Thank you to everyone who attended the 35th annual IFDA Truck Driving Championship held in Orlando, Florida. This event, which celebrates safety and skill, draws in drivers from all over the country, where contestants compete in different categories ranging from written examinations to a driving obstacle course and pre-trip inspection.

This year marked the first time the event has been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees from around the country came together to recognize and celebrate the professional drivers who stepped up throughout the pandemic to keep Americans fed and the economy running. 
 
"As many Americans were heading home to work in March 2020, our professional drivers didn’t have that luxury," said Mark S. Allen, President and CEO of IFDA. "They were deemed essential by our government (which we always knew to be true), and they worked tirelessly to ensure Americans everywhere were fed!  And for that, we are all grateful."

 

The 2022 IFDA Truck Driving Championship Winners
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place awards were presented for the three different truck classes in the competition. This year, there is no 2nd place winner in the Straight Truck category because there was a tie for 1st place.
 
The winners are:
 
Straight Truck
1st Place: Bobby Caballero of Ben E. Keith Co.
1st Place: Steven Garner of Shamrock Foods Company
3rd Place: Bill Kiefer of McLane Foodservice-Riverside
 
3-Axle (28-foot Tractor/Trailer)
1st Place: Phil Trejo of Shamrock Foods Company
2nd Place: Russell Miller of US Foods-Raleigh
3rd Place: Daniel Kramer of Gordon Food Service – Texas Division
 
5-Axle (53-foot Tractor/Trailer)
1st Place: Matt Wadman of Performance Foodservice
2nd Place: Justin Dougan of Performance Foodservice – Kansas City
3rd Place: Casey Woods of Ben E. Keith – Oklahoma
 
In addition, a Team Award was presented to the top performing company. Shamrock Foods Company was awarded the Team Award with the highest average score amongst their drivers. A Rookie of the Year award, given to the first-time driver with the highest score, was presented to Casey Woods of Ben E. Keith Co. – Oklahoma. Finally, five individuals were honored for receiving perfect pre-trip scores: Lino Garcia of Performance Foodservice – Chicago; Russell Miller of US Foods – Raleigh; Norman Lank of Performance Foodservice – Tidewater; Dale Wangler of Gordon Food Service – Great Lakes East Division; and Casey Woods of Ben E. Keith Co. – Oklahoma.