TORONTO, Ont. — The first week of this year’s five-month long Healthy Fleet Competition is over and it looks like Canada is edging out its American competitors.

This time around, the American Trucking Associations joined forces with Healthy Trucker and Truck News, to allow American fleets and allied trades to join their Canadian counterparts and get stepping. The partnership has created a US versus Canada walking challenge that spans from January to May with one month breaks in between – and so far it looks like Canada is in the lead.

Starting Jan. 1, close to 50 companies and more than 350 participants have walked a jaw-dropping 17,498,346 steps so far. That’s 8,749 miles and equals a total of 804, 924 calories.

In first place is Challenger Motor Freight from Canada. Its six-person team has walked an average of 10,533 steps in this first week. In second is another Canadian team – Meyers Transport. Its twelve-person team has walked an average of 9,059 steps so far. In third is an American team from Alabama – AAA Cooper Transportation. The team has accumulated an average of 8,981 steps in the first week. In fourth is Carbon Express from New Jersey. The team has walked an average of 8,951 steps so far. And rounding out the top five is Canadian team, Coastal Pacific Xpress. The nine-person team has walked an average of 8,749 steps in the first week of the competition.

That’s three Canadian teams and two American teams in the top five for whoever is keeping track.

On the individual level, Jackie Gergatz of Canada Cartage is soaring past her competitors and is currently in first place among all participants in terms of average step count for the week. She walked an average of 29,744 steps in the first week of the competition. In second is Jim O’Neal from Quik X. He has walked an average of 20,490 steps in the first seven days of the compeition. Not far behind, and in third is Donna Baird from Challenger Motor Freight. She walked an average of 20,310 steps in the first week. In fourth is Will Cole of Pilot Flying J. He walked an average of 19,124 steps. In fifth is another Pilot Flying J team member, Josh Williams. He walked an average of 18,178 steps for the week.

As always, TruckNews.com will keep you posted on the leaders on a weekly basis. To view the live leaderboard visit, the Healthy Fleet Web site.