ALEXANDRIA, VA — Do your drivers have what it takes to be America’s next TOPS models? (TOPS, in this case, stands for “Take Off Pounds Sensibly.”)

Here’s the thing: The Truckload Carriers Association of America (TCA) believes that there are far too many overweight truckers out there so they’re determined to do something about it.

So, partnering with weight-loss experts Lindora Clinic, the TCA is sponsoring a 10-week weight-loss showdown, offering prizes to fleets and individuals who prove they can take off the excess poundage.

The showdown is scheduled to last 10 weeks, beginning January 24, 2012. It will stress a low-carbohydrate, low-fat, moderate-protein-menu plan coupled with exercise, nutrition education, and lifestyle changes.

Participants will receive weekly phone calls from Lindora nurses who will instruct them on nutrition education, help boost their morale, discuss their obstacles, and record their weight loss.

Each team’s ultimate profile and will be shared with attendees of TCA’s Annual Convention, to be held March 4-7, 2012, in Kissimmee, Florida.

The winners — both fleet and individual — will be announced in May at TCA’s Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting.

But before you start dieting though, you have to make the final cut and get to be one of the 10 trimming fleets. To do that, go here.  Entries will be accepted between now and Nov. 30.

The application asks for basic company demographics, local media contact information, and a brief paragraph about why you should be selected to compete.  Plus, participants be able to recruit 12 team members — six drivers and six office staff.

By January 1, TCA will announce the 10 fleets that will compete in the finals.

“When we first envisioned this showdown, we were going to start with just five companies with 10 team members each, but enthusiasm has been so great we opened this up to 10 companies with 12 team members each,” said Gary Salisbury, TCA’s chairman and the president and CEO of Fikes Truck Line, Inc., Hope, Arkansas. “Initial reaction to this idea has been tremendous.”

A recent survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association showed that a full 86 percent of trucking industry professionals were overweight — and that’s not just drivers, it’s all trucking employees.