United States (English)

FedEx to Send 150 Drivers to National Truck Driving Championships

Competitors Reflect FedEx Commitment to Safety and Professionalism

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MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 22, 2015 — 150 drivers from 48 states representing FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating companies will compete in the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in St. Louis, Missouri, August 11-15.

Each FedEx driver earned the right to compete in the NTDC by winning at state-level truck driving championships. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) sponsor the NTDC, which is designed to recognize industry leadership in safety and to promote professionalism among truck drivers.

“FedEx drivers are among the safest in the industry,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman, FedEx Corp. “I’m proud of the 1,812 FedEx team members who qualified to compete at the state level and the 150 finalists competing nationally.”

Here are some facts about the 2015 FedEx NTDC competitors:


  • Collectively, the drivers have more than 3,100 years of professional driving experience among them.
  • In total, the team has safely driven more than 191 million miles during their careers—enough to circle the globe nearly 7,670 times.
  • More than 87 of the FedEx competitors have driven professionally for 20 years or more.
  • More than 38 have each accumulated at least one million miles of safe driving.
  • 24 have won five or more state championships.

At the NTDC, the FedEx drivers will be among nearly 430 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 driving-skills challenge.

The 2015 FedEx NTDC team includes:

Driver’s Name State Domicile Facility Hometown Class
Muku Afusia AK Anchorage Anchorage Straight Truck
Becky Nelson AK Anchorage Anchorage Step Van
Scott Brandon AL Decatur Athens 5-Axle
Dan Thompson AL Mobile Spanish Fort Twins
Jeff Cochran AR Texarkana Texarkana, Texas Twins
Timo Geary AR Fayetteville Springdale Step Van
Kevin Ekstrom AZ Tucson Tucson Step Van
Hobie Eirich CA Anaheim Anaheim 4-Axle
Oscar Enciso CA Burbank Palmdale Step Van
Bernard Llave CA San Diego Cardiff Straight Truck
Charles Pullen CA Oxnard Ventura 3-Axle
Matthew Allison CO Denver Commerce City Step Van
Brook Figgins CO Springfield Vilas 5-Axle Sleeper
Dave Mogler CO Denver Brighton Twins
Tyler Rogers CO Grand Junction Fruita Flatbed
Paul Swan CO Denver Thornton 3-Axle
Mike Zabawa CO Denver Strasburg Straight Truck
Paul Brandon CT New Haven Oxford Tank Truck
Joe Moniz CT New Haven Hamden 5-Axle Sleeper
John Sanchez CT Windsor Locks East Hartford Step Van
Randy O’Dell DE Wilmington Elkton, Maryland 3-Axle
Jose Perez DE Wilmington New Castle Twins
Dave Valentin DE Wilmington Camden 5-Axle
Brian Cobb FL Ocala Ocala Step Van
David Font FL Miami Homestead 4-Axle
Denny Johnson FL Tampa San Antonio Straight Truck
Rusty Pederson FL Jacksonville Fleming Island 3-Axle
Jonathan Churchwell FL Atlanta Adairsville Straight Truck
Steve Haskill HI Kailua Kona Kamuela Step Van
Chad Olson HI Honolulu Mililani Straight Truck
Allen Sohn IA Des Moines Des Moines 4-Axle
Brandon Becker ID Boise Boise Step Van
James Neavear ID Pocatello Blackfoot 4-Axle
Tim Banasiak IL Peru Peru 5-Axle Sleeper
Joe Carson IL Effingham Strasburg Tank Truck
Miguel Corral IL Chicago Heights Crown Point, Indiana Twins
Ivan Nikolic IL Chicago Willow Springs 5-Axle
Tony Burns IN Indianapolis Centerton 4-Axle
Andrew Whitesel IN Indianapolis Indianapolis Step Van
Dean Harris KS Kansas City Shawnee Step Van
Tim Helus KS Wichita Buhler Twins
Ron Gabel KS Great Bend Schoenchen Straight Truck
Don Logan KS Topeka Eskridge 3-Axle
Jeff Thompson KS Kansas City Olathe Flatbed
Jesse Benkert KY Louisville Louisville Step Van
Dwayne Heaverin KY Hebron Dry Ridge 3-Axle
Rick Livingston KY Louisville English, Indiana Straight Truck
David Proctor KY Louisville Mount Washington Twins
John Willinger KY Louisville Louisville 4-Axle
Eric Courville LA Lafayette Breaux Bridge 5-Axle Sleeper
Chad Rudesill LA Lafayette Tickfaw 5-Axle
Xavier Theriot LA Shreveport Shreveport Twins
Donnie Williams LA Monroe West Monroe Step Van
Roland Bolduc MA Windsor, Connecticut East Longmeadow 3-Axle
Bill Colantuone MA Raynham Norton Straight Truck
Bob Ledoux MA Raynham Swansea Step Van
Ed Oakes MA Hartford, Connecticut Springfield Twins
Bob Cochran ME Augusta Winthrop Step Van
Jared Elston ME Portland Windham 4-Axle
Joyce Bain MD Hagerstown Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania 5-Axle Sleeper
Mike Forchetti MD Rockville Frederick Step Van
Nick Frazier MO Joplin Granby Step Van
Paul Butkowski MN St. Cloud Sauk Rapids 3-Axle
Reggie Copeland MN Minneapolis Brooklyn Park Straight Truck
Rob Janke MN Minneapolis Blaine 4-Axle
Alex Lofgren MN St. Paul Cottage Grove Step Van
Jeff Rider MN St. Paul Somerset, Wisconsin 5-Axle Sleeper
Brandon Lee MS Hattiesburg Hattiesburg Step Van
John Smith MS Tupelo Mooreville Flatbed
Clint Anderson MT Billings Billings Step Van
Marty Anzik MT Butte Butte Twins
Richard Grayson MT Billings Billings 5-Axle
Tom Miller MT Billings Billings Straight Truck
Paul Caruolo NC Raleigh Cary Straight Truck
J.R. Goodson NC Charlotte Kings Mountain Flatbed
Cecil Hicks NC Charlotte Norwood Tank Truck
Basher Pierce NC Greensboro Sophia 5-Axle
Don Thompson NC Charlotte Monroe 5-Axle Sleeper
Johnny Williard ND Greensboro East Bend Step Van
Rondal Woodie NC Charlotte Charlotte Twins
Joe Honek ND Grand Forks East Grand Forks, Minnesota Straight Truck
Chris Scholand ND Fargo West Fargo 5-Axle
Dan Nygord ND Grand Forks Grand Forks Step Van
Paul Badgett NE Aurora Waverly 3-Axle
Travis Minnick NE Lincoln Lincoln Step Van
John Poppen NE Grand Island Marquette 4-Axle
Peter Borges NH Londonderry Wareham, Massachusetts 3-Axle
Pat Osborn NH Londonderry Candia Step Van
Jorge Cardoza NJ Newark Elizabeth Straight Truck
Carlos Chavarriaga NJ Newark Elizabeth Step Van
Jim Erickson NJ Cinnaminson Marlton Flatbed
Jorge Lopez NJ Newark Jersey City 5-Axle
Bart Pachucki NJ Newark Carlstadt Tank Truck
Joe White NJ Newark Keansburg Twins
Parcell James NM Albuquerque Albuquerque 4-Axle
Dion Saiz NM Albuquerque Albuquerque Twins
Ray Sandoval NM Albuquerque Albuquerque 3-Axle
Chris Shaw NM Albuquerque Albuquerque Step Van
Adrian Campos NV Las Vegas Henderson Straight Truck
Eric Flick/td>
NV Mill City Dayton Tank Truck
Dan Ledbetter NV Reno Sparks 5-Axle
Jose Razo NV Las Vegas Las Vegas Step Van
Rich Decker NY Cheektowaga Amherst Step Van
Jim Kohr NY Rochester North Chili Straight Truck
Mark McLean NY Newburgh Gardiner 4-Axle
David Watson NY Newburgh Montague, New Jersey Tank Truck
Brett Brunkenhoefer OH Youngstown Youngstown 3-Axle
Bryan Elges OH Youngstown Ashland 5-Axle Sleeper
D.J. Hammock OH Mansfield North Robinson 4-Axle
Scott Newcome OH Cleveland New Franklin Straight Truck
Richard Bright OK Stillwater Stillwater Step Van
Kevin Mustin OK Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Flatbed
Randy Reed OK Tulsa Broken Arrow 3-Axle
Ryan Dalke OR Medford Medford Step Van
Curt Davis OR Portland Gresham 5-Axle
Brad Lester OR Portland Happy Valley 4-Axle
Chris Outen OR Portland Vancouver, Washington Twins
Jim Rud OR Portland Boring Straight Truck
Dan Shamrell OR Portland Battle Ground, Washington 3-Axle
John Nash PA East Harrisburg New Cumberland Straight Truck
Sal Vincelli PA Allentown Bethlehem Step Van
David Lumpkin RI Warwick Hopkinton Step Van
Eddie Days SC Hilton Head Bluffton Step Van
Tommy Winston SC Greenville/Spartanburg Greenville Tank Truck
Brian Cusson SD Rapid City Box Elder Twins
Marty Kraft SD Rapid City Rapid City Tank Truck
Jason Skotvold SD Sioux Falls Sioux Falls 3-Axle
Virgil Thiewes SD Watertown Goodwin Straight Truck
Mike Whitehead SD Sioux Falls Lennox Flatbed
Scott Lambert TN Kingsport Kingsport Twins
Dave Magee TN Dresden Huntingdon Tank Truck
James Sheehan TN Nashville Hendersonville Step Van
Aryn Pittaway TX Fort Worth Arlington Step Van
Kevin Ashby UT Salt Lake City Syracuse Step Van
Ron Pease UT Salt Lake City Salt Lake City 3-Axle
Jesse Williams UT Salt Lake City Layton Straight Truck
Bill Lindsey VA Virginia Beach Virginia Beach 4-Axle
Dan Woods VA Christiansburg Shawsville Step Van
Jeremiah Jarvis VT Montpelier Chelsea Twins
Andre Raven VT St. Johnsbury Lancaster Straight Truck
James Hamilton WA Seattle Browns Point Step Van
Kevin Asbury WV Charleston Leon 4-Axle
Ken Barnett WV Charleston Given 5-Axle
Corkee Clary WV Huntington Huntington Flatbed
Tom Edens WV Charleston St. Albans Twins
Jamey Priddy WV Charleston Charleston Straight Truck
Kenny Tresselt WV Hagerstown, Mary land Charles Town Step Van
Nathan Renteria WY Casper Casper Step Van


In 2014, 138 driving professionals from 45 states representing FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Express qualified to compete at the NTDC by winning their respective state’s competition and driving accident-free for at least one year. Four FedEx drivers captured National Champion titles in the Flatbed, 3-Axle, Straight Truck and Step Van classes. Six other FedEx drivers earned top-three finishes in their respective vehicle classes.