2022 Florida Truck Driving Championships

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Florida Truck Driving Championships (TDC) resumed this year in Daytona Beach – and there was excitement and energy in the air from start to finish. The event drew more than 230 of the top professional commercial motor vehicle drivers in the state with a combined 500 million miles of safe driving and hauling freight.

Drivers from a wide range of companies and 10 different vehicle classes convened at the Ocean Center from June 9 -11 to compete. Over the course of three days, each driver was evaluated based on a written test, a pretrip inspection, and a skills course.

“The Florida Truck Driving Championships, to put it simply, is all about the drivers and honoring the work they do to prioritize safety and excellence in the profession,” said TDC Chair Bill Roy, Safety Manager at Walmart Transportation. “There was a lot of anticipation leading up to TDC this year since it was our first competition in two years – and the drivers, volunteers, sponsors, and FTA staff didn’t miss a beat, ensuring the event was top-notch.”

As in previous years, the Herman Fauss Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament was held the day before TDC kicked off. The tournament raises funds for the Herman Fauss Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to children and grandchildren of commercial vehicle drivers employed by FTA member companies.

The first day of TDC included a driver orientation, rookie huddle, written test, and course orientation. During the orientations, drivers were briefed on the course obstacles before completing a course walk-through later in the day. The pre-trip inspection and skills course portions of the competition were held during the second and third days.

The event concluded with an awards banquet at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, where more than 900 people – including drivers and their families, safety managers, and company executives – gathered to celebrate.

David Guinn, a professional truck driver for Publix Super Markets, was named the Grand Champion of the 2022 Florida TDC. The Grand Champion title is the competition’s highest honor and is awarded to the top-performing driver of all classes combined. Guinn participated in the 5-axle class.

2022 TDC Grand Champion David Guinn

During the TDC awards banquet, FTA also named its 2022 Driver of the Year: Jose Ramos, a professional truck driver for Oakley Transport. The Driver of the Year is selected based on several items including the driver’s safety record, professional experience, and community leadership.

2022 Driver of the Year Jose Ramos (center)

Jose has four decades of safe driving under his belt, racking up more than 4.5 million safe miles. His commitment to safety is described by his colleagues as “awe-inspiring” and has earned him a spot on Oakley’s driver training team.

“On behalf of Florida Trucking Association, we congratulate David and Jose for winning the two top honors of the Florida Truck Driving Championships, and we applaud their dedication to safety and professionalism,” said FTA President and CEO Alix Miller. “Despite the challenges our professional truck drivers have faced over the past two years – from the pandemic to supply chain issues – they and the trucking industry have always stepped up to keep Florida moving. TDC is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate that.”

Class winners advance to the to the National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships in Indianapolis, Aug. 16-20.