Page 32 - ATR 4 2015 web

“i wish every Truck driver had The
opporTuNiTy To do someThiNg like
This Because iT puTs you Back To BeiNg
everyThiNg you’re supposed To Be as a
professioNal driver. eveN Though you do
iT for years aNd years, ThaT caN creaTe
complaceNcy. This kills complaceNcy.”

–darreN Tyler,
J.B. huNT TraNsporT

Tyler

quit riding with him and started work- vidual than as a group; in Arkansas, it’s state championship.
ing for the owner of DSI—mowing the just a mass of friends doing what they Drivers and technicians at the
grass in the front of the shop. I slowly do every day.” trucking championships can not only
worked my way in the door, and it’s be confident in their safety records and
kind of exploded since then.” sTanDarD Of exceLLence attention to detail, but also that those
You can hear the admiration and Both the technician and truck skills are recognized by their supervi-
appreciation in his voice when he talks driving championships have eligibility sors.
of DSI and its owner, Mike McNutt. requirements which help narrow the “A lot of the stuff they do at the
It’s a company which has supported his field of competition, but moreover it’s competition is stuff they did today
family for nearly 30 years and helped up to each company to select their own in the shop,” said Ron Gillen, trailer
launch his career. gladiators. shop maintenance director for Little
“I drove a straight truck for them “We look for drivers with acci- Rock, Arkansas-based CalArk and 2015
part time, making deliveries for their dent-free driving records and the Arkansas Technician Championship
LTL business out of Lowell,” Martin desire to learn, to practice, to get bet- chairman. “They’re already winners
said. “I moved to Russellville and went ter at their craft and to study,” said because they got there and wanted to
to Arkansas Tech for a year; then I Mike Brust, director of safety for compete.” Prior to serving as Technician
moved back to Harrison, back to work Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc. Championship chairman in 2015,
for DSI.” of Texarkana, Ark., and 2015 Arkansas Gillen spent the past eight years as
Now settled in northwest Arkansas, Truck Driving Championship chairman. chair of the preventive maintenance
Martin has established quite the reputa- Brust has been on the TDC committee station.
tion among the Arkansas Technician for years having served as the pre-trip Although young, Aaron Martin
Championship lot having placed fourth chairman in the past. is already a veteran of the Technician
during his first year of competition in Drivers’ eligibility hinges on their Championship. And he agrees—just
2012, then first during his second year, safe driving record. They are required making it there is half the battle.
followed in 2014 with a second-place to be accident-free for at least the 12 “I was talking to some of the newer
finish and won the whole shebang again months prior to entry in the competi- guys before the competition,” Martin
this year. tion. said. “They were nervous wondering
“The first year I won, Truck Centers “The biggest achievement is driving what would happen if they didn’t do
threw me a party and made a t-shirt,” in the competition—being accident- so well. So I told them, ‘There’s going
Martin smiled. free,” said Brust. “Being eligible is a true to be a winner and there’s going to be
Martin shares Hall’s aspiration testament to their safe driving ability.” a guy in last place. But you’re here and
to place at the National competition, There are 33,610 professional there’s lots of others who didn’t come.
known as Super Tech to the technicians. heavy-duty truck drivers in Arkansas, So even if you don’t place, that means
“It’s overwhelming,” he admitted. “It’s according to the Bureau of Labor something.’”
a completely different world. You feel Statistics, and this year only 129 driv-
more like you’re competing as an indi- ers and 66 technicians competed in the 

32 arkansas Trucking repOrT | issue 4 2015