Baton Rouge, La. – March 25, 2013 – Ten drivers representing FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) operating companies placed among the top finishers at the 2013 Louisiana State Truck Driving Championship in Baton Rouge on March 22-23.
- Eric Courville, a driver for FedEx Freight based in Lafayette, captured first place in the 3-Axle class for his sixth state title. He also took home the Grand Champion title for achieving the highest score among the winners of all classes.
- Pat Rudesill, owner of TLC Express Trucking, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in New Orleans, attained first place in the 5-Axle class. This marks his fifth state title. Pat finished second in the 5-Axle Sleeper class at the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).
- James Weaver, owner of KW Delivery based at the FedEx Home Delivery station in Alexandria, won the first-place trophy in the Step Van class.
- Lafayette-based Milton Hebert, Joseph Vital and Timothy Pugh finished second in the 5-Axle Sleeper, Flatbed and Twins classes, respectively. All are drivers for FedEx Freight.
- Donnie Williams, owner of D.G. Williams, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Monroe, took home second place in the Step Van class.
- FedEx Freight drivers Wilbur Small (Shreveport) and Kyle Mitchell (Baton Rouge) finished third in the Flatbed and Tank Truck classes, respectively.
- Jeffrey Trim, owner of Trim & Trim of LA, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Baton Rouge, finished third in the Straight Truck class.
Courville, Rudesill and Weaver will go on to compete at the American Trucking Associations’ 2013 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), known as the “Super Bowl of Safety,” August 20-24 in Salt Lake City. In addition, each state winner will be recognized by FedEx as part of its safe driving initiative, The Chairman’s Challenge. “Our company is represented by professional drivers who not only strive daily to ensure shipments are delivered on time, but also that they remain safe on the road. It’s a fundamental priority in our company,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO, FedEx Corp. “The performance of these participants at the Louisiana state championship demonstrates the dedication to safety of our entire team.”
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 2012, 137 driving professionals from 46 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 Grand Champion title. In addition, FedEx drivers captured National Champion titles in the Flatbed, 3-Axle and Step Van classes.
Eight other FedEx drivers earned top-three finishes in their respective vehicle classes.