Message of Safety Hits Home Leading Up to Illinois Truck Driving Championships
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FedEx Freight drivers Ritch Fundell and Miguel Corral are back and ready to repeat in the Illinois Truck Driving Championships on June 7-8.
Fundell
Fundell will look to defend his Grand Champion title, which he won coming out of the 3-Axle class in 2018. Corral went on to claim class champion honors in Twins at last year’s National Truck Driving Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Overall FedEx Freight claimed five division championships in 2018. UPS took home two first-place finishes, and XPO Logistics and YRC Freight earned one apiece.
The family-oriented event will feature 199 drivers (and two alternates), who will take to the course at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, site of the Illinois TDC since 2014.
The Illinois Trucking Association puts the focus of the day’s events on safety, according to Linda Blisset, ITA’s certified director of safety.
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
Since the beginning of the year, 16 Illinois State Police officers have been involved in crashes, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries. ITA has initiated a “move over” campaign to educate the public on Scott’s Law.
ILLINOIS ARCHIVE PAGE: Recaps, previews and more
The law requires that motorists move over one lane, if possible, when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle with flashing lights. Its inception dates to December 2000, when Lt. Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department was struck and killed while assisting at a crash scene on a Chicago expressway.
ITA will talk with attendees and competitors and have a petition to sign about the importance of following Scott’s Law. An Illinois State trooper will be the guest speaker at the banquet, which usually has upward of 650 attendees.
