PHOTOS: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmGnSD3Z

PITTSBURGH – The nine Pennsylvanians participating in the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships last week combined to bring home the Team Championship Trophy along with a few other pieces of hardware.

The champions from the PA Truck Driving Championships in June that participated in the nationals last week were: Robert Burnett (Step Van, FedEx Ground), Robert Dolan (XPO Logistics, Straight Truck), Andy Glock (A. Duie Pyle, 3-Axle), Matthew Fletcher (Martin Brower, 4-Axle), Bryan Krol (Martin Brower, 5-Axle), Brian Smeltzer (R.H. Crawford, Tanker), Terry Wood (Walmart, Sleeper), Zachary Eckenroth (FedEx Freight, Flatbed) and Eric Waybright (Walmart, Twins).

Three of those drivers advanced to the championship finals on Saturday where the top five drivers from each class competed for the top prize. Krol, Dolan and Wood each reached the finals.

Dolan and Wood each earned second-place finishes in their division. Dolan was also recognized with the highly-coveted Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence award. 

Scott Woodrome from Middletown, Ohio representing team FedEx Freight, was named the Bendix Grand Champion for the second year in a row. He took top honors in the Twins division last week as well as being one of nine competitors to have a perfect score on the written exam.

ATA also recognized John Sanderson as the 2019 Rookie of the Year. Sanderson, representing FedEx Express from Oregon, claimed the title after an outstanding performance in the 3-axle division. To be a “rookie,” drivers must be first-time competitors at the state level who advanced to nationals. This year, there were 32 rookies competing at the National Truck Driving Championships. Sanderson was the only rookie who advanced to the championship round of competition. 

Jason Imhoff of Walmart Transportation took home the Vehicle Condition Award for his outstanding performance during the pre-trip inspections. 

The nine drivers with perfect scores on the exam were: Paul Brandon, Miguel Corral, Ina Daly, Brent Glasenapp, Julie Hjelle, Barry Kraemer, Jottyn Santos, Jimmie Wisley and Woodrome.

Nine drivers achieved perfect scores on the written exam phase of the championships and are receiving the Highest Written Exam Award for their efforts. The nine drivers were: Paul Brandon, Miguel Corral, Ina Daly, Brent Glasenapp, Julie Hjelle, Barry Kraemer, Jottyn Santos, Jimmie Wisley, and Scott Woodrome. 

The National Truck Driving Championships are made possible by dozens of NTDC committee members and volunteers who judge the course, serve as liaisons to the drivers, conduct course walk-throughs and perform a number of other key tasks. As such, ATA and ATA’s Safety Management Council honor one volunteer each year with the Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award. This year’s Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to James Wilcox.
 
ACT 1 served as a premier sponsor of the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.
 
Since 2011, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has been the sole sponsor of the Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion. 

ATA continues to develop relationships with key industry partners looking to promote the elite, dedicated drivers who lead the trucking workforce. As such, ATA thanks NTDC Corporate Sponsors AAA Cooper Transportation, ABF Freight System, Inc., FedEx, FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., PITT OHIO, PrePass Safety Alliance, UPS Freight, and Walmart Transportation LLC. ATA also recognizes Bendix as the Grand Champion award sponsor and PrePass Safety Alliance as the Breakfast of Champions sponsor. 
  
Champions from each of the 9 vehicle classes were also announced. Joining Woodrome on the list of national champions are:

3-Axle                
    1    Brian Walker    UPS Freight    North Carolina
    2    Jeffrey Slaten    YRC Freight    Florida
    3    John Sanderson    FedEx Express    Oregon
                
4-Axle                
    1    Adam Heim    FedEx Freight    Idaho
    2    David Rohman    FedEx Express    North Carolina
    3    James Plaxco    Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.    Oregon
                
5-Axle                
    1    David Hall    ABF Freight     Arkansas
    2    Ina Daly    XPO Logistics    Arizona
    3    Alphonso Lewis    YRC Freight    Alabama
                
Flatbed                
    1    Basher Pierce    FedEx Freight    North Carolina
    2    Scott Osborne    FedEx Freight    Mississippi
    3    Eric Flick    FedEx Freight    Nevada
                
Sleeper Berth                
    1    Mike White    Walmart Transportation, LLC    Indiana
    2    Terry Wood    Walmart Transportation, LLC    Pennsylvania
    3    Michael Barnes    Walmart Transportation, LLC    Virginia
                
Straight Truck                
    1    Jason Imhoff    Walmart Transportation, LLC    Ohio
    2    Robert Dolan    XPO Logistics    Pennsylvania
    3    Matthew Hart    FedEx Freight    Nevada
                
Tank Truck                
    1    Paul Brandon    FedEx Freight    Connecticut
    2    George Wells    Shamrock Foods Company    Arizona
    3    Cecil Hicks    FedEx Freight    North Carolina
                
Twins                
    1    Scott Woodrome    FedEx Freight    Ohio
    2    David Mogler    FedEx Freight    Colorado
    3    Shannon Lynch    United Parcel Service, Inc.    Indiana
                
Step Van                
    1    Adam Stroup    FedEx Express    Nebraska
    2    Gregory Long    FedEx Express    Virginia
    3    Eric Damon    FedEx Express    Colorado