Con-Way’s Hicks places 3rd in trucking ‘Super Bowl’

We are not  just drivers,  we interact  with multiple customers on  a daily basis.
We are not just drivers, we interact with multiple customers on a daily basis.

Joseph Hicks recently placed third overall in the three-axle class at the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championship. The championship has been coined the “Super Bowl of Safety,” because it brings nearly 500 of the best professional drivers in the industry from around the nation. Hicks, who works out of Con-Way Freight’s Cranston terminal, is not green to the competition. He was named 2010 Rookie of the Year and he has been a two-time grand champion.
PBN: How many years have you participated in the “Super Bowl of Safety”?
HICKS: I have participated in the Rhode Island Truck Driving Championship for four out of the last five years, placing first in the three-axel class for three out of those four years. That earned me a trip to compete at the National Truck Driving Championship. Participating in the Super Bowl of Safety is important to me because I strive to be one of the safest drivers in our industry on a daily basis. … I also enjoy the competition aspect of testing my skills against some of the safest and most skilled drivers in the industry.

PBN: Could you tell me about what life on the road is like?
HICKS: I have always had a connection to the driving industry, working in retail and warehousing. I choose to pursue my class A commercial driver license because I always liked the appeal of being out on the road traveling locally around New England. I travel within a 100-mile radius of the service center, conducting local pick-up and delivery of freight for multiple customers. Being in the Less-Than-Truckload industry, the types of cargo I handle can vary from retail to heavy machinery to food products, supplying customers with multiple products that they rely on as well as their customers. I also have a passion for helping customers and that’s what brought me to Con-Way. We are not just drivers, we interact with multiple customers on a daily basis, helping them to provide services for their customers, just as our customers expect from us.

PBN: How are drivers assessed during the pre-trip inspection test, as well as the skills test during the NTDC?
HICKS: Drivers are assessed during the pre-trip inspection on their ability to recognize multiple defects that would hinder the safety of operating a CMV in a predetermined amount of time. Also, drivers are assessed on their professionalism and knowledge of the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s rules and regulations during the process. Just as the pretrip inspection is timed, so is the skills course at NTDC, where drivers are tested on their ability to maneuver their vehicle safely around multiple course obstacles, scoring points on how well they navigate each obstacle on the course and their ability to demonstrate and maintain control of their equipment. •

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