Rick Herbert, a Yellow Transportation professional truck driver based in Illinois, is the 2005 National Truck Driving Grand Champion. Herbert put his driving skills, knowledge of transportation and truck safety to the test against 363 other drivers from all across the U.S. in the American Trucking Assns.-sponsored National Truck Driving Championships in Tampa, FL.
The contestants were the state champions in eight truck types. Collectively, they have driven over 484 million accident-free miles.
The competition course inside the Tampa Convention Center included a scale stop, a rear line stop, a rear dock parking exercise, a measured tight right turn, a front line stop, and straight line driving along a narrow path of tennis balls.
Herbert, of Villa Park, IL also won the individual four-axle truck driving competition. The champions of the other seven classes are:
- Five-Axle: Ryland Hogan, Wilson Transportation, Stuart’s Draft, VA
- Five-Axle Sleeper: Larry Warr, Wal-Mart Transportation, LaGrange, GA
- Tank Truck: Michael Lomastro, Publix Supermarkets, Lake Worth, FL
- Three-Axle: Brent Darnold, Linde Gas, Parkersburg, WV
- Twins: Darrell Kimbrell, FedEx Freight, Bessemer, AL
- Flatbed: Mark Church, Con-Way Southern Express, Winston-Salem, NC
- Straight Truck: Robert Dolan, Con-Way Central Express, Catasauqa, PA
The Pennsylvania state truck driving championship team was the highest scoring state team.
