Three drivers for Van Buren-based USA Truck placed among the state's best at the 2014 Arkansas Trucking Championship July 11-12 in Rogers. The Little Rock-based Arkansas Trucking Association hosts this annual event.
Robert Williams won the Sleeper classification and was Grand Champion Runner-Up based on his cumulative score in the three segments of the Driving Championship: Written Exam, Pre-Trip Inspection and Road Test. Williams, who is also the reigning USA Truck Grand Champion, placed second out of 111 competitors overall and topped the 33 entrants in the Sleeper category, and will represent USA Truck at the 2014 National Truck Driving Championships Aug. 12-16 in Pittsburgh.
Williams is a company driver who lives in Hammond, La., and has been with USA Truck for 10 years. He has driven nearly 900,000 collision-free miles.
Eddie Mullins and David Large also competed for USA Truck. Mullins, an owner operator, lives in Hixson, Tenn., and is a 31-year industry veteran. He was the company’s Owner Operator Driver of the Month for April 2014 and has driven more than 900,000 collision-free miles since joining USA Truck in 2007.
Large, a company driver and a military veteran, lives in Bethany, Okla., and has been with USA Truck for nine years and has driven more than 600,000 collision-free miles.
In the Technician Championship, USA Truck was paced by Daniel Cupp's first-place finish in Air Conditioning/ Refrigeration while Jesse Elmore, the reigning USA Truck Grand Champion, took second in Air Systems & Brakes. Elmore finished fifth overall out of 32 competitors. Cupp placed eighth overall and Henry Ipema rounded out Team USA Truck with a 14th-place finish.
Elmore and Cupp work out of USA Truck’s Van Buren, Ark. terminal while Ipema is based at the company’s Chicago terminal. The trio will represent USA Truck at the 2014 National Technical Skills Competition Sept. 22-24 in Orlando, Fla.