PA Grand Champion for 2024 is Michael Light from FedEx Freight in Straight Truck class who boasted a nearly perfect score on the driving skills course this year!
Michael (Mike) Light from FedEx Freight Erie, Pa. is champion of the straight truck class and overall Grand Champion, continuing his streak as Pennsylvania’s 2023 straight truck champion and 3rd place in 2018!
He will be heading to Indianapolis, IN for ATA’s National Truck Driving Championships in August where Team FedEx has established a reputation for excellence with seven National Grand Champion, 71 National Champion and 10 National Rookie of the Year titles in the past 19 years.
The 37th PA Truck Driving Championships was held last weekend at Kalahari Resort in the Poconocs sponsored by PMTA and live-streamed thanks to the media sponsors Compliance Navigation Specialists.
This is the biggest event in trucking, lovingly nicknamed the “Superbowl of Safety” for the trucking industry.
This is where the best and safest drivers come out to play. In fact, there are over 200 drivers here, a record in Pennsylvania, waiting to compete within the 9 driver classes to see who is the best and move on to Nationals in Indianapolis.
But it takes an army to have this event run smoothly with 200 volunteers, many with decades of trucking experience themselves and previous competitors and champions.
To help celebrate, there were over 1000 friends, families, and coworkers cheering them on.
Drivers competing takes it seriously
All year, drivers hoping to compete at the state truck driving championships must maintain a history of safe driving with no accidents or violations.
Their goal is to get here and compete with hopes to win their category and move on to Nationals against drivers all across America.
In fact, a previous champion could not compete this year because a no-fault accident stained with record, making him ineligible for 2024.
“Qualifying for the competition is no easy task. Many drivers practice in the hopes of placing or competing at the national level,” the release notes. “For trucking companies, having award-winning drivers is a bonus and can even help lower insurance rates. For drivers, it’s a resume builder and a fun challenge to compete for the top spot.”
To prepare, drivers spend dozens of hours practicing a mock skill driving course or companies hold their own driving rodeo or championship.
In fact, one driver said his wife is his coach and they go through a course they make up in a parking lot.
There is also a newly published book each year, ATA Facts for Drivers, that drivers heavily study and quiz themselves on for weeks or months up to the competition.
How the Truck Driving Championships works
During the two-day event, the 204 of the state’s safest drivers will compete for the title of Grand Champion.
To recognize the wide diversity in trucking, the competition aims to provide a wide variety of commercial vehicle types, from step vans (your UPS, FedEx, and other delivery vans) to large tanker trucks.
There are nine different classes of vehicles that drivers can compete in, which means there will be nine winners plus the ultimate prize, Grand Champion.
The vehicle classes include:
- straight truck
- 3 axle semi-trailer class
- 4 axle semi-trailer class
- 5 axle semi-trailer class (van)
- 5 axle semi-trailer class (tank)
- 5 axle semi-trailer class (flat)
- twin-trailer class
- 5 axle sleeper berth class, and
- step van
All drivers are evaluated through 3 areas of competition:
- A written test,
- A pre-trip examination, and
- A driving skills course
The written test is a 40-question multiple choice exam that could take over an hour to complete.
The pre-trip examination is where drivers are tasked to find a certain number of defects planted on the vehicle type you will be driving. These defects are basically stickers that look like a large crack and hidden around the vehicle.
The driving portion is broken down into 6 skill problems worth 50 points each. Drivers try to earn points based on how close they can get to a cone, wall, or barrel without hitting them. But they also must remember to honk their horn or know when to stop or continuously drive through the course or face point deductions.
Drivers can expect to compete at Kalahari Resort through 2030, so get studying and make your family hotel reservations to the waterpark! Hope to see you next year.
Don’t miss the live-stream, driver and company interviews, and so much more at our YouTube page, subscribe now!
2024 PA Truck Driving Championships Winners
Congratulations to all the winners at this years competition and good luck at Nationals in August!
With 9 vehicle classes, we have three winners from last year go back to back in their group. 2023 Grand Champion Bryan Krol with Martin Brower won his SLEEPER class and will head to Nationals again with his co-worker Matt Fletcher who won the 5-AXLE class again. Daryl Miller with The Cope Company Salt also won the Flatbed class again.
3 AXLE
- Bernard Wanyo, UPS
- Terry Wood, Walmart
- Kraig Keller, ABF Freight
4 AXLE
- William Giles, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
- Ronald Emenheiser, Walmart
- Dean Herb, The Giant Company
5 AXLE
- Matt Fletcher, Martin Brower
- Eric Valentine, Pitt Ohio
- Eric Blackwell, Walmart
SLEEPER
- Bryan Krol, Martin Brower
- Bradley Kiscadden, FedEx Freight
- Robert Springer, UPS
FLAT
- Daryl Miller, The Cope Company Salt
- Troy Wolf, Day & Ross
- Andrew Mutchler, Walmart
TANK
- Brian Smeltzer, RH Crawford
- Paul Waite, A. Duie Pyle, Inc.
- Todd Lefever, The Cope Company Salt
TWIN
- Michael Hoover, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
- Robert (Bob) Walker, FedEx Freight
- James Emerick, ABF Freight
STRAIGHT
- Michael (Mike) Light, FedEx Freight
- Harold Komar, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
- Christopher Yanac, Pitt Ohio
STEP VAN
- Daniel Verbanac, FedEx Ground
- Chuck Digovanni, FedEx Ground
- Eric Waybright, Walmart
Rookie of the Year
- Jason Melcher, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. – 5 AXLE
Best Written Test Score
- Ronald Emenheiser, Walmart – 4 AXLE
Best Pre-Trip Inspection
- Colt Seltzer, UPS – 4 AXLE
Small Team Champions
- RH Crawford
Large Team Champions
- Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
Grand Champion
- Michael (Mike) Light, FedEx Freight, STRAIGHT TRUCK
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