National driving champs crowned

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WINNIPEG, Man. — After a one-year hiatus, the National Professional Truck Driving Championships marked a successful return this year, crowning the best of the best Sept. 18 in Winnipeg.

Friday, Sept. 17 included written and defect identification tests and then drivers in six classes took to the course at Winnipeg’s Canad Inns Stadium on Sept. 18 for the driving challenge.

An awards dinner was held that evening, at which the top three drivers in each category were honoured.

The champs included: Step van, Randy Smith, Alberta, Canadian Freightways; Straight Truck, John Klassen, Manitoba, VM Dyck & Sons; Single-Single, Evan Hirst, B.C., Canadian Freightways; Single-Tandem, Jeff Maclean, Ontario, SLH Transport; Tandem-Tandem, Dean Grant, B.C., Agrifoods International Co-op; and Super B-Train, Ken Wiebe, Manitoba, EBD Enterprise.

Rookie of the Year honours went to Robert Archambault of Bison Transport in Manitoba, who competed in the Step Van class. B.C. took the Team Award, which was shared by Grant, Hirst, Dale Scott, Tony Gomez, Adam Besse, Shaun Garvey and Dave Dressler.

And Grand Champion was Agrifoods’ Grant, who won the Tandem-Tandem category.

“It was a great effort by all competitors,” said national committee chair, Darcy Olson. “To see the best drivers in Canada all competing together and one day and be recognized was really a great experience and something myself and the whole organizing committee was proud to be a part of.”

 

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  • Congratulations to all of the drivers who participated in the National Truck Driving Championships last weekend in “frosty” Winnipeg, and especially to the winners!

    The Manitoba Trucking Association, along with all of the staff and volunteers, did an outstanding job, everything went off without a hitch!You have certainly set the bar high for next year’s hosts in Calgary.

    Rick Geller
    Director, Safety & Signature Services
    Markel Insurance Company of Canada