Local News
Conway Freight Driver Wins National Truck Driving Title
Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), today recognized professional driver Jeremy Steger for winning the Straight Truck Class title at the 78th Annual American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships.
One driver from each state competed in the Straight Truck Class division, and Steger outperformed the field of some 50 professionals to capture the class’s top honors for 2015. A Con-way Freight professional Driver Sales Representative for 10 years, this is the first time the Wisconsin resident has won a division championship at the annual national competiton, known as the “Super Bowl of Safety.”
The trucking industry’s largest and most prestigious safety and skills competition, the National Truck Driving Championships puts competitors through a rigorous test that challenges their knowledge of the industry, safety rules and regulations, equipment and driving skills expertise. The driving skills course tests a driver’s ability to judge distances, maneuver in tight spaces, reverse, park and position his or her vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves — all situations which drivers encounter daily in the performance of their duties. Each participant had to be accident free for the past year and had to win his or her state championship to qualify for the national competition.
Steger was joined by Con-way Freight professional Driver Sales Representatives and Wisconsin State Team Champions Barry Kraemer, Jeff Langenhahn, Bill Minor and Andy Rynearson, who were also recognized at the ceremony. The five drivers, including Steger, took home the State Team Championship award at the national competition.
“We are proud to honor Jeremy and our Wisconsin State Team Champion drivers today. This group is made up of true professionals, committed to the highest safety standards we subscribe to at Con-way Freight,” said Tom Clark, senior vice president of operations, Con-way Freight. “The determination and drive to be the best seems to be infectious in Wisconsin. We’re privileged to have such a distinguished group represent our company, and I extend my congratulations to Jeremy, our Wisconsin State Team Champions and their families on these milestone accomplishments.”
This year was not the first time Steger placed at Nationals. The Plymouth, Wisconsin, resident and 17-year professional driver placed third in the Four-Axle Class in the annual competition in 2013.
“It is meaningful to me as a driver to work for a company that cares about my safety and supports my efforts in the competition,” said Steger. “Being a safe driver is just a way of life for me. I’m proud to have achieved my goal of placing first in this class for the first time, and I’m proud of my fellow drivers who competed this year.”
In addition to the recognition ceremony, Con-way Freight presented Steger with a brand new Ford F-150 pickup truck and several other commemorative mementos marking his accomplishment.
In the national competition, drivers face testing in three areas: a timed written exam; a pre-trip inspection test, in which drivers have to find and properly identify safety defects on a truck within a given time period; and a driving skills test. Each driver competes in one of nine equipment classes: three-Axle, Four-Axle, Five-Axle, Five-Axle Flatbed, Five-Axle Sleeper, Step Van, Straight Truck, Tank Truck and Twins.
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