This past Friday and Saturday (May 31st and June 1st), the Nebraska Trucking Association held their annual Truck Driving Championship event at Fonner Park in Grand Island. This competition is one which showcases the best professional truck drivers in the state. Truckers from all over Nebraska were able to demonstrate their knowledge, talent, and skills – all of which focused on what it means to be a safe driver on the highways and streets. 85 drivers participated in 9 different classes of trucks.
Fremont Contract Carriers had a total of five drivers entered into the competition, and two of those drivers won 2nd and 3rd place in their respective divisions!
The FCC drivers who competed this year were:
- Rob Jensen- 5-Axle Class
- Jeff Tomlinson – Sleeper Class
- Kent Wood – 4-Axle Class
- James Pierce – Tank
- Owen Howard – Flatbed
FCC Winners
- Rob Jensen – 3rd place in 5 Axle Class
- Jeff Tomlinson – 2nd place in Sleeper Class
Drivers must take a written test, do a pre-trip inspection with simulated defects, interview with Nebraska State Patrol officers and drive a 6 problem course to accumulate a score. Awards were presented to those scoring the highest in 4 separate testing areas: written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection, and driving tests. Team awards were also given to those who had 3 or more drivers competing with the highest overall average score.
Drivers must have a clean safety record with no accidents – preventable or non-preventable.
The Nebraska Trucking Association’s Safety Management Council and the Nebraska Truck Driving Championship Committee organizes the championships.