FedEx Express driver Michael Bills was named grand champion. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)FedEx Express driver Michael Bills is North Carolina’s trucking grand champion. Bills was awarded the title at the annual North Carolina Truck Driving Championship, held May 18-19 at Park Expo in Charlotte.
The competition was sponsored by the North Carolina Trucking Association and brought out over 170 truckers to test their skills against their colleagues.
Bills, from Fuquay-Varina, has been a trucker for 26 years and has spent the last three years with FedEx. He has driven over one million accident-free miles. He also won first place in the straight truck class.
John Hathcock, a driver for FedEx Ground, was awarded Rookie of the Year.
The winners were:
Grand Champion: Michael Bills, FedEx Express
Rookie of the Year: John Hathcock, FedEx Ground
Pre-Trip Inspection: David Rohman, FedEx Express
3-Axle: David Rohman, FedEx Express
4-Axle: Larry Wilson, Food Lion/DelHaize America
5-Axle: Basher Pierce, FedEx Freight
Sleeper Berth: Jimmy Whitley, FedEx Ground
Flatbed: Brian Walker, UPS
Step Van: Augustus Kern, FedEx Express
Straight Truck: Michael Bills, FedEx Express
Tanker: Andrew Davis, UPS
Twin Trailers: David Wagner, Old Dominion Freight Line
Pictured from the left are NCSHP A.T. Bost, third place twins class winner Mark Bryant of FedEx Ground, NCTA Board Chairman Gerald Myers, second place twins class winner Leonard Coleman of FedEx Freight, TDC Chairman Alan Darr and first place twins class winner David Wagner of Old Dominion Freight Line. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP D.J. Maffucci, third place tanker class winner Allen McNeely of ABF Freight, NCTA Chairman Gerald Myers, second place tanker class winner Leslie Barden of Smithfield Hog Production, TDC Chairman Alan Darr and first place tanker class winner Andrew Davis of UPS. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
From the left are NCSHP D.J. Maffucci, NCTA Chairman Gerald Myers, third place straight truck class winner John Hathcock of FedEx Ground, second place straight truck class winner Timothy Whitley of Old Dominion Freight Lines, TDC Chairman Alan Darr and first place straight truck class winner Michael Bills of FedEx Express. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP A.T. Bost, third place step van class winner James Mraz of FedEx Ground, NCTA Chairman Gerald Myers, second place step van class winner Bobby Smith of FedEx Freight and first place step van class winner Augustus Kern of FedEx Express and at far right, Alan Darr, TDC Chairman. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are Sgt. K.E. Moore with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, third place flatbed class winner Andrew Truax with TCW, Inc., second place flatbed class winner Gene Bradshaw of Walmart Transportation and first place flatbed class winner Brian Walker of UPS. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP A.T. Bost, third place 5-axle winner Brian Atkins of Old Dominion Freight Line, NCTA Chairman Gerald Myers, second place 5-axle winner Ray Warlick of Walmart Transportation, TDC Chairman Alan Darr and first place 5-axle winner Basher Pierce of FedEx Freight. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP D.J. Maffucci, NCTA Board Chairman Gerald Myers, third place sleeper berth winner Joey Weavil with Old Dominion Freight Line, second place sleeper berth winner Christopher D. Serviss with Walmart Transportation, TDC Chairman Alan Darr and first place sleeper berth winner Jimmy Whitley with FedEx Ground. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP A.T. Bost, NCTA Board Chairman Gerald Myers, third place 4-axle winner Gerald Cannan with UPS, second place 4-axle winner Brannon Herba of Fed Ex Ground, TDC Chair Alan Darr and first place 4-axle winner Larry Wilson of Food Lion/DelHaize America. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP D.J. Maffucci, second place 3-axle winner John Cecil with FedEx Freight, first place 3-axle winner David Rohman with FedEx Express and third place 3-axle winner Andy Heffner with FedEx Express. Standing in the back is Sgt. K.E. Moore and at far right is NCSHP A.T. Bost. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
Pictured from the left are NCSHP A.T. Bost, NCTA Board Chairman Gerald Myers, Pre-Trip Inspection class winner David Rohman with FedEx Express and 2018 TDC Chairman Alan Darr. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
TDC Grand Champion Michael Bills drives for FedEx Express. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
TDC Rookie of the Year was awarded to John Hathcock with FedEx Ground. Pictured from the left are Sgt. K.E. Moore, NCTA Board Chairman Gerald Myers, Hathcock and TDC Chairman Alan Darr. (Image Courtesy of North Carolina Trucking Association)
