HUMBOLDT — Commercial drivers associated with an area cement company participated in multiple skill tests on Saturday.
The fifth annual Intra-company Driver Competition took place at Monarch Cement Company on Saturday. According to Subsidiary Manager Justin Tucker, 15 drivers competed for a cash prize, and to qualify for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s National Mixer Driver Championship. Tucker said the national contest will be held in Orlando, Florida, in October.
Tucker said there are three phases of the competition: a written test, a driving test, and an inspection test.
According to Corporate Safety Director Mike Klauman, a perfect score is 696 points. The written portion of the test can earn up to 250 points. The inspection, 86, and the driving test is worth a total of 360 points. Klauman said no one has ever gotten a perfect score.
Tucker said this contest is a way for drivers to show off the skills they use day to day.
“These challenges are similar to what they face every day,” Tucker said.
The work can be taxing. Tucker said that it is not uncommon for crews to work 12-13 hour days, often beginning early in the morning to beat the morning traffic, and to beat the heat in the summer.
“These drivers have the most difficult jobs, transporting this perishable product,” said Christy Martin, executive director of Concrete Promotional Group.
In total, there were eight driving challenges. One driving challenge mimicked pulling up to a Department of Transportation weigh station, another mimicked approaching a set of railroad tracks. According to Tucker, drivers are legally obligated to stop at least 15 feet from any railroad crossing. During the test, drivers can also be penalized for stopping too far back from the faux crossing.
“These stations are designed exactly how they are at the national competition,” Tucker said.
For the inspection portion of the test, competitors had to find up to eight defects on a cement truck. A loose lug nut is one such thing they were trying to find according to Tucker.
Tucker said that drivers are required to do a pre-trip inspection of their trucks. When doing it before an actual drive, Tucker said that drivers are often pulling on various parts of the vehicle to make sure it’s okay. The inspection part of the test has an added challenge in that contestants can only verbally state the defects they can see. They have five minutes to name as many defects as possible. According to Tucker, drivers check tires, lug nuts, gauges, belts, and fluids during the typical pre-trip inspection.
During the written portion of the test, competitors have 30 minutes to answer 50 questions related to cement mixer driving. Tucker said all competitors are employees of Monarch or a Monarch subsidiary. Some drivers came from Joplin, Kansas City, Topeka, and Springfield, Missouri to compete.
Warren Langland, right, examines a truck for defects during a cement mixer driving competition at Monarch Cement Company, judged by George Tyler, left. Hannah Emberton | Tribune
According to Tucker, the first-place winner at Monarch’s contest will win $1,000, second place will win $500, and third will win $250. The top two drivers will qualify to attend the national competition. Third place will be an alternate.
Tucker said going to the national contest is a unique experience.
“It’s one of those things that you can’t really explain until you go,” Tucker said.
Contestant Jody Koroush was in three-way tie for second place during last year’s local competition and said this year would be his last year competing.
“I enjoy it myself, I think it’s fun,” Koroush said. “You drive a truck you’ve never driven before, and it’s such a huge learning curve. It’s fun coming out here.”
The winners of the competition will attend the national competition with their manager and the plant manager. The third place winner and alternate driver was Johnny Heckman. Duane Morris was the runner up, and the first place champion was Jess Kampe.
