Five Truckers Named Alberta’s Best Drivers

RED DEER, AB — Dozens of Alberta’s best and safest professional truck drivers gathered recently at Red Deer’s Westerner Park for the Alberta Professional Truck Driving Championship to determine who was tops.

Each competitor completed a written exam to test their knowledge of regulations, legislation, safety, security, and first aid and then they participated in a pre-trip inspection conducted under the watchful eye of an examiner.

Contestants also had a turn behind the wheel as the driving portion of the event got underway. Each entrant demonstrated their driving skill as they completed seven obstacles that tested their ability to maneuver the vehicle in simulations of some of the toughest conditions drivers’ cope with on the road.

When it was all over the winners were announced during the awards banquet attended by 250 guests:

Straight Truck Division

First Place: Keith Franklin – Canadian Freightways

Second Place: Kevin Pasini – Sokil Express Lines

Third Place: Alex Smith – H&R Transport

Single, Single Division

First Place:  Darren Tychkowsky – Fed-Ex Freight

Second Place: Shaun Thompson – Grimshaw Trucking LP

Third Place: Daren Hodgkins – Bison Transport

Single Tandem Division

First Place: Rick Limoges – Merry Shack Trucking

Second Place: Dave Lowe – Bison Transport

Third Place: Dan Arych – H&R Transport

Tandem, Tandem Division

First Place: Rod Harrison – Canadian Freightways

Second Place: Curt Phillips – Safeway Sobeys West

Third Place:  Tim Bingley – Lac La Biche Transport

 B-Train Division

First Place: Ron Johnstone – Canadian Freightways

Second Place: Curtis Mann – Bison Transport

Third Place: Brenda Stewart – H&R Transport

Grand Champion 

Rod Harrison – Canadian Freightways

Rookie of the Year

Daren Hodgkins – Bison Transport

Team Award

Bison Transport

Participants who clinched first place in their respective competition category now form Team Alberta and will head to the National Truck Driving Championships in Regina, SK on Sept. 11 and 12, where they will face off against teams from other provinces.

 


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