The 2024 Louisiana Truck Driving Championships, presented by the LMTA Foundation, was held this weekend, March 1- 2, 2024. The two-day competition was held at L’Auberge Casino and Hotel in Baton Rouge and a specially made driving course across in the overflow lot across from the hotel.  

This year’s competition saw 90 drivers participate, each completing three tests focused on testing a driver's knowledge and skills. All competitors were required to provide safe driving records, including a zero-accident report for the year.

The scored categories were as follows:

1. The written examination is an hour-long test that measures competitors' knowledge of the trucking industry, safe driving rules, first aid, and firefighting.
2. The pre-trip inspection tests the driver's ability to thoroughly investigate the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMSCA) pre-trip inspection. Each driver is tasked with finding 17 defects planted on a test vehicle within a limited time.
3. The field test course sees contestants drive a vehicle through the specially designed course with problems designed to simulate conditions they may encounter during the everyday operation of a truck.  

The Louisiana competition has nine classes, each with different size commercial vehicles. The classes were Flat Bed, Step-Van, Straight Truck, 3-Axle Van, 4-Axle Van, 5-Axle Van, Sleeper Berth, Tank Truck, and Twin-Trailers. Scores in each class were calculated from each competition category, recognizing a first, second and third-place winner. Each winning contestant was recognized during the night’s Trucking Safety Awards Banquet with an award for their competition class. 

Also awarded from the competition were the Mechanics Award, Rookie of the Year Award, Team Award, and Overall Grand Champion. The Mechanic’s Award was given to Corey Mitchell of Fed Ex Freight, with the highest pre-trip inspection score. The Rookie of the Year was awarded to David Jowers with Old Dominion Freight Line as the driver with the highest score among those participating in a truck-driving championship for the first time. FedEx Freight won the Team Award with the overall highest average score based on the scores of the competing drivers from that company. Corey Mitchell with Fed Ex Freight is the 2024 Grand Champion as the driver who receives the highest overall score during the competition.

All first-place winners will represent the LMTA Foundation and the State of Louisiana in the 2024 American Trucking Association (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships in Indianapolis, IN, on August 21 – 24, 2024.  

Winners of the LMTA competition are as follows:

Flat Bed

• 1st Place: Joseph Vital  |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: Mark Collins  |  Walmart
• 3rd Place: Christopher Colomb  |  Walmart

Step Van 

• 1st Place: Donald Williams  |  FedEx Ground
• 2nd Place: Nicholas Burgess  |   Walmart
• 3rd Place: Mario Powell  |  FedEx Ground

Straight Truck

• 1st Place: Corey Mitchell  |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: LeRoy Williams  |   XPO
• 3rd Place: Jordan Chaisson  |  FedEx Freight

3 Axle Van

• 1st Place: David Jowers  |  Old Dominion 
• 2nd Place: JT Moreau  |  FedEx Freight
• 3rd Place: Jimmy Maxwell  |  FedEx Freight

4 Axle Van

• 1st Place: Michael Bass  |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: Brian Landry  |  FedEx Freight
• 3rd Place: Jerry Farmer  |  XPO

5 Axle Tank Truck

• 1st Place: Eric Courville  |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: Donald Glover  |  Walmart
• 3rd Place: Johnnie Fisher  |  Walmart

Sleeper Berth

• 1st Place: Malcolm Taylor  |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: Chad Rudesill  |  FedEx Ground
• 3rd Place: Eric Blanchard  |  Walmart

Tank Truck

• 1st Place: Patrick Rudesill |  FedEx Freight
• 2nd Place: Peter Boulay  |  FedEx Freight
• 3rd Place: Lenard Monk |  Walmart

Twin Trailers

• 1st Place: Demond Washington  |  Old Dominion Freight Line
• 2nd Place: Marquis Phillips  |  Old Dominion Freight Line
• 3rd Place: Wilbur Sansom |  FedEx Freight 

Mechanic’s Award:      

• Corey Mitchell – Fed Ex Freight                                 

Rookie of the Year:      

• David Jowers – Old Dominion Freight Line    

Team Trophy:              

• FedEx Freight

Grand Champion:        

• Corey Mitchell – FedEx Freight

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