2022 Louisiana Truck Driving Championships Winners Announced

Competition for truck drivers testing safety & technical skills, winners to contend nationally.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana: The 2022 Louisiana Truck Driving Championships were held at the L’Auberge Baton Rouge, March 4 - 5. 2022. This year's competition marks the return of Louisiana’s Trucking Driving Championships after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last event held in 2019. This year 68 drivers participated, each completing three trials focused on testing a driver's knowledge and skills.

The tests are as followed:

          (1.) The WRITTEN EXAMINATION is an hour-long, four-part test that measures their knowledge of the trucking industry, safe driving rules, first aid, and firefighting.

          (2.) The PRE-TRIP INSPECTION tests the driver's ability to make a thorough pre-trip inspection by requiring him to find seventeen defects planted on a test vehicle within a limited time.

          (3.) Finally, on the FIELD TEST COURSE, contestants must drive a vehicle through a course with problems designed to simulate conditions they may encounter during the everyday operation of a truck.

There were nine classes of competition in the Louisiana competition: Step-Van, Straight Truck, 3-Axle Van, 4-Axle Van, 5-Axle Van, 5-Axle Tank, 5-Axle Flatbed, 5-Axle Sleeper Cab and Twin-Trailers. Trophies were awarded to the First, Second and Third Place winners in each class as listed below. Also awarded during the competition was a Mechanics Award, Rookie of the Year Award, Team Award, and Overall Grand Champion.

All first-place winners will represent the LMTA Foundation and the State of Louisiana in the 2022 American Trucking Association (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 16 – 20, 2022.

Winners of the LMTA competition are as follows:

Step Van

• 1st Place - Donald Williams, Monroe (FedEx Ground)
• 2nd Place - Trina Plummer, Baton Rouge (Trim & Trim of Louisiana)
• 3rd Place - Gary W. Tyler, Monroe (Walmart Transportation)

Straight Truck

• 1st Place - Corey Mitchell, Shreveport (FedEx Freight)
• 2nd Place - Leroy Williams, Zachary (XPO Logistics)
• 3rd Place - Gary P Lubag, Harvey (Walmart Transportation)

3 Axle Van

• 1st Place - James Maxwell, Shreveport (FedEx Freight)
• 2nd Place - Chad Rudesill, Hammond (FedEx Ground)
• 3rd Place - Michael Bass, Monroe (FedEx Freight)

4 Axle Van

• 1st Place - Jerry R. Farmer, Shreveport (XPO Logistics)
• 2nd Place - Louis Barry James, New Orleans (FedEx Express)
• 3rd Place - Malcolm Taylor, Baton Rouge (FedEx Freight)

5 Axle Van

• 1st Place - Glen P Winston, New Orleans (C & S Wholesale Services)
• 2nd Place - Joseph Vital, Baton Rouge (FedEx Freight)
• 3rd Place - John St. Pierre, New Orleans (C & S Wholesale Services)

5 Axle Tank Truck

• 1st Place - Johnnie Long, West Monroe (Walmart Transportation)
• 2nd Place - Curtis McMellon, Baton Rouge (XPO Logistics)
• 3rd Place - Patrick Rudesill, Tickfaw (FedEx Ground)

5 Axle Flatbed

• 1st Place - Larry Smith, Baton Rouge (XPO Logistics)
• 2nd Place - Warren Little, Shreveport (FedEx Freight)
• 3rd Place - Christopher Colomb, Lafayette (Walmart Transportation)

5 Axle Sleeper Cab

• 1st Place - Eric Courville, Breaux Bridge (FedEx Freight)
• 2nd Place - Joshua Smith, Baton Rouge (Walmart Transportation)

Twin Truck

• 1st Place - Damien Hebert, Lafayette (XPO Logistics)
• 2nd Place - Richard Gibbs, Shreveport (FedEx Freight)
• 3rd Place - Dennis Jameson, Pineville (FedEx Freight)

Mechanic's Award:    

• Cody Bailey, Alexandria – (FedEx Ground)                            

Rookie of the Year:    

• Cody Bailey, Alexandria – (FedEx Ground)

Team Trophy:            

• FedEx Freight

Grand Champion:    

• Eric Courville, Breaux Bridge – (FedEx Freight)

The winners in each class are determined by totaling the scores of all tests. The Mechanic's Award is given to the person who has the highest score on the Pre-trip Inspection. The Rookie of the Year is the driver with the highest score among those who are participating in a truck driving championship for the first time. The Team Award is given to the company that has the overall highest average score based on the scores of the competing drivers from that company. The Grand Champion is the driver who receives the highest overall score during the competition.

Also honored were the LMTA Foundation’s 2022 Personal Safety Awards winners. They are as followed:

2022 Weight Enforcement Officer of the Year:

          Officer Tyler Latiolas

2022 Louisiana State Police Trooper of the Year:

          Master Trooper Timothy Guinn

2022 Louisiana Safety Professional of the Year:

          Christie Swicegood, Frisard Companies

2022 Louisiana Truck Driver of the Year:

          Wallace Simien III, Walmart Transportation

About the LMTA Foundation

The LMTA Foundation was established in 2013 as a non-profit organization to fund education, public relations, and research projects for the Louisiana trucking industry. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and is an all-volunteer organization. The mission is to enhance the understanding of and image of the Louisiana trucking industry, increase highway safety and pursue workforce solutions for the industry. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.lmta.foundation.

PHOTOS (courtesy of John Ballance): VIEW ONLINE

Allison Strahan

Communications Director

O: 225.928.5684

allison@lmta.la

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