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Mississippi Driver Scott Osborne Takes Gold, Again
The veterans took center stage at Mississippi’s Truck Driving Championships on April 26-27. Reigning Grand Champion Scott Osborne of FedEx Freight repeated his victory this year, scoring 300 points in the Flatbed division.
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
Osborne advances to the National Truck Driving Championships with eight other drivers. John Kitchens and Christopher Gaston of FedEx Freight repeated as division champs to earn a trip to nationals for the second year in a row. Kitchens prevailed in 4-Axle, and Gaston took top honors in 5-Axle.
PHOTOS: 2019 Mississippi Truck Driving Championships
Last year, Osborne competed in Tank Truck and came in 16th at nationals in his division with a score of 241. Kitchens had a strong showing in Sleeper Berth last year, while Gaston struggled in 5-Axle. This will be Osborne’s third trip to nationals since his first time competing in 2016.
MISSISSIPPI ARCHIVE PAGE: Previews, recaps and more
No rookie competitors made the cut.
The 124 drivers competing in the state event have combined to drive more than 237 million accident-free miles.
NTDC 2019 will be held in Pittsburgh on Aug. 14-17.
Drivers advancing to nationals:
- 3-Axle: Jackie Reed, FedEx Freight
- 4-Axle: John Kitchens, FedEx Freight
- 5-Axle: Christopher Gaston, FedEx Freight
- Flatbed: Scott Osborne, FedEx Freight
- Sleeper Berth: Reginald Johnson, Ergon Trucking
- Tank Truck: Jason Matte, Walmart Transportation
- Twins: Don Nehring, FedEx Ground
- Straight Truck: Kieth Reynaud, Walmart Transportation
- Step Van: Brandon Lee, FedEx Ground
