CVSA announces NAIC winners

Fifty-one roadside inspectors representing jurisdictions across North America gathered in St. Louis, MO, Aug. 10-14 to compete in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC).

Each year, CVSA recognizes the best of the best by inviting member jurisdictions throughout North America to participate in NAIC.

The Jimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award is the highest NAIC honor for roadside inspectors. This year, the Grand Champion Award was awarded to J.D. Berrong with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for his combined performances in six competition elements:

1. North American Standard Level I Inspection

2. North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedure

3. North American Standard Hazmat/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection

4. North American Standard Cargo Tank/Other Bulk Packagings Inspection

5. North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection

6. North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Exam

The John Youngblood Award of Excellence is a special award NAIC contestants bestow on a fellow NAIC inspector who exemplifies the high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. This year, NAIC contestants voted to present the John Youngblood Award to Brad Mitchell with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The following awards were presented during this year’s NAIC:

• High Points: United States: J.D. Berrong, North Carolina State Highway Patrol

• High Points: Canada: Darren Kennedy, British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

• North American Standard Level I Inspection: First place – Steve McPherson, Ontario Ministry of Transportation; second place – Andrew Stapleton, South Dakota Highway Patrol; third place – Carlos Rojas, Alaska Department of Public Safety.

• North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection: First Place – Reagan Droddy, Texas Department of Public Safety; second place – Nicolas Wright, Kansas Highway Patrol; third place – Charles Shaver, Tennessee Highway Patrol

• North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection: First place – Eric McGuire, Florida Highway Patrol; second place – James Hamrick, Arkansas Highway Police; third place – Mike Watts, Alberta Justice & Solicitor General

• Team Award – Orange Team: Jason Harris, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Daniel Voelker, Arizona Department of Public Safety; Rhonda Wood, Kentucky State Police; Mike Miller, New Jersey State Police; J.D. Berrong, North Carolina State Highway Patrol; Steve McPherson, Ontario Ministry of Transportation; Charles Shaver, Tennessee Highway Patrol; Scott Parsons, Virginia State Police

“NAIC contestants are not only tested in the competition, they also learn throughout the week about the latest CMV safety trends, technologies, standards and inspection procedures,” said CVSA president Bill Reese of the Idaho State Police. “The North American Inspectors Championship tests and educates inspectors, providing a well-rounded educational opportunity along with the healthy competitive spirit that has guided and made this competition successful and a goal for top aspiring inspectors for the past 23 years.”

The North American Inspectors Championship was created to recognize inspectors and officers and to promote uniformity of inspections through education, according to the organization.

“Commercial vehicle inspectors are skilled professionals who are dedicated to help protect the motoring public by conducting more than 4 million unannounced inspections each year and removing unsafe trucks, buses and commercial drivers from the road,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Chief Counsel Scott Darling. “While we honor the participants of the North American Inspectors Championship who competed this week, we also recognize and salute the thousands of roadside inspectors working everyday with the goal of ensuring that every traveler reaches his or her destination safety.”

NAIC is sponsored by CVSA and many of its valued associate members. For the past 23 years, the championship event has been held in partnership with the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC). NAIC has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as an event that "Advances America."

View photos from NAIC 2015.