ABF Freight System, Inc. is sending 15 championship drivers from 11 states to the 70th National Truck Driving Championships, August 21-25, 2007, in Minneapolis. Among them is Anthony Spero, the 2006 National Champion Flatbed Driver. Professional drivers earn the right to compete in the National Championships by winning state driving championships and by maintaining an accident-free driving record for the past year. ABF's state champions, including five repeat winners from 2006, are:
Richard Alford Kentucky
Three-Axle
Larry F. Burney * Wyoming
Tanker
David A. DeCarli California
Flatbed
Ralph Garcia * New
Mexico Flatbed
Paul
D. Gattin Arkansas
Three-Axle
Kevin Scott Harris New
York Five-Axle
John
Hazlett Pennsylvania
Three-Axle
Daniel R. Hiser Arkansas
Twins
Thomas Martin Wyoming
Twins
Gary L. Mason * Wyoming
Five-Axle
Nathan A. McCarty * Wyoming
Three-Axle
Clinton L. Rast Nebraska
Twins
Anthony J. Spero * Connecticut
Flatbed
James R. Tenbrink Michigan
Three-Axle
Lonnie P. Walker Mississippi
Four-Axle
Known informally as the "Super Bowl of Safety," the annual event is sponsored by the Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council of the American Trucking Associations to promote driving safety among the nation's three million professional truck drivers. The comprehensive competitions include written examinations, personal interviews, pre-trip inspection test and a driving test of braking, parking, backing and maneuvering skills.
