NASHVILLE, Tenn. – April 30, 2012 – Thirteen drivers representing FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) operating companies placed among the top finishers at the 2012 Tennessee State Truck Driving Championship in Nashville on April 27-28.
- James Sheehan, owner of Sheehan Trucking Inc. domiciled at the FedEx Ground station in Nashville, captured his second consecutive first-place finish in the Step Van class. Sheehan is the reigning National Step Van champion.
- FedEx Freight driver David Magee, based in Dresden, earned his third title in three years in the Tank Truck class.
- Lawson Douglass, a driver for FedEx Express based in Nashville, took home the first-place title in the 5-Axle class.
- FedEx Freight driver Jimmy Duncan (Dresden) earned the first-place title in the Twins class.
- Fellow FedEx Freight driver Jeff Barton took home the top honor in the 5-Axle Sleeper class. Barton is domiciled in Nashville.
- Andy Bryant and Mike Patterson posted second-place finishes in the Straight Truck and Twins classes, respectively. Both are drivers based at the FedEx Freight facility in Kingsport.
- FedEx Express driver Darrell Phillips (Olive Branch), took home the second-place trophy in the Flatbed class.
- James Apodaca, owner of Apodaca Package System, Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Knoxville, finished second in the Step Van class.
- FedEx Freight drivers Donnie Thomas (Nashville), Mark Copas (Nashville) and Scott Lambert (Kingsport) posted third-place finishes in the Flatbed, 4-Axle and 3-Axle classes, respectively.
- Greg Plunk, owner of P&D Delivery Inc. based at the FedEx Ground station in Memphis, finished third in the Step Van class.
- In addition, Anthony Ellison, a FedEx Freight driver in Nashville, turned in the Best Pre-Trip Inspection mark.
Sheehan, Magee, Douglass, Duncan and Barton 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 are 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 Tennessee championship is a testament to their commitment to safety excellence.”
The Tennessee 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.