GULFPORT, Miss., April 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Truck Group announced their sponsorship today of the Mississippi Trucking Association's (MTA) annual Truck Driving Championship.
A tradition that goes back almost 40 years, the championship includes 93 truckers from 16 companies, and is expected to draw around 600 spectators. Steven Boudreaux, MTA's Director of Safety and Membership Development, says that the competitors are "the best of the best," drawn from all across Mississippi. The judging panel is made up of highway patrol and Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) officers.
Not limited to driving skill, the competition itself begins at 1 PM on Friday, April 25th with a written test followed by a pre-trip check test. The driving test begins at 8 the next morning, and includes two courses with eight obstacles like diminishing alleys, offset alleys, front stop, and more. The winner will go on to compete in the nationals, held in Pittsburgh this August.
Headquartered in Jackson, MS, the MTA has held the competition on the Mississippi Gulf Coast every year before Hurricane Katrina in 2006, when they were forced to temporarily move to Tupelo while the Coast recovered from the storm's damage.
American Truck Group is sponsoring the event both to maintain its long-standing relationship with the MTA and in the hopes that events like these can draw more interest in truck driving jobs, an industry hit hard by the recession.
About American Truck Group
American Truck Group believes that truck drivers make up the backbone of the United States economy. With trucks for sale at branches in Gulfport, MS and Atlanta, GA, American Truck Group helps truckers across the country get back to work and back on the road by offering them the opportunity to buy or rent-to-buy their own trucks. American Truck Group understands that people deserve second chances, and focuses on a renter's work and driving history rather than their credit score. To learn more about American Truck Group, visit AmericanTruckGroup.org or call 877-661-1592.