Printer-Friendly Team FedEx Scores State Titles in Bunches!


During the weekend of May 16-17, FedEx competitors drove away with multiple victories in four state competitions and another top finish in Alabama for good measure. In all, 12 drivers earned the right to advance to the NTDC in August.

Maine

In the Pine Tree State, FedEx Ground contractor Matt Richardson (Augusta) might need some extra room for all his trophies. Not only did he capture first place in the Twins class, but he also won the Grand Champion and Rookie of the Year honors as well.

Brad Bartlett, a contractor for FedEx Ground (Portland) and Jason Brooks, a driver for FedEx Ground contractor C.M. Doughty Inc. (Bangor) each picked up state titles for the second consecutive year in the Straight Truck and Step Van classes, respectively.

Erik Barden, a driver for Brad Bartlett (Portland), and Craig Gelinas, a driver for FedEx Ground contractor Craig Daigle ( Augusta), finished second and third, respectively, to complete the FedEx sweep in the Step Van class. Bangor-based FedEx Freight drivers Robert Pedersen and Lester Lord posted third-place finishes in 3-Axle and 4-Axle. Kevin Hughes (FedEx Freight, Portland) took third in the Twins class.

Delaware

In the First State, FedEx Home Delivery contractor Michael Conaway (New Castle) made it two titles in a row with another win in the Straight Truck class. Joining him in the winners’ circle were Joe LeBlanc, a driver for FedEx Ground contractor Q&D Trucking (Salisbury, Md.), who won the Step Van class, and FedEx Freight driver Rusty Pederson (Wilmington), who earned the Twins title.

Jenise Townsend (New Castle), a driver for Michael Conaway, and John Argo (Salisbury), a driver for FedEx Ground contractor Travis Boardman, completed another FedEx sweep of the Step Van class by finishing second and third, respectively.

Wilmington-based FedEx Freight drivers Randy O’Dell and Chris McKnight posted second-place finishes in Twins and 4-Axle. Other top finishers in Delaware were FedEx Ground contractor Bob Gilkerson (Salisbury), who was third in Twins, and FedEx Freight driver Louis Lockard (Wilmington), who took third in 4-Axle.

Alaska

Team FedEx added its second Grand Champion of the weekend when FedEx Express driver Blake Reves (Anchorage) earned that honor at the Alaska TDC. Blake also captured the top spot in the 3-Axle class.

Two other Anchorage-based FedEx Express drivers also scored victories. Doug Rickel won the Straight Truck class for his second state title, and Ron Bernier earned the Step Van crown.

Jason Edwards (Wasilla) and Victor Enriquez (Anchorage), also drivers for FedEx Express, completed the third FedEx Step Van sweep of the weekend by finishing second and third. Scott Watts (FedEx Express, Anchorage), the 2007 National Champion in the Straight Truck class, finished third in 5-Axle.

South Dakota

Despite a chilling wind that added an extra challenge for the competitors in the Mount Rushmore State , all four participants from FedEx Freight took home trophies for their outstanding performances.

Troy Swenson (Watertown) picked up his fourth state title in seven years after winning the 5-Axle Sleeper class. He also posted the highest score on the written exam. Mike Whitehead (Sioux Falls) won the Twins class for his second state crown.

Tamara Folsom (Sioux Falls) and Chad Vermundson (Rapid City) posted second-place finishes in the 4-Axle and 3-Axles classes, respectively.

Alabama

Deep in the “Heart of Dixie,” FedEx Ground contractor Andrew Alley (Mobile) advanced to the NTDC by capturing the top spot in the Straight Truck class.

Darrell Kimbrell (Birmingham) and Ross Garner (Decatur) posted second-place finishes in the Twins and 3-Axle classes, respectively, while Jason Bailey (Decatur) and Charlie Septer (Mobile) finished third in Twins and 5-Axle. All four are drivers for FedEx Freight.

Southern California Regional

At the SoCal regional held in Pomona, eight FedEx competitors advanced to the state finals to be held on June 7:

  • Michael Thacker (FedEx Freight, Fontana) – 1st, 3-axle
  • Patrick Williams (FedEx National LTL, San Bernardino) – 1st, Twins
  • Daniel Saldana (FedEx Ground, Anaheim) – 1st, Step Van
  • Dianna Kuno (FedEx Express, San Diego) – 2nd, Flatbed
  • Raudel Flores (FedEx Freight, Whittier) – 2nd place, Twins
  • Juan Robles (FedEx National LTL, Los Angeles) –3 rd place, Straight Truck
  • Nate Torres (FedEx Freight, Los Angeles) – 3rd place, Flatbed

 Dallas Regional

At the first of two Texas regional competitions, six drivers from Team FedEx captured first- or second-place finishes to move on to the state final in College Station on June 12-13:

  • Mike Lopez (FedEx Freight, Dallas) – 1st, 4-Axle and Grand Champion
  • Aryn Pittaway (FedEx Express, Fort Worth) – 1st, Step Van
  • Kimberly Marburger (FedEx Express, Fort Worth) – 2nd, Step Van
  • Noel Deanda (FedEx Freight, Fort Worth) – 2nd, 3-Axle
  • John Pulley (FedEx Ground, Dallas) – 2nd, Straight Truck
  • Roger Woods (FedEx Freight, Fort Worth) – 2nd, Flatbed

Additionally, Clyde Anderson (FedEx Ground, Fort Worth) and Brent Longoria (FedEx Freight, Dallas) posted third-place finishes in Step Van and 5-Axle, respectively.

Houston Regional

At the regional competition in Houston, another five FedEx drivers advanced to the Lone Star State finals:

  • Steve Hinojosa (FedEx Freight, Houston) – 1st, Twins
  • Manny Trevino (FedEx Freight, Harlingen) – 2nd, Twins
  • Darren Williams (FedEx Ground, Houston) – 2nd, Step Van
  • John Bryant (FedEx Freight, Bryan) – 2nd, 4-Axle
  • Randy Oubre (FedEx Express, Houston) – 2nd, 5-Axle

Hobby-based FedEx Freight drivers Willard Shuptrine and Ron Marshall finished third in the Straight Truck and 3-Axle classes, respectively. Additionally, Willard, Ron, John and Randy joined Raul Mendoza (FedEx Ground, North Houston, Step Van) in achieving the Best Pre-Trip Inspections for their respective classes.

News Archive
05/11/2009 - A Big Weekend for FedEx!
05/04/2009 - Team FedEx Doubles Number of Champs in Stellar Weekend of Competition
04/20/2009 - Team FedEx Continues to Roll in Third Weekend of Competitions 
04/06/2009 - Two States Down, Two More Wins in the Books
03/30/2009 - We’re Off to a Great Start in Arizona!