Walmart Driver Wins Truck Driving Championship
Walmart driver Ronald Emenheiser was named the 2015 Bendix Grand Champion at the 78th annual National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships in St. Louis.
Ronald Emenheiser, 2015 Bendix Grand Champion
Walmart driver Ronald Emenheiser was named the 2015 Bendix Grand Champion at the 78th annual National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships in St. Louis.
Emenheiser won the title by demonstrating driving skills and knowledge of transportation and truck safety information that surpassed the 430 other competitors in the contest. He won the sleeper berth division and has more than 25 years as a professional driver.
This year was his second trip to the National Truck Driving Championships. Hosted by American Trucking Associations, the event featured 431 competitors representing 85 different companies.
"All the competitors who took part in the National Truck Driving Championships are champions – they are champions for safety on our highways and for our industry's image," said Bill Graves ATA president and CEO.
Joining Emenheiser as champions in their respective classes were:
Straight Truck: Jeremy Steger, Con-way Freight, Plymouth, Wis.
Three-Axle: Donald Logan, FedEx Freight, Eskridge, Kan.
Four-Axle: Bradley Lester, FedEx Freight, Happy Valley, Ore.
Five-Axle: Eric Ramsdell, Walmart Transportation, Wittmann, Ariz.
Sleeper Berth Class: Ronald Emenheiser, Walmart Transportation, Yorkana, Pa.
Twins: David Mogler, FedEx Freight, Commerce City, Colo.
Flatbed Class: Scott Woodrome, FedEx Freight, Middletown, Ohio
Tank Truck Class: Brian Singelais, Sr., A. Duie Pyle, Inc., Webster, Mass.
Step Van: Andrew Tuck, FedEx Ground, Xenia, Ohio
The ATA also honored FedEx Freight driver Brooke Figgins as the 2015 rookie of the year competing in the sleeper berth division.
The competition course inside the America's Center Convention Complex and Edward Jones Dome challenged the drivers' knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. The skills course tested drivers' ability to judge distances, maneuver tight spaces, reverse, and position their vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves.
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