6/14/2015
On June 12 & 13, 2015, the Missouri Trucking Association held the 48th Annual Missouri Truck Driving Championships at Joplin Convention and Trade Center in Joplin, MO, the Official TDC Headquarters.
The two-day event, sponsored by the Association’s Council of Safety Supervisors, evaluated 192 drivers on a written test of their knowledge of the industry; safety and security; first aid, health and personal safety; and fire safety. Another segment of testing included hands-on required Federal vehicle inspections. The participants then competed on a point-value-assessed driving skills course of six obstacles completed under actual everyday conditions. In their respective classes, drivers tested their expertise in the driving skills they use daily. The skills course tested drivers’ ability to judge distances, maneuver tight spaces, park, and position their vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves.
Over 750 on-lookers at the Awards Banquet Saturday evening saw Regnald L. Ansbach of Kansas City, MO, receive the prestigious “Grand Champion” title as Missouri’s best of the best. Reggie, a driver for ABF Freight System, Inc. of Kansas City, MO achieved this recognition by outscoring all other competitors in all three elements of skill and knowledge.
Mr. Ansbach was also awarded the top driver in the Twin Trailers Class in the annual safe driving competition. He will be joined by eight other class winners as the Missouri Championships Team travels to St. Louis, MO to compete against other state teams in the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championships August 12 – August 16, 2015. During the competition the Missouri Team will compete against 450 other professionals vying for selection as the nation’s top professional truck drivers.
First, second and third place winners in all nine classes of competition as well as the top “Rookie”, the driver with the best Pre-Trip Inspection, the driver with the highest score on the Written Examination, and the driver awarded for Professional Excellence were honored at the Awards Banquet Saturday evening.
Winners and runners-up in the classes of competition are listed below with the driver’s hometown, and employer company.
Straight Truck Class
1st – Michael Millaway, St. Louis, MO – UPS Freight, St. Louis, MO
2nd – James Houghton, Gower, MO – FedEx Express, Kansas City, MO
3rd – Paul Tyler, Arnold, MO – Con-way Freight, St. Louis, MO
Three Axle Class
1st – Barry Banzet, Ottawa, KS – Old Dominion Freight Line, Springfield, MO
2nd – Robert Bramwell, Centerview, MO – ABF Freight System, Sedalia, MO
3rd – Robert Elder, Arnold, MO – FedEx Freight, St. Charles, MO
Four Axle Class
1st – Albert Hockett, St. James, MO – Con-way Freight, Rolla, MO
2nd – Chad Daniel, Springfield, MO – Prime, Inc., Springfield, MO
3rd – Jeff Downen, Freeburg, IL – FedEx Freight, St. Charles, MO
Five Axle Van Class
1st – Joseph Hartsell, Collinsville, IL – UPS Freight, St. Louis, MO
2nd Buddy Gray, Brownsville, PA – Prime, Inc., Springfield, MO
3rd – Tracy Enochs, Mt. Vernon, MO – Tri-State Motor Transit, Joplin, MO
Tank Truck Class
1st – Jack Lovan, Willow Springs, MO – Walmart Transportation, St. James, MO
2nd – Michael Hausner, O’Fallon, MO – FedEx Freight, St. Charles, MO
3rd – Melvin Tesson, Fredericktown, MO – Walmart Transportation, St. James, MO
Flatbed Class
1st – Guy Barber, El Paso, TX – Con-way Truckload, Joplin, MO
2nd – Ray Parker, Joplin, MO – Tri-State Motor Transit, Joplin, MO
3rd – Andy Hunt, Willard, MO – FedEx Freight, Springfield, MO
Sleeper Berth Class
1st – Bobby Chilcoat, Moore, OK – Con-way Truckload, Joplin, MO
2nd – Wyatt Hooper, Republic, MO – Con-way Freight, Marshfield, MO
3rd – Don Decan, Russellville, AR – Transport Distribution Company, Joplin, MO
Twin Trailers Class
1st – Regnald Ansbach, Kansas City, MO – ABF Freight System, Inc., Kansas City, MO
2nd – Jason Budd, Clever, MO – FedEx Freight, Springfield, MO
3rd – Jeffrey Viles, Bolivar, MO – Old Dominion Freight Line, Springfield, MO
Step Van Class
1st – Nick Frazier, Granby, MO – FedEx Ground, Joplin, MO
2nd – Grant Garwood, Joplin, MO – FedEx Ground, Joplin, MO
3rd – Jared Weidmann, Kansas City, MO – FedEx Ground, Kansas City, MO
Melvin Tesson of Fredericktown, MO, a driver for Walmart Transportation out of St. James, MO, was named “Rookie of the Year” for his outstanding well-rounded performance as a first-time contestant.
The “Pre-Trip Inspection” award for the highest score in assuring that a vehicle is in safe and efficient operating condition before leaving on a trip went to Regnald Ansbach of Kansas City, MO, a driver for ABF Freight System, Inc. of Kansas City, MO.
Joseph Hartsell, Collinsville, IL of UPS Freight, St. Louis, MO received the Award for Highest Written Examination Score.
The Recipient of the Professional Excellence Award, the driver who most exemplifies the best attributes of a professional truck driver, was Steve Fields, Independence, MO, of YRC Freight of Kansas City, MO.
The “Team Championship” went to FedEx Freight, based in Harrisonville, AR, for having the highest average team score in the competition.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Lt. Kevin Kelley of Missouri State Highway Patrol.