A record 33 UPS and UPS Freight state champions will test their skills against the nation’s top professional drivers in this month’s American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships. This year’s UPS team, a mix of veterans and newcomers to the national stage, collectively have accumulated 110 state titles and logged more than 500 years of accident-free driving. The event takes place Aug. 18-23 in Houston.
“Our nine first-time state champions are further evidence that the safety practices and skills that have been a hallmark of our drivers for many years are being passed on to the next generation of UPS and UPS Freight drivers,” says Phil Warren, UPS Freight vice president for community affairs. “For UPS and all competitors, the Nationals represent a showcase of our industry’s top professional drivers.”
The UPS team includes two former national champions, West Virginians Clarence Jenkins and Roger Lanham. Jenkins, a UPS Freight driver from Charleston, garnered the first of his West Virginia record 13 state championships in 1983 and won his national title in 1988. Lanham, who captured his 10th state title this summer, won his national championship in 1985.
Both the state and national competitions include difficult driving skills, maneuvering tests, equipment inspections and exams covering safety policies and regulations. More than 400 drivers from across the nation will compete in Houston in nine equipment classes.
