ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Con-way Freight's professional drivers are headed to Minnesota to compete in the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships August 21 - 25. More than 50 Con-way drivers, including 2006 Grand Champion Dale Duncan, will compete in one of a series of eight individual equipment classes. Participants must demonstrate a mastery of the critical safety skills that have allowed this group to drive more than 80 million accident-free miles. Con-way Freight is a less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. .
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Con-way's team, representing 33 states, comprises 27 veteran competitors and 25 newcomers to the National Championship. Dale Duncan, a 24-year driving veteran, will be going for his second Grand Champion title, competing in the Tanker class. Previously, Duncan has taken two individual event National Champion titles.
To compete in the national event, drivers must win state championships in their respective equipment classes. When a state champion is unable to attend, the next top finisher is tapped to be the state's representative at Nationals.
"The physical and mental demands placed on these front-line professionals are tremendous. The best in the business have stamina, patience, foresight, good organizational skills and the ability to quickly analyze and respond safely to the constantly changing conditions of their workplace -- our nation's roads and highways," said John G. Labrie, president, Con-way Freight. "Our national competitors have risen to the top of their profession due to unwavering dedication to their craft and being the best at what they do."
Con-way competitors and their guests travel to Minneapolis at the company's expense to participate in the competition. Since 1999, whenever a Con-way driver sales representative wins an equipment class National Champion title, the company gives the driver a new Ford F150 4x4 Stretch Cab pickup truck. The company further commemorates the employee's achievement with a customized commercial tractor that displays the driver's name and championship title, which is then provided to the driver as his work vehicle. In addition, Con-way employees competing in the event are eligible for a $7,500 award by the company for winning the Grand Champion title.
The National Champion of each class also receives a check for $1,000, a plaque and a gold belt buckle from the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Additionally, the organization awards the Grand Champion a commemorative diamond ring and plaque, as well as industry-wide recognition as "The Best Truck Driver in America."
Each Con-way driver qualified to compete at the state competition by maintaining an accident-free safety record for the previous year. At the national competition, each driver faces testing in four areas: a personal interview, a timed written exam, a pre-trip inspection test and a driving skills test.
Including Dale Duncan's 2006 Grand Champion win, nine Con-way drivers have won National Champion honors and received new pickup trucks from the company over the past eight years.
The following Con-way Freight drivers will represent the company at the Nationals next week:
Name Class City State
George Lumpkin Tanker Gadsen AL
Jerry Talley StraightTruck Gadsen AL
Michael Umphrey 3-Axle Decatur AL
Richard Templeton Tanker Jonesboro AR
Edward Romero 5-Axle Tucson AZ
Dale Duncan Tanker Chula Vista CA
Mark Lannerd 3-Axle Henderson CO
Michael Gershak Twins West Palm Beach FL
Dennis Day Twins Lawrenceville GA
Dennis Fields StraightTruck Lawrenceville GA
Timothy Vogt Tanker Lawrenceville GA
Christopher Buckley 5-AxleFlatbed Boise ID
Matthew Clemens Tanker Boise ID
Michael Grogan 5-Axle Boise ID
Jeffrey Halford 3-Axle Boise ID
Josh Jetton Straight Boise ID
James Walters Twins Boise ID
Kevin Goolsby 5-AxleFlatbed Chicago IL
Brent Quire 3-Axle Bedford, IN
Brian Laytart Tanker Lexington KY
Lawrence Schilmiller Twins Louisville KY
Leroy Williams Sr. Straight Baton Rouge LA
Tony Fairley Twins Chicopee MA
Mark O'Dea Twins Romulus MI
James Mason Straight Richland MS
Christopher Lopez 5-AxleSleeper Billings MT
Robert Pierce 5-AxleFlatbed Missoula MT
Scott Ruth Tanker Butte MT
Robert Fiest 3-Axle Bismarck ND
Steven Johnson 5-AxleSleeper West Fargo ND
Wilbert Vano 5-Axle Newark NJ
David May StraightTruck Tonwanda NY
Bruce Early 5-AxleSleeper Parma OH
Neil Henry 4-Axle Portland OR
Otho Kretzer 5-AxleSleeper Greencastle PA
Tim Sarasin 3-Axle Cranston RI
Willie Atkinson 3-Axle Florence SC
David Lawrence 5-AxleSleeper Wellford SC
Ronald Gasper 5-AxleFlatbed Watertown SD
Les Gonsor 4-Axle Watertown SD
Michael Jackson Twins Blountville TN
Bobby Tinsley 5-AxleFlatbed Fort Worth TX
Matthew Adams Straight Salt Lake City UT
Mike Kelly Twins Salt Lake City UT
Lynn Wilson 5-Axle Salt Lake City UT
Nevin Brill Straight Winchester VA
Christopher Poynor Twins Pasco WA
Ricky Bernard 5-AxleFlatbed Franklin WI
Nick Backes 4-Axle Belle WV
Don Maddy 3-Axle Belle WV
Jerry Barker Straight Casper WY
Randy Ferguson 4-Axle Casper WY
About Con-way Freight
Con-way Freight is the industry's leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service through a network of 440 service centers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way Freight offers LTL freight delivery across North America, as well as delivery in the United States for international less-than-container (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia through its OceanGuaranteed(SM) service. Con-way Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is ISO 9001- and 14001-, C-TPAT/PIP, ACE- and CSA-certified.
Con-way Freight is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. , a $4.2 billion freight transportation and logistics services company and FORTUNE magazine's "Most Admired Company" in transportation and logistics for 2007. For more information, visit http://www.con-way.com/freight.
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