Marty Lawson, a driver for Harley-Davidson Transportation, was named Grand Champion for the second year in a row at the National Truck Driving Championships in Tampa, FL, last week.

Lawson competed in the Twins division in 1998, but this time won the top award competing in the Sleeper Berth class. His performance helped the Pennsylvania driving team win the team championship, as well.
Julie Cirillo, program manager of the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety, presented the annual Sontheimer award, given each year "to the driver who best exemplifies all attributes that make up the professional truck driver." The award went to Raymond E. McKee of Watkins Motor Lines in Florida. In presenting the gold and marble trophy, Cirillo called on the truckers to "use their influence to pressure the 10 to 15% who are unsafe drivers" into driving more safely.
The three-day competition included a written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test, and field test. The field course simulated actual driving conditions in terms of braking, parking, backing, maneuvering through tight spots, etc.