5,019 times.
- Sixty-one of the FedEx competitors have driven professionally for 20 years or more.
- Fifty-nine of them have each accumulated at least one million miles of safe driving.
- Eleven of them have won five or more state championships.
At the NTDC, the FedEx drivers will be among nearly 450 competitors who will vie for national titles in nine different classes of vehicles and for the National Grand Champion title. The drivers accumulate points by demonstrating their driving skills and knowledge of the industry through a written exam, pre-trip inspection and field test.
Sean Saxon, owner of Berly Q Inc. domiciled at the FedEx Ground station in Tempe, Ariz., will be competing at his third NTDC. The reigning National Champion in the Step Van class, he has driven professionally for five years without ever having an accident.
“Competing at the NTDC is like playing in the World Series or Super Bowl,” said Saxon. “Winning a national title last year was my most rewarding experience as a professional driver because I competed against the safest drivers from the across the country and came out on top. It’s truly an honor to have earned the right to return to the competition again this year.”
The 2011 FedEx National Truck Driving Championships team includes:
Driver’s Name | State | Domicile Facility | Hometown | Class |
Kirt Hartshorn | AK | Fairbanks, Alaska | Fairbanks, Alaska | Step Van |
Ross Garner | AL | Decatur, Ala. | Hartselle, Ala. | 3-Axle |
Martin McDonald | AL | Spanish Fort, Ala. | Mobile, Ala. | Flatbed |
Gary Ramsey | AL | Montgomery, Ala. | Eclectic, Ala. | Step Van |
Charlie Salter | AL | Montgomery, Ala. | Prattville, Ala. | 4-Axle |
Dan Thompson | AL | Mobile, Ala. | Spanish Fort, Ala. | Twins |
Paul Roe | AR | Fort Smith, Ark. | Van Buren, Ark. | Step Van |
Russ Norman | AZ | Tempe, Ariz. | Mesa, Ariz. | Step Van |
Bob Petersen | AZ | Phoenix, Ariz. | Phoenix, Ariz. | 4-Axle |
Sean Saxon | AZ | Tempe, Ariz. | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Straight Truck |
Scott Watts | AZ | Phoenix, Ariz. | Goodyear, Ariz. | 3-Axle |
Troy Astrande | CA | Rialto, Calif. | Redlands, Calif. | Step Van |
Gary Martin | CA | Sacramento, Calif. | Galt, Calif. | Twins |
Dave Mogler | CO | Denver, Colo. | Brighton, Colo. | Twins |
Tony Singh | CO | Denver, Colo. | Denver, Colo. | Step Van |
Paul Swan | CO | Denver, Colo. | Thornton, Colo. | 4-Axle |
Paul Brandon | CT | New Haven, Conn. | Oxford, Conn. | Tank Truck |
Tom Griffin | CT | New Haven, Conn. | Wallingford, Conn. | 5-Axle |
Ed Oakes | CT | Hartford, Conn. | Chicopee, Mass. | Twins |
Keith Towne | CT | Norwich, Conn. | Charlestown, R.I. | Step Van |
Cruz Vazquez | CT | New Haven, Conn. | New Haven, Conn. | Straight Truck |
J.R. Argo | DE | Salisbury, Md. | Ellendale, Del. | Step Van |
Rick Albritton | FL | Melbourne, Fla. | Palm Bay, Fla. | Step Van |
Rene Molinary | FL | Miami, Fla. | Coral Springs, Fla. | Straight Truck |
Greg Sams | FL | Valdosta, Ga. | Ocala, Fla. | 3-Axle |
Luis Soto | FL | Hollywood, Fla. | Cooper City, Fla. | 4-Axle |
Kenny Davis | GA | Atlanta, Ga. | Newnan, Ga. | 5-Axle Sleeper |
llen Sohn | IA | Des Moines | Des Moines, Iowa | 4-Axle |
Jeremy Alt | ID | Mountain Home, Idaho | Mountain Home, Idaho | 4-Axle |
Daryl Barnett | ID | Mountain Home, Idaho | Boise, Idaho | Straight Truck |
Tim Miller | ID | Mountain Home, Idaho | Nampa, Idaho | Twins |
Randy Schwasinger | ID | Boise, Idaho | Boise, Idaho | Step Van |
Joe Carson | IL | Effingham, Ill. | Strasburg, Ill. | Tank Truck |
Shay Gibson | IL | Effingham, Ill. | Arcola, Ill. | Step Van |
Tony Malloy | IN | Louisville, Ky. | Sellersburg, Ind. | Step Van |
Dean Harris | KS | Kansas City, Kan. | Edgerton, Kan. | Step Van |
Don Logan | KS | Topeka, Kan. | Eskridge, Kan. | Tank Truck |
Clifford McConico | KS | Kansas City, Kan. | Bonner Springs, Kan. | Twins |
Jay Miller | KS | Kansas City, Kan. | Bonner Springs, Kan. | Straight Truck |
Jeff Thompson | KS | Kansas City, Kan. | Olathe, Kan. | Flatbed |
Janet Hoard | KY | Louisville, Ky. | Crestwood, Ky. | Straight Truck |
Ben Noschang | KY | Hebron, Ky. | Lawrenceburg, Ind. | Step Van |
David Proctor | KY | Louisville, Ky. | Mount Washington, Ky. | 3-Axle |
Paul Book | LA | Lake Charles, La. | Lake Charles, La. | Step Van |
Milton Hebert | LA | Lafayette, La. | Lafayette, La. | Tank Truck |
Pat Rudesill | LA | New Orleans, La. | Hammond, La. | 5-Axle Sleeper |
Xavier Theriot | LA | Shreveport, La. | Shreveport, La. | Twins |
Roland Bolduc | MA | Windsor Locks, Conn. | E. Longmeadow, Mass. | Tank Truck |
Rich Gray | MA | Springfield, Mass. | W. Springfield, Mass. | Twins |
Bob Ledoux | MA | Raynham, Mass. | Swansea, Mass. | Step Van |
Mike Woltz | MD | Rockville, Md. | Germanton, Md. | Step Van |
John Clouser | MI | Fremont, Ind. | Concord, Mich. | 3-Axle |
Doug Davidson | MI | Saginaw, Mich. | Saginaw, Mich. | Step Van |
Mark Duensing | MI | Toledo, Ohio | Taylor, Mich. | Twins |
Jim Fisher | MI | Toledo, Ohio | Royal Oak, Mich. | 5-Axle Sleeper |
Paul Butkowski | MN | St. Cloud, Minn. | Sauk Rapids, Minn. | 3-Axle |
Chris Rapsch | MN | White Bear Lake, Minn. | Columbia Heights, Minn. | Step Van |
Mike Hausner | MO | St. Louis, Mo. | O’Fallon, Mo. | Step Van |
Richard O’Brien | MO | St. Louis, Mo. | Maryland Heights, Mo. | 4-Axle |
Tommy Boyanton | MS | Jackson, Miss. | Florence, Miss. | 3-Axle |
Randy Byrd | MS | Jackson, Miss. | Florence, Miss. | Twins |
Don Smith | MS | Tupelo, Miss. | Tupelo, Miss. | Step Van |
Erik Lilleberg | MT | Billings, Mont. | Billings, Mont. | 3-Axle |
Tom Miller | MT | Billings, Mont. | Billings, Mont. | Straight Truck |
Mike Bills | NC | Durham, N.C. | Fuquay-Varina, N.C. | Step Van |
Cecil Hicks | NC | Charlotte, N.C. | Norwood, N.C. | Flatbed |
Joe Honek | ND | Grand Forks, N.D. | E. Grand Forks, Minn. | 3-Axle |
Chris Tande | ND | Fargo, N.D. | W. Fargo, N.D. | Step Van |
Andy James | NH | Manchester, N.H. | Derry, N.H. | Step Van |
Lester Beben | NJ | South Brunswick, N.J. | Parlin, N.J. | 5-Axle Sleeper |
Jim Erickson | NJ | Cinnaminson, N.J. | Marlton, N.J. | 5-Axle |
Dave Font | NJ | Moonachie, N.J. | New Brunswick, N.J. | Step Van |
Louie Hermida | NM | Lordsburg, N.M. | Deming, N.M. | Twins |
Chris Shaw | NM | Albuquerque, N.M. | Albuquerque, N.M. | Step Van |
Chad Stahnke | NM | Albuquerque, N.M. | Albuquerque, N.M. | Straight Truck |
Christina Fleury | NV | Las Vegas, Nev. | Las Vegas, Nev. | Step Van |
Matt Hart | NV | Elko, Nev. | Elko, Nev. | 3-Axle |
John Lugo | NV | Las Vegas, Nev. | Las Vegas, Nev. | Straight Truck |
Patrick Nerger | NV | Reno, Nev. | Sparks, Nev. | 5-Axle |
Gragg Wilson | NV | Reno, Nev. | Verdi, Nev. | Tank Truck |
Mike Guanciale | NY | Syracuse, N.Y. | Camillus, N.Y. | 3-Axle |
Randy Merle | NY | Rochester, N.Y. | Leicester, N.Y. | 4-Axle |
Scott Brown | OH | Toledo, Ohio | Curtice, Ohio | 5-Axle Sleeper |
Scott Woodrome | OH | Dayton, Ohio | Middletown, Ohio | Flatbed |
Russell Beachler | OK | Oklahoma City, Okla. | Moore, Okla. | 5-Axle |
Patrick Corrente | OK | Lawton, Okla. | Lawton, Okla. | Step Van |
Larry Kendall | OK | Tulsa, Okla. | Tulsa, Okla. | 4-Axle |
Jerry Lambert | OR | Portland, Ore. | Vancouver, Wash. | Twins |
Chris Outen | OR | Portland, Ore. | Vancouver, Wash. | 3-Axle |
Nick Paradiso | OR | Portland, Ore. | Vancouver, Wash. | Step Van |
Jim Rud | OR | Portland, Ore. | Sandy, Ore. | Straight Truck |
Dan Shamrell | OR | Portland, Ore. | Battle Ground, Wash. | 4-Axle |
Chuck DiGiovanni | PA | Philadelphia, Pa. | Norristown, Pa. | Step Van |
Jerry Avossa | SC | Charlotte, N.C. | Fort Mill, S.C. | 3-Axle |
Dubby Freeman | SC | Florence, S.C. | Hartsville, S.C. | Step Van |
Ray Shelton | SC | Greenville, S.C. | Mauldin, S.C. | Flatbed |
Tommy Winston | SC | Greenville, S.C. | Greenville, S.C. | Tank Truck |
Mike Whitehead | SD | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lennox, S.D. | Tank Truck |
Tony Ellison | TN | Nashville, Tenn. | Mt. Juliet, Tenn. | Straight Truck |
Dave Magee | TN | Dresden, Tenn. | Huntingdon, Tenn. | Tank Truck |
James Sheehan | TN | Nashville, Tenn. | Hendersonville, Tenn. | Step Van |
Aryn Pittawayo | TX | Fort Worth, Texas | Arlington, Texas | Step Van |
Tamra O’Mealy | UT | West Valley City, Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah | Step Van |
Mark Brundage | VA | Herndon, Va. | Leesburg, Va. | Step Van |
Andre Kazouh | VA | Winchester, Va. | Carnegie, Pa. | 5-Axle |
Cass Bresette | VT | Burlington, Vt. | Barre, Vt. | 5-Axle Sleeper |
Chris Goddard | VT | Williston, Vt. | Burlington, Vt. | 5-Axle |
Marty Goodell | VT | Burlington, Vt. | Wilmington, Vt. | Straight Truck |
Bruce Kennedy | VT | Williston, Vt. | Williston, Vt. | Step Van |
Christopher Novak | VT | Williston, Vt. | Williston, Vt. | Flatbed |
Bob Hinds | WA | Everett, Wash. | Mt. Vernon, Wash. | Step Van |
Jim Burmesch | WI | Milwaukee, Wis. | Port Washington, Wis. | Flatbed |
Tim Cole | WI | Milwaukee, Wis. | Muskego, Wis. | Step Van |
Bill Adkins | WV | Huntington, W. Va. | South Point, Ohio | 4-Axle |
Jerry Pugh | WV | Parkersburg, W. Va. | Marietta, Ohio | Flatbed |
In 2010, drivers representing FedEx captured National Champion titles in the Flatbed, 3-Axle, 4-Axle, Straight Truck, Twins and Step Van classes. In addition, FedEx drivers earned six additional top-three finishes in their respective vehicle classes.