TUALATIN, Ore., Aug. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Six Reddaway professional drivers have qualified to compete at the 2017 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) being held August 9-12 in Orlando, FL. To qualify for the event, these six drivers earned first place in their division at their respective state competitions. All drivers must also travel the entire year prior without a single at-fault collision to qualify to compete.

For the first time, three of the six competitors hail from the Reddaway Boise, Idaho service center. Dean Goodnight, Dan Istre and Drew Coulter all placed first in their respective classes at the Idaho Truck Driving Championships in May to earn their way to NTDC.

Dean Goodnight is a longtime truck driving championship competitor and perennial favorite in Idaho competitions. His first-place finish in the Sleeper Class this year marks the fifth state win of his career earning his participation at Nationals. He was also named Idaho State Grand Champion on four separate occasions (most recently in 2015). Dean has been driving professionally for 32 years--the past 26 spent as a Reddaway city driver.

Dan Istre first started competing in truck driving competitions in 1999, when he won highest overall pre-trip score, was named “Rookie of the Year” as well as Grand Champion at the Idaho TDC. Since then he has earned top honors in Idaho on six separate occasions, including his first-place finish in the Twins class this year. Dan was also named Idaho Driver of the Year in 2010. He has been driving professionally for 34 years. The past 23 years were spent with Reddaway as a linehaul driver.

This year was Drew Coulter’s very first time participating in a truck driving championship. Despite that, he earned first place in the 5-Axle category, and was recognized as Idaho “Rookie of the Year.” Drew operates as a city driver out of the Reddaway Boise, Idaho service center.

Our final three Reddaway competitors are Mike Elledge, Ryan Harris and John Van Buren.

Mike Elledge earned first place in the Twins class at the 2017 California Truck Driving Championships. Mike recorded the highest overall score across all classes in the written, pre-trip, and skills challenges. He operates as a linehaul driver out of the Reddaway Stockton, CA service center. This will be Mike’s first trip to the NTDC.

Ryan Harris is also a frequent TDC competitor and multiple NTDC qualifier. This year, he won first in the 4-Axle class at the Montana Truck Driving Championships. This will be his fifth trip to the NTDC over the course of his career. Ryan currently operates as a city driver out of the Reddaway Billings, MT facility.

John Van Buren is this year’s first place winner in the Straight Truck category in Oregon. John has earned his seventh trip to the NTDC. He has been driving professionally for 27 years, and has spent the past 24 years with Reddaway. John also served for 14 years as the Chairman of the Safety Committee while operating out of our former Central Point, OR facility. Today, John works as a city driver out of the Reddaway Medford, OR service center.

“Simply qualifying for the National Truck Driving Championships is a major accomplishment,” said T.J O’Connor, president of Reddaway. “These six drivers embody the talent, hard work, and professionalism that has come to define Reddaway. We are incredibly proud to have them on our team representing Reddaway in Orlando. We thank them for their dedication to safety, and wish them the best of luck at Nationals.”

The National Truck Driving Championships (Nationals) are held annually and are sponsored by the American Trucking Association (ATA). Competition consists of a driven skills challenge, pre-trip inspection, and a written exam on subjects such as laws, regulations and vehicle maintenance. This year’s event will include over 420 competitors, representing dozens of carriers, from across the United States.

Those interested in following the progress of our Reddaway competitors can find frequent NTDC updates on our Facebook and Twitter.

About Reddaway
Reddaway, founded in Oregon City, Ore., has served the Western states since 1919. Through its comprehensive regional service center network, Reddaway has built a long-standing tradition of reliable, next-day and two-day delivery services for less-than-truckload shipments in the Western United States and Western Canada, including Alaska and Hawaii. Reddaway, a 23-time Quest for Quality award winner, has received recognition from Logistics Management magazine in the Western Regional LTL Motor Carriers and Expedited Motor Carriers categories. For more information, visit reddawayregional.com. Reddaway is a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ:YRCW).

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SOURCE: YRC Worldwide, Reddaway

Media Contact: 
Mike Kelley
YRC Worldwide Inc.
913-696-6121
Mike.Kelley@yrcw.com

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