The Volvo VN was driven to four first-place finishes and an additional 12 awards at the 2010 National Truck Driving Championships. NTDC is an annual competition in which state-level driving champions compete for national titles. The championships, sponsored by American Trucking Associations, were held Aug. 3-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
“Volvo trucks placed in more categories and more often than any other OEM,” says Ron Huibers, Volvo senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Once again, Volvo’s reputation for driving success was evident – when it was an option, more than half the competitors chose to drive a Volvo VN in the championship events.”
Of the seven categories where Volvo was a choice, four were won by drivers in Volvo VNs: Three-axle class, Four-axle class, Twin-trailer class and Sleeper-berth class. Drivers in Volvo VNs swept the four-axle, twin trailer and sleeper berth class competitions with the top three places, scored a third-place finish in the flatbed class, and took number two and three in the five-axle classes.
The Volvo VN also was the chosen vehicle for winners in three other categories:
• National Rookie of the Year: Joseph Hicks, Con-way Freight (Johnston, R.I.);
• Vehicle Condition Award: Will Chrvala, New Penn Motor Express (Whitehall, Pa.); and
• Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award: Dennis Day, Con-way Freight (Lawrenceville, Ga.).
“When the best drivers have a chance to test their skills and need maximum performance from their truck, Volvo is the dominant choice,” Huibers says. “The visibility, maneuverability, safety and ease of operation that our drivers and customers appreciate in their day-to-day business have been shown to give NTDC drivers the competitive edge, too.”
