FRIDLEY, Minn. – June 9, 2014 – Nine drivers representing FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) operating companies placed among the top finishers at the 2014 Minnesota State Truck Driving Championship in Fridley on June 7-8.
- Paul Butkowski, a driver for FedEx Freight based in St. Cloud, earned his fifth state title with a win in the 3-Axle class.
- Fellow FedEx Freight driver Reggie Copeland (Minneapolis) captured his third state title with a win in the Straight Truck class.
- Chris Rapsch, a driver for FedEx Express based in Roseville, won in the Step Van class for the third time in four years.
- Fellow Roseville-based FedEx Express driver Bill Pudney placed second in the Straight Truck class.
- FedEx Freight drivers Steve Kranz (Duluth) and Mike Westphall (Minneapolis) finished second and third, respectively, in the Twins class.
- Alex Lofgren, of Hynes Trucking, Inc. domiciled out of the FedEx Ground station in St. Paul, finished third in the Step Van class.
- FedEx Freight drivers Shawn Smith (Minneapolis) and Matt Simon (Owatonna) earned third place in the 4-Axle and 3-Axle classes, respectively.
The competitors representing FedEx Express won the Small Team Award, while the participants for FedEx Freight earned the Large Team Award.
Butkowski, Copeland and Rapsch 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 Minnesota state championship demonstrates the professionalism and dedication to safety found throughout the entire FedEx organization.”
The Minnesota 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 news.fedex.com.