LANGLEY, B.C. — This weekend more than 50 of B.C.’s top professional drivers will compete for bragging rights.

The 2009 edition of the province’s Professional Truck Driving Championships will be held this Saturday, June 27, at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford, B.C.

The driving portion of the contest will take place from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Spectators are welcome to attend with no admission charges.

The competition will consist of three tests of knowledge and skill: a written exam, which tests the drivers’ general knowledge of the industry and equipment; a vehicle pre-trip inspection, during which drivers must find a series of planted defects; and the actual driving competition, which simulates the everyday skills of maneuvering, cornering and judging distance on an obstacle course.

To be eligible to compete, each driver must be accident free for the 12-month period prior to the championships.

There are six classes of competition ranging from the smaller Step Van through to the larger B-Train. Defending their B.C. class titles from 2008 will be Hans Wettstein of Surrey, Evan Hirst of Richmond, Dean Grant of Abbotsford, Rob Balan of Surrey, and Adam Besse of Prince George.