BATON ROUGE, La. – March 31, 2014 – Ten drivers representing FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) operating companies placed among the top finishers at the 2014 Louisiana State Truck Driving Championship in Baton Rouge on March 29-30.
- Eric Courville, a driver for FedEx Freight based in Lafayette, captured first place in the 3-Axle class for his seventh state title. Courville was the second-place finisher in the same class at the 2013 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).
- Fellow FedEx Freight driver Xavier Theriot (Shreveport) attained first place in the Twins class. This marks his fourth state title.
- Donnie Williams, owner of D.G. Williams, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Monroe, took home his second state title in three years in the Step Van class.
- Joseph Vital, a driver for FedEx Freight based in Lafayette, won the first-place trophy in the Flatbed class.
- Chad Rudesill, owner of Rudesill Trucking, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Lafayette, took home the state title in the 5-Axle class.
- Pat Rudesill, owner of TLC Express Trucking, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in New Orleans, finished second in the 5-Axle class. He finished second in the 5-Axle Sleeper class at the 2012 NTDC.
- FedEx Freight driver Todd Watson (Baton Rouge) placed second in the 4-Axle class.
- Jeffrey Trim, owner of Trim & Trim of LA, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Baton Rouge, finished second in the Straight Truck class.
- Keith Weaver, owner of K W Delivery, Inc. based at the FedEx Home Delivery station in Alexandria, won the second-place trophy in the Step Van class. He also earned the Best Pre-Trip Inspection honor.
- Shreveport-based FedEx Freight driver Richard Gibbs took home the third-place trophy in the 3-Axle class. Gibbs was also named Rookie of the Year.
Courville, Theriot, Williams, Vital and C. Rudesill will go on to compete at the American Trucking Associations’ 2014 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), known as the “Super Bowl of Safety,” Aug. 12-16 in Pittsburgh. In addition, each state winner will be recognized by FedEx as part of its safe driving initiative, The Chairman’s Challenge.
“Our team is dedicated to staying safe on the road,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO, FedEx Corp. “The accomplishment of these participants at the Louisiana state championship demonstrates the professionalism and dedication to safety found throughout the entire FedEx organization.”
The Louisiana 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 challenge, pre-trip inspection and written examination covering vehicle operation and knowledge of federal safety regulations.
In 2013, 132 driving professionals from 46 states representing FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx Express and FedEx SupplyChain 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. Three FedEx drivers captured National Champion titles in the Flatbed, 3-Axle and Step Van classes. Nine other FedEx drivers earned top-three finishes in their respective vehicle classes.
About FedEx
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $45 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom.