PMTA Hosts Truck Driving Championships
Mount Pocono, PA -- Friday and Saturday at the Kalahari Resort the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association hosted its annual Truck Driving Championships for the first time since 2019.
This year, 132 drivers, with more than 212 Million combined safe miles, competed in nine different classes: Straight Truck, Twins, Three-Axle, Four-Axle, Five-Axle, Sleeper, Tanker, Flatbed and Step Van. In the nine different classes, eight different companies left with first place trophies.
The action got started on Friday morning with the driver meeting and the written test. This year, two drivers tied for the high score on the written test. Terry Wood from Walmart Transportation and Matt Fletcher from Martin Brower each scored 72 of a possible 80 points on the test.
In the afternoon, drivers had the opportunity to walk through the course and went through the Pre-Trip Exam portion of the competition as well. John Brownawell, representing Yellow Freight Systems, recorded the high score in that portion of the competition.
On Saturday morning, the first driver went through the course a little after 7:30 a.m. and the final driver completed the course just after 3:15 p.m. In that time, all 132 drivers and PMTA President and CEO Rebecca Oyler navigated the six-problem course.
On Saturday evening at the banquet, more than 700 individuals attended the awards presentation in convention center at the Kalahari Resort. At the time, the following individuals were given their awards for their performance in the event.
Straight Truck: 1. Leonard Monette, UPS
2. Michael Thorne, Pitt Ohio
3. Brandon Mahan, Old Dominion Freight Line
Twins: 1. John Brownawell, Yellow Freight Systems
2. Eric Waybright, Walmart Transportation
3. Robert Walker, FedEx Freight
Three Axle: 1. Scott Mullen, XPO Logistics
2. Kraig Keller, Estes Express Lines, Inc
3. James Evans, FedEx Freight
Four Axle: 1. Bartholomew Masciulli, FedEx Express
2. Doug Arnold, Pitt Ohio
3. John Burns, R. H. Crawford, Inc
Five Axle: 1. Tom Bewley, A Duie Pyle
2. Falesha Delgado, FedEx Ground
3. Matt Fletcher, Martin Brower
Sleeper: 1. James Campbell, T Force Freight
2. Terry Wood, Walmart Transportation
3. Bryan Krol, Martin Brower
Tanker: 1. Joe Allen Boyd, Walmart Transportation
2. Douglas Lang, Yellow Freight Systems
3. Paul Waite, A Duie Pyle
Flatbed: 1. Troy Wolf, Day & Ross
2. Gene Bartlett, Walmart Transportation
3. Daryl Miller, The Cope Company Salt
Step Van: 1. T.J. Altland, UPS
2. Chuck Digiovanni, FedEx Ground
3. Jose Justiniano, FedEx Ground
Pennsylvania Grand Champion: Troy Wolf, Day & Ross
Rookie of the Year: Falecia Delgado, FedEx Ground
Highest Written Exam Score: Terry Wood, Walmart and Matt Fletcher, Martin Brower
Highest Pre-Trip Score: John Brownawell, Yellow Freight Systems
Small Team Champion: Martin Brower
Large Team Champion: Walmart Transportation
The nine class winners have earned the right to represent Pennsylvania at the National Truck Driving Championships August 16-19, 2022 in Indianapolis.
The Pennsylvania Truck Driving Championships will return to the Kalahari Resort again in 2023, returning to the normal early June dates, June 9-10.