Bill Krouse Snags Second Minnesota Truck Driving Grand Champion Crown
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YRC Freight’s Bill Krouse can add another trophy to his collection in what has become a long and distinguished career.
Krouse won first place in the Flatbed division and took home Grand Champion honors at the Minnesota Truck Driving Championships, held June 8-9 in Coon Rapids. It was his second state Grand Champion title, with his first coming in 2015. He’s competed in Minnesota’s event 16 consecutive years and has placed first in a class eight times, in addition to being named the state's rookie of the year in 2004.
The 2019 National Truck Driving Championships
Qualifiers | Map | Photos | Video
Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level have advanced to the national competition, where a Grand Champion will be crowned
What: Contestants are judged on a written examination and their driving skills
When: Aug. 14-17
Where: Pittsburgh
“It’s a great honor to be named Grand Champion,” Krouse said. “I take this very seriously because it’s all about being safe on our roads. I learn something new each year I compete to help be a safer driver.”
Krouse, who lives in Shakopee, originally is from San Diego and moved to Minnesota when he was 13. He’s driven trucks for 33 years and racked up 2.8 million accident-free miles. Krouse was named Minnesota’s 2014 Driver of the Year for his clean record.
PHOTOS: 2019 Minnesota Truck Driving Championships
MINNESOTA ARCHIVE PAGE: Previews, recaps and more
Now, Krouse will head to Pittsburgh for the National Truck Driving Championships on Aug. 14-17. It will be his eighth appearance at NTDC, and he's hoping to make strides as a driver and have fun at the competition.
“I love going to nationals because you get to compete against the best of the best, and you meet so many great people and become friends for life,” said Krouse, whose best NTDC finish is 12th. “My goal is to get a top-10 finish and make sure I learn something new to improve myself as a professional driver.”
2019 SCHEDULE: State-by-state list.
All competitors moving on to nationals:
- 3-Axle: Paul Butkowski, FedEx Freight
- 4-Axle: Nick Farness, XPO Logistics
- 5-Axle: Scott Post, FedEx Ground
- Flatbed: Bill Krouse, YRC Freight
- Sleeper Berth: Steve Shanda, Halvor Lines
- Tank Truck: Larry Steffensen, FedEx Freight
- Twins: Duane Maroney, ABF Freight
- Straight Truck: Reggie Copeland, FedEx Freight
- Step Van: Alex Lofgren, FedEx Ground
