Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ironman Triathlete Prime Driver Publishes Book

Siphiwe Baleka, a former lease operator with Prime Inc., gave new meaning to the phrase “Driver Health and Fitness.” In April 2012, right after completing a three-year lease with Prime, Baleka competed in the Ironman South Africa triathlon, finishing the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run in 11 hours 59 minutes and 14 seconds.

by Staff
March 4, 2013
Ironman Triathlete Prime Driver Publishes Book

 

2 min to read


Siphiwe Baleka, a former lease operator with Prime Inc., gave new meaning to the phrase “Driver Health and Fitness.” In April 2012, right after completing a three-year lease with Prime, Baleka competed in the Ironman South Africa triathlon, finishing the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run in 11 hours 59 minutes and 14 seconds.

His new book, "TriBlackAlete," details how he managed to become one of the few competitive African American triathletes and Ironman finisher while working as a long haul truck driver.

Ad Loading...

Between July 2008 and December 2011, Baleka set out to become the Fittest Truck Driver in America. Not content with simply driving his truck and sleeping, his daily workouts increased from just fifteen minutes a day to two or more hours a day.

“When people hear that I drive a truck and do triathlons, their first response is usually, ‘How do you do it?’" says Baleka. “At first, it is hard to image doing all that swimming, biking and running as a truck driver. I just had this desire to stay fit. It didn’t matter where or when, but somehow I was going to stop for 15 minutes and workout.”

Within a year, Baleka had perfected the high-intensity 15 to 20 minute workouts and was in pretty good shape. “I worked out every day. It became a habit. I was then able to grow that habit, realizing that I could reasonably stretch workouts to last up to an hour or more. I was always intrigued by the Ironman competition and admired triathletes and now that I was a ‘fitness trucker,’ I thought what better way to prove my fitness than to do a triathlon.”

Ad Loading...

In 2011, Baleka did just that. He competed in eight triathlons, winning two. His training was grueling. In addition to driving 125,260 miles, Baleka managed to swim 325,372 yards, bike 3,034 miles, and run 671 miles in preparation for the 2012 Ironman South Africa. Baleka also won two U.S. Masters National Swimming Championships.

Now, Baleka has documented his journey to become an Ironman triathlete in his new book.

"TriBlackAlete: The experience of  a Black Triathlete From America at the 2012 Ironman South Africa" is available at Amazon.com.

More Drivers

Photo illustration combining laboratory sample tubes, marijuana, pills, white powder, and a syringe above a highway with tractor-trailers.
Safety & Compliance•by Deborah Lockridge•November 2, 2026

FDA Eases Path for Oral-Fluid Testing

Federal actions could advance oral-fluid drug testing for truck drivers, but lab certification delays and marijuana rescheduling questions remain.

Read More →
Truck driver in a blue-tinted cab beside a hand holding cash, with the headline “Competing for Drivers.”
Drivers•by Deborah Lockridge•October 29, 2026

Why Hiring Truck Drivers Is Getting Harder

Higher recruiting costs, a shrinking driver pool, and renewed pay competition are raising the stakes for fleets heading into 2027.

Read More →
Two red heavy-duty Class 8 trucks with Roehl branding
Drivers•by News/Media Release•October 27, 2026

Roehl Offers Truck Drivers $10,000 Retention Incentive

Payments begin after the first load and continue in mileage-based installments for eligible experienced drivers joining the fleet.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
PS Coach tablet interface showing a driver’s coaching inbox, safety event video and coaching advice for a harsh-braking event.
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 21, 2026

Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools

Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.

Read More →
Man with police badge on his arm by an open commercial truck door examining paperwork
Safety & Compliance•October 15, 2026

When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders

English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.

Read More →
Illustration of silver robot waving his hand and a Samsara AI prompt on screen to call drivers
Fleet Management•by Staff•October 13, 2026

Samsara Launches Custom AI Agent Builder

Agent Studio lets fleets create AI tools for hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support, including agents that communicate by phone.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration of trucks parked in lot with Trucker Path app on phone screen superimposed on top
Drivers•by News/Media Release•October 6, 2026

Trucker Path Expands Reserved Parking Network

Trucker Path has added close to 6,000 more truck parking spaces to its Trucker Path Reserved Parking Network with the addition of Safe Truck Parking.

Read More →
photo of older driver standing with arms crossed with truck in the background, with a photo illustrating equal opportunity law inset upper left.
Drivers•by Staff•September 28, 2026

EEOC Sues Texas Trucking Company Over Driver Age Limits

The agency says Trancasa USA rejected applicants over 65 and applied tougher driving-record standards to those over 60.

Read More →
Red Nussbaum Class 8 tractor pulling white and red trailer with aero fairings and skirts
Drivers•by Staff•September 23, 2026

Nussbaum, Roehl Announce Second Driver Pay Increase This Year

This year has seen a swath of major truck driver pay increases as freight capacity has tightened.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of smiling truck driver Harold Perry with arms crossed in front of Southeastern Freight Lines truck
Drivers•September 17, 2026

From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers

After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.

Read More →