SAFETY & MAINTENANCE FedEx Freight’s Charlie Salter Repeats as Alabama TDC Champ

state TDC competition for Salter and the team from FedEx Freight, but there were also a few surprises in the mix.

By Ford Boswell • Photos by Bob Farley.

PELHAM, Ala. – Veteran FedEx Freight driver Charlie Salter of Prattville, Ala. took the Overall Champion’s Award presented by Truckworx at the 2023 Alabama Truck Driving Championships held here on June 9th at the Pelham Civic Complex.

The 51-year-old professional driver bested more than 88 others who competed in the one-day competition, which showcases professional truck drivers’ skills and commitment to workplace and highway safety but also serves as a qualifier for the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships later this summer in Columbus, Ohio.

exam covering driver safety and industry best practices; a pre-trip vehicle defect inspection; and a vehicle obstacle course, where contestants navigate a truck and trailer through a series of obstacles. At the end of the competition, contestants’ cumulative scores are ranked, and winners from eight categories are announced at an awards dinner that evening. The three highest scorers from each class receive trophies and prizes, and special awards are highest score for the vehicle defects inspection.

Top Of The Class

Salter’s exceptional achievement not only exemplifies his experience and talent behind the wheel but also serves as a testament to the unwavering commitment of truck drivers to prioritize workplace and highway safety. As the industry eagerly awaits the showdown in Columbus, Salter’s remarkable victory amplifies the profound dedication and heroism exhibited by these unsung heroes of the road.

Salter took the top spot in the 5-axle Class with a combined score of 387.5. It is his second time winning the Alabama TDC’s top spot, having also done so in 2017.

During his 32 years on the road, he’s maintained more than 2.7 million safe miles, earned dozens of company and industry awards, and is a member of the Alabama Trucking Association’s Road Team, a public service program that sends professional commercial drivers into high school driver’s education classes to teach kids about safe driving