The 2004 National Truck Driving Championships will be conducted at the Salt Lake City Convention Center, 100 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-1406. The 2003 championships were conducted in Columbus, Ohio.

The rules for the championships have evolved since the program’s inception in 1937. Published yearly, the rulebook reflects any changes agreed upon throughout the year by the 20-member Championships Committee. The committee comprises high-level safety professionals affiliated with the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

The written exam tests driver knowledge of general trucking procedures, safe driving rules, first aid and firefighting. Questions are taken from the ATA publication "Facts for Drivers," which highlights Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration safety regulations, hazardous materials data and other safe driving information. The personal interview is used to assess the competitor's attitude toward the industry, management, and enforcement agencies. In the pre-trip test, multiple defects and safety hazards are planted on a piece of equipment, and the competitor is challenged to find them all in less than 10 minutes. Finally, the field course simulates driving conditions in terms of braking, parking, backing, maneuvering through tight spots, etc. The competition entices the competitors to practice the problems, which has a great effect on their overall driving skill.

ABF Grand Champions: 

Richard Alford	Kentucky	Three-axle
Lynn Byrd	Oklahoma	Twins
Ralph Garcia	New Mexico	Flatbed
Garry Holliman	Arkansas	Three-axle
Tom Martin	Wyoming	Three-axle

Other Awards presented at the state competitions:

Lynn Byrd	Oklahoma	Rookie of the Year
Tom Martin	Wyoming	Best Interview & Team Award
Gary Mason	Wyoming	Team Award

ABF Safe Driving Awards earned by the ABF driving champions are listed below:

One Million Miles	Silver Award*	Bronze Award*
Ralph Garcia	Richard Alford	Rosey Jarzenski
Joe Gonzales	Lynn Byrd	Tony Spero

*Silver Award – 30,000 Hours (15 yrs.), Bronze Award – 15,000 Hours (7+ yrs.)

Ralph Garcia, an Albuquerque road driver, also serves as a representative for the company and the trucking industry as a two-time member of ABF’s Road Team, serving on both the 2003 and 2004 ABF Road Teams. Garcia is the winner of the 2003 and 2004 flatbed competitions for New Mexico and has earned the overall title as 2004 Grand Champion for New Mexico. ABF Road Team members are available to speak at schools, civic organizations, traffic and transportation organizations, or meetings of other groups. When called upon, they may speak on safety, the image of the truck driver and the industry, sharing the road with a truck, or other pertinent subjects in which they have a vital interest.

Read more about the National Truck Driving Championships.

Read more about the ABF Road Team.

Other additional background material available at the ATA and ABF Web sites:

trucking.org and abf.com.

Read more ABF news.