ATA’s truck driving championship to celebrate 50 years in July
by June 6, 2017 4:52 pm 736 views
More than 1,000 people are expected to be in Northwest Arkansas next month as the Arkansas Trucking Association hosts the 50th annual Arkansas Trucking Championship in Rogers.
The trucking championship will take place July 13-15 at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center and is comprised of three events: Arkansas Truck Driving Championship, Arkansas Technician Championship and Arkansas Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection Competition.
The events are qualifying rounds for national competitions, and the general format, components and qualifications are similar from previous years, said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. The competition includes inspectors on July 13, technicians and drivers on July 14, and drivers on July 15.
“To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Truck Driving Championship, there will be a special yearbook-like memorabilia made available to attendees, showcasing photos from this event over its 50-year history,” Newton said. While not related to the anniversary of the truck driving championship, the technician championship will be expanded to include more stations or focus areas “to further test the knowledge of the professional technicians participating.”
The Arkansas Trucking Championship is the trucking association’s biggest event, hosting “the largest number of individuals gathered at any one time under the banner of the Arkansas Trucking Association,” Newton said. “Over the three-day event, more than 1,000 individuals that volunteer, judge, compete or show support for competitors will flow through the John Q. Hammons Convention Center.”
The event has historically been hosted at the center. It’s the only location large enough to host the event’s indoor and outdoor format, she said. Most attendees are from Arkansas, but “there is a large contingency of volunteers from the vendor community, as well as drivers from other states, who are employed by an Arkansas carrier that are present for the event.”
Those who want to compete in the event are required to register by June 23. Click here to find registration information.
“This event is a celebration of the professional truck drivers and technicians that are at the very core of the industry that our organization represents,” Newton said. “Only the best of the best from among all of our membership qualify to compete. Each participant has to have been accident and incident free (regardless of fault) for at least 12 months prior to the event. Many of them win internal competitions to even earn the right to participate in the statewide event.
“Our members and these individuals commitment to safety is worthy of recognition and celebration.”
On the national level, the American Trucking Associations hosts the National Truck Driving Championships, which dates back to 1937 when it was known as the National Truck Roadeo. Competitors in this event are comprised of the winners in eight classes of competition from the 50 state trucking associations’ truck driving championships.