Champions on 18 wheels
It was the ultimate test for any commercial truck driver: How close can you drive a massive semi along a row of tennis balls without smashing them, let alone knocking them off their plastic mounts?
Within 6 inches or less, if you’re one of the best at the 21st annual Truck Driving Championships.
And the tennis ball test was just a small part of the challenge.
Saturday’s competition in Medical Lake also included five other obstacle courses, a truck inspection test and a written exam made up of 50 multiple-choice questions. It’s rare for someone to get a perfect score.
“It’s tougher than everyday driving,” said Linda Nodland of Seattle, one of the 60 or so drivers from throughout the Northwest who gathered in the parking lot of Jensen Distribution.
Sponsored by the Spokane Transportation Club, the annual Truck Driving Championships was a chance for drivers to test their skills, encourage safe driving and compete for prizes – including the coveted black satin jacket with “Grand Champion” embroidered on the back. The jacket this year went to Gary Nickell, a driver with Philips Services of Tacoma.
The championship is open only to those who drive commercial trucks at least 11 months out of the year and who haven’t been involved in any recent accidents. “These are the cream of the crop,” said Gary Laursen, president of the Spokane Transportation Club. “They are the saints of the highway – they are extremely cautious and care about the industry.”
Many of the competitors Saturday have been driving semis for at least two years and some for as long as three decades. They drive about 200 miles a day, making as many as 25 to 40 stops in their 32- to 74-foot rigs, some with double and triple trailers.
And they haul just about anything you can think of. “This country depends on us to move its products and people every day,” said Dan Poole of Seattle, a former national champion and one of the favorites at Saturday’s competition. “Everything you eat, wear and use has been in the back of a truck.”
“We deliver everything except babies,” said Nodland, a driver since 1973.
After completing the written exam – which some described as the hardest part due to the constant regulation changes – the drivers took turns inspecting trucks to figure out if they were safe to drive. Drivers were judged for their ability to quickly find the flaws. Then they had 10 minutes to get into a truck, put on their seat belts and complete a six-part course that required them to make a left turn and drive within 6 inches around a tire on their blind side and pull into tight spots as though they were making a delivery.
Except for the fact that drivers usually try to stay as far away from obstacles on the road, the course “simulates what we do every day,” Nodland said. “It’s just a lot more precise.”
To prepare for the competition, some drivers practiced on their own courses set up in their companies’ parking lots, said Chris Bates of Pasco, the 2002 Washington state champion. They also had to study a 200-page booklet from the American Trucking Associations, which detailed numerous state and federal rules and regulations, safety procedures and other facets of truck driving.
Most companies don’t pay their drivers for practicing and competing, but many still do it in order to improve their driving skills and ensure safety on the road, said Bates, who’s been driving accident-free for three decades.
Good drivers understand they have a responsibility, said Poole. At 60 miles per hour, it takes an 80,000-pound truck the full length of a football field to stop, he said. “We drive to protect the public,” he said. “We’re here because we believe in safety.”
Driving a truck also has proved to be a fulfilling career for many of these women and men. At about $20 an hour, it’s a well-paying job, they said. “I’m not behind a desk all day,” said Bates.
It’s also a great way to travel and meet people, said 79-year-old Bob Tiffany, a retired truck driver and member of the Transportation Club. “You get out and see the world,” he said.