Six Wyoming professional truck drivers were named champions in their class at the conclusion of the 2019 Wyoming Professional Truck Driving Championships held June 8, 2019 at the Wyoming Department of Transportation complex in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Presenting their trophies and awards were Bart Richardson, Admiral Transport Corp., Worland and Bill Hambrick, America’s Road Team Captain, American Trucking Associations.
FedEx Freight driver, Ken Rageth, Pine Bluffs, received the L.E. Meredith Award for Highest Overall Score.
The high individual score for the written exam was awarded to Derek Gorrell, FedEx Freight, Ft. Bridger; the high individual score for the personal interview was awarded to Forrest Peters, Airgas USA, Cheyenne; Mike Roberts, WalMart Transportation, Greeley, Colorado, achieved the high individual score in the pre-trip inspection competition, the high individual score for driving skills was awarded to Ken Rageth, FedEx Freight, Pine Bluffs, who received the Kim Fife Memorial Award. Keith Egbert, FedEx Freight, Rock Springs, was awarded the 2019 Rookie of the Year honor.
First place winners were Forrest Peters, Airgas USA, Cheyenne, Straight Truck Class; Mike Roberts, WalMart Transportation, Greeley, Colorado, 4-Axle Van Class; Steven Jenkins, Fremont Beverages, Inc., Cody, 5-Axle Van Class; Ken Rageth, FedEx Freight, Pine Bluffs; 5-Axle Flatbed Class; Tony Rodriguez, Admiral Transport Corp., Buffalo; 5-Axle Tank Truck Class and Dan Salo, Cowboy State Trucking, Kemmerer, Twin Trailer Class.
Second place winners were: Bryan Spradling, Jr., FedEx Express, Sheridan, Straight Truck Class; Derek Gorrell, FedEx Freight, Ft. Bridger, 4-Axle Van Class; Jedediah Boyd, FedEx Freight, Green River, 5-Axle Van Class; Daniel Villa, Corthell Transportation, Cheyenne, 5-Axle Flatbed Class; Keith Egbert, FedEx Freight, Rock Springs, 5-Axle Tank Truck Class and Tim Vanfossen, FedEx Freight, Rock Springs, in the Twin-Trailer Class.
Third place winners were: Jeffery Tims, FedEx Freight, Rock Springs, Straight Truck; Andrew Smith, Old Dominion Freight Line, Casper, 4-axle Van Class; Mark Oliva, WalMart Transportation, Pueblo, Colorado, 5-Axle Van Class; Stephen Rumbaugh, Corthell Transportation, Rock Springs, 5-Axle Flatbed; John Thies, Sinclair Trucking, Evansville, Tank Truck Class and Eric Carpenter, WalMart Transportation, Chugwater, Twin Trailers.
The team from FedEx Freight, consisting of Ken Rageth, Derek Gorrell and Tim Vanfossen won the Team Trophy.
Nineteen professional drivers participated in one day of intense competition that included a written exam, personal interview and pre-trip inspection exercises, along with the driving competition. To be eligible to enter the competition, which is sponsored by the Wyoming Trucking Association Council of Safety Supervisors, drivers must be accident-free and employed by the same company for one year before the competition.
First place winners will compete in the National Truck Driving Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 14-17, 2019. For more information, contact WTA at Box 1175, Casper, WY 82602 or 307-234-1579.
