PMTA hosting Pennsylvania’s best truck drivers for competition June 7-8, 2024

Over 1000 attendees will watch over 200 drivers complete a written test and driving course – promoting highway safety and friendly competition. 

POCONO MANOR, PA - The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) is hosting the 37^th Annual Pennsylvania Truck Driving Championships (TDC) at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Pocono Manor, PA from June 7-8, 2024. This year’s competition is presented by Sherwin Williams.

204 registered drivers competing in nine different categories will complete a challenging written test, perform a pre-trip inspection to find pre-placed defects and safety hazards, and navigate a driving course designed to push their skills to the limit.

There can only be one winner, the Grand Champion, who is hailed as the best truck driver in Pennsylvania. The Grand Champion and 1^st place winners from the eight other categories will move on to compete in the National Truck Driving Championships, hosted by the American Trucking Associations starting August 21-24, 2024 in Indianapolis, IN.

About 150 volunteers from trucking companies, insurance companies and trucking safety & compliance companies will be setting up the course and preparing at Kalahari Thursday, June 6 throughout the day.

Friday, June 7 the drivers will complete the written test inside the Kalahari Convention Center, then be split into three groups where they will be ushered through a walk through of the course and complete a pre-trip inspection. This mimics how drivers typically inspect their truck before hitting the road.

Saturday, June 8 over 1,000 people will come to cheer on their family members, coworkers or employees as they take on the course, created by the TDC Committee and meant to challenge drivers in all nine categories: 3-Axle, 4-Axle, 5-Axle, Flatbed, Sleeper, Step Van, Straight Truck, Tank Truck, or Twin Trailers. PMTA, thanks to Sherwin Williams, will also be allowing non-professional drivers to get behind the wheel of the truck and complete a driving course.

Who: The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) is hosting over 200 of Pennsylvania’s most skilled, safest and smartest truck drivers.

What: Pennsylvania’s Truck Driving Championships – driving course, truck inspection, and written test

When: June 6-8, 2024

Where: Kalahari Resort & Convention Center

                250 Kalahari Boulevard

                Pocono Manor, PA 18349

Why: To incentivize safe driving for professional truck drivers. Qualifying for the competition is no easy task, many drivers practice in the hopes of placing or competing at the national level. For trucking companies, having award-winning drivers is a bonus and can even help lower insurance rates. For drivers, it’s a resume builder and a fun challenge to compete for the top spot.

Interview Availability for Media: PMTA Director of Communications Megan Magensky will be available on-site starting at 10:00 am June 6 to help coordinate interviews. There will be availability for trucking company owners, volunteers, event organizers, past champions, and current drivers.

Statistics about trucking in Pennsylvania: 

There are 69,970 trucking companies in Pennsylvania. These are primarily small, locally owned businesses.

There are 340,730 trucking industry jobs in PA. That’s one out of every 15.

96.2 percent of manufactured tonnage is transported by truck in Pennsylvania.

87.9 percent of communities in Pennsylvania rely solely on trucks to move their goods.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is projecting a shortage of over-82,000 drivers in 2024. Events like this celebrate the drivers for their hard work and are often part of company retention plans.

To Learn more about the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA), please visit www.pmta.org. 

Media Contact: 

Megan Magensky

Director of Communications, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association

Office: 717-970-3223

Cell: 330-607-7837 – Please use this number during the event.

mmagensky@pmta.org