A months-long screening process concluded yesterday in Alexandria, Va., with the selection of 18 truck drivers to don the blue blazer of an America's Road Team Captain.


The program, sponsored by American Trucking Associations and Volvo Trucks North America, selects ART Captains from thousands of applicants. On Monday and Tuesday, 34 finalists went through a high-pressure test of their knowledge and abilities.

As Road Team Captains, the 18 will be called upon to represent the trucking industry in a variety of forums around the country. They will deliver a message of safety and professionalism in speeches to civic groups, students, business organizations and state and federal legislators. They also will represent the industry in interviews with radio, TV and print media, and they will speak to trucking audiences as well.

Their mission is to promote safety, improve the public perception of truck drivers and the industry, and to be a role model for other drivers. The program, begun in 1985, is widely regarded as one of the best public image campaigns the industry has ever put together.

The ART selection process begins with nominations by employers of drivers who exemplify professionalism: long experience behind the wheel with few or no chargeable accidents; active involvement in company safety programs, and in community affairs; and a demonstrated ability to present themselves effectively in public.

In the final stage of the selection process, a panel of six judges interviewed each candidate. The candidates then delivered a short speech to the judges, and had to field an unexpected question. In a third challenge, each candidate endured a grilling by a media specialist to test his ability to handle a hostile interview. The judges rated the candidates on their knowledge, ability to communicate and coolness under fire, selecting 18 Captains out of the original group of 34.

To be nominated to serve as a Road Team Captain, a driver must be employed by a company or be a leased owner-operator to a full-dues-paying ATA member. Each nominee must have an excellent safety record and demonstrate an ability to communicate a commitment to safety, professionalism, and courtesy.

The new ART Captains are:

Willie Atkinson, 43, P&D driver for Con-Way Freight, Florence, S.C. Driver for 22 years, 1.6 million miles.

Gary Babbitt, 60, OTR driver for Central Freight Lines, Irving, Texas. Driver for 40 years, 4.4 million miles.

Allen Boyd, 49, OTR driver for Walmart Transportation, Crawford, Va. Driver for 29 years, 2.5 million miles.

David Boyer, 59, OTR driver for ABF Freight System, Wytheville, Va. Driver for 37 years, more than 5 million miles.

Randy Briggs, 59, city driver for YRC, West Valley City, Utah. Driver for 30 years.

Danny Fuller, 49, line haul driver for Con-Way Freight, Jonesboro, Ark. Driver for 25 years, 2.7 million miles.

Doug Lee, 40, short haul driver for Old Dominion Freight Line, Greensboro, N.C. Driver for 13 years.

Alphonso Lewis, 49, city driver for YRC, Montgomery, Ala. Driver for 23 years, more than 2 million miles.

Kenny Lowry, OTR driver for Walmart Transportation, Laurens, S.C. Driver for 34 years, more than 2.6 million miles.

Dennis Martin, 51, OTR driver for UPS Freight, Gaffney, S.C. Driver for 17 years, 900,000 miles.

Nate McCarty, 39, OTR driver for ABF Freight System, Denver. Driver for 18 years, 1.3 million miles.

Tim McElwaney, 51, city driver for ABF Freight System, Conley, Ga. Driver for 28 years, 2.7 million miles.

Roger Nicholson, 59, OTR driver for UPS Freight, Savannah, Ga. Driver for 32 years, 3.8 million miles.

J.W. Ray, 43, OTR driver for Werner Enterprises, Omaha, Neb. Driver for 16 years, more than 1.6 million miles.

Dion Saiz, 42, OTR driver for FedEx Freight, Albuquerque, N.M. Driver for 15 years, 1.5 million miles.

Jeff Wade, 54, city driver for Southeastern Freight Lines, Summerville, S.C. Driver for 32 years, more than 1.4 million miles.

Brooks Washburn, 52, relay driver for FedEx Freight, Albuquerque, N.M. Driver for 30 years, more than 3 million miles.

Bob Weller, 62, city and regional driver for Hahn Transportation, New Market, Md. Driver for 36 years, more than 3 million miles.

This story has been corrected. The earlier version listed Ron Fuller of Central Freight Lines as a chosen driver. It should have included Danny Fuller of Con-Way Freight. We regret the error.