( BW)(CA-FEDEX-FREIGHT)(FDX) FedEx Freight Sends 31 Drivers to
National Truck Driving Championships; Drivers Earn the Right to
Compete by Winning State-Level Competitions
News Editors
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2002--Thirty-one FedEx
Freight truck drivers from 21 states have earned the honor of
competing at the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) 2002 National
Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Milwaukee on Aug. 13-17.
Collectively, the FedEx Freight team of professionals has 378 years of
accident-free driving. FedEx Freight is the market leader in regional
LTL (less-than-truckload) freight services and a subsidiary of FedEx
Corp. (NYSE:FDX).
The ATA hosts the annual safe-driving event -- which traditionally
draws more than 2,000 spectators, company officials, drivers and
judges in a festive atmosphere -- to promote highway safety. Each of
the 31 FedEx Freight drivers finished first in his respective class of
competition at state-level truck driving championships. The FedEx
Freight team will compete among nearly 400 drivers for the National
Champion title in six different classes by demonstrating their driving
skills and knowledge of the trucking industry through a written
examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test and field
test.
"These 31 professionals exemplify our commitment to making safety
an integral part of our operations day in and day out, and we're
extremely proud of their accomplishments," said Douglas G. Duncan,
president and CEO of FedEx Freight. "As far as we're concerned,
they're all winners. I look forward to supporting them personally in
Milwaukee."
Each FedEx Freight contestant and his guest will enjoy a
company-sponsored all-expenses-paid trip to the National Truck Driving
Championships. Joining the team will be a cheering section of more
than 150 friends, family members and 16 company executives. The FedEx
Freight drivers going to the competition will include the following
state champions:
Arizona
Charlie Woodland, Phoenix (Straight Truck)
Arkansas
Tim Hess, Little Rock (Twins)
California
Eric Flick, Sacramento (Twins)
Colorado
Dave Mogler, Denver (4-Axle)
Pat McGovern, Denver (3-Axle)
Travis Westman, Colorado Springs (Twins)
Indiana
Willie Baylor, Indianapolis (4-Axle)
Iowa
Brian Gardner, Des Moines (Twins)
Kentucky
Douglas Howard, Louisville (Tanker)
Andy Oder, Louisville (Twins)
Louisiana
Eric Courville, Lafayette (3-Axle)
Massachusetts
Bobby Baker, Avon (Flatbed)
Michigan
Phillip Pigeon, Warren (Tanker)
Chris Thomas, Flint (Twins)
Minnesota
Douglas Baer, Minneapolis (Tanker)
Mississippi
Marcus Byrd, Jackson (Twins)
Nebraska
Toby Kort, North Platte (3-Axle)
Nevada
Kris Barstow, Reno (3-Axle)
Dave McCue, Reno (Straight Truck)
Steve Weaver, Reno (Twins)
Bruce Wilson, Reno (Flatbed)
New Mexico
David Fieselman, Albuquerque (3-Axle)
North Dakota
Steven Thordarson, Fargo (4-Axle)
John Janousek, Fargo (Twins)
Ohio
Randy Broderick, Mansfield (4-Axle)
Oregon
Ted Carlson, Portland (4-Axle)
Dan Shamrell, Portland (3-Axle) -- Second-place winner in 3-Axle
at 2001 NTDC
Utah
Chris Mahoney, Salt Lake City (Twins)
Vic Wheeler, Salt Lake City (3-Axle)
Washington
Brian Kidd, Seattle (Straight Truck)
West Virginia
Thomas Edens, Charleston (Twins)
FedEx Freight's Truck Driving Championship program is coordinated
by Mark Courter, manager of safety and compliance for FedEx Freight
East, and Scot Bishop, managing director of safety and human resources
for FedEx Freight West.
FedEx Freight has won numerous safety awards from the ATA and
state trucking associations over the years, demonstrating its
dedication to safety. In 2001, FedEx Freight East was awarded the
ATA's prestigious President's Trophy -- the highest safety award in
the trucking industry, while FedEx Freight West captured the same
honor in 1999.
The 31 drivers from FedEx Freight, up from 23 in 2001, will be
joined by six colleagues from FedEx Ground and another five from FedEx
Express who will also compete for top national honors at the NTDC. The
42-driver contingent is the largest ever sent to the national event by
the FedEx family of companies.
About FedEx Freight
As a member of the FedEx Corp. family of companies, FedEx Freight
is the $2 billion leading provider of next-day and second-day regional
LTL freight services. FedEx Freight is composed of two operating
companies, FedEx Freight East and FedEx Freight West, both known for
exceptional service, reliability and on-time performance. Through a
comprehensive network of service centers and advanced information
systems, the two companies provide service to virtually all U.S. zip
codes, including Alaska and Hawaii, plus Puerto Rico. Internationally,
they provide service to North, Central and South America, the
Caribbean and Europe. More information about FedEx Freight East, based
in Harrison, Ark., and about FedEx Freight West, based in San Jose,
Calif., can be found at www.fedexfreight.fedex.com.
About FedEx
With annual revenues of $21 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier
global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain
management services. The company offers integrated business solutions
through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including:
FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company;
FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package
ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of
regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical,
North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments;
and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs clearance,
international freight forwarding and trade facilitation.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Press releases and additional information about
FedEx Corp. and its operating companies can be found on the World Wide
Web at http://www.fedex.com.
--30--nj/sf*
CONTACT: FedEx Freight
Kathy Keller, 408/323-4238
kathy.keller@fedex.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA TENNESSEE WISCONSIN ARKANSAS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORTATION
SOURCE: FedEx Freight
