This August, three Ruan truck drivers earned a spot to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships in Columbus, OH. Edward Borntrager and Jason Gaulitz of Wisconsin and Michael Nichols of Maryland competed against best of the best professional drivers from all 50 states.
The event, hosted by the American Trucking Associations, is an annual competition that welcomes hundreds of drivers from across the country to compete in one of eight classes. To compete at the National Championships, a driver must have placed first in his or her division at their state Truck Driving Championships. The competition includes a written test, a judged pre-trip inspection test, and a driving skills test. The cumulative score from these three challenges determines the overall winner for that class.
“We are extremely proud of our driving team members, both on and off the road,” said Ruan President and COO Dan Van Alstine, who currently serves as chairman of the ATA. “To qualify for their state championships is an accomplishment in itself. They had to meet incredibly strict safety criteria to even be eligible to compete. These professional drivers spent countless hours preparing for Nationals, sacrificing much to ready themselves for this intense competition. We are so proud of how they competed with class, focus, determination, and professionalism. We are very excited to have them serve as ambassadors of our industry and are immeasurably proud to have each of them as part of Team Ruan!”
Congratulations to Edward, Jason, and Michael! We are excited to see them and our other drivers compete again next year in their state competitions.