CVSA Names Grand Champion for North American Inspectors Championship; The Top CMV Inspectors in Canada and the U.S. Competed for the Title
Salt Lake City, Utah (PRWEB) August 24, 2013 -- A group of 52 of the best of the best roadside inspectors representing jurisdictions across North America gathered in Salt Lake City, August 19-23, 2013, to compete in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC). This year, Officer Derek Canard of the Arkansas Highway Police was awarded the Jimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award for his combined performances in six competition elements: 1. North American Standard Level I Inspection; 2. North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedures; 3. North American Standard HazMat/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection; 4. North American Standard Cargo Tank/Other Bulk Packagings Inspection; 5. North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection; and, 6. North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Exam.
"NAIC is much more than a competition. This event goes a long way to support CVSA’s overall mission to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy-makers. In a nutshell, NAIC develops our industry’s future leaders, strengthens the industry and enforcement partnerships, and promotes camaraderie and cooperation between inspectors, jurisdictions and countries," said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Executive Director. "The contestants’ enthusiasm and passion goes a long way in advancing commercial vehicle safety and saving lives. What’s more, the information, techniques and experiences they will share with others help improve uniformity in the enforcement of highway safety standards throughout North America."
"Congratulations to the 2013 NAIC award winners and to all those who competed this year. The hard work of these dedicated law enforcement professionals makes a real difference and we owe a great debt of gratitude to our commercial vehicle inspectors for keeping trucks and buses operating safely on our highways," said CVSA President Major Mark Savage of the Colorado State Patrol. "NAIC gives us an opportunity to honor these inspectors for their unwavering dedication to highway safety and continuous improvement," he said.
"The remarkable level of achievement that these NAIC competitors show is a true reflection of the talent and the dedication they bring to saving lives every day across North America," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.
NAIC is the only international event dedicated to recognizing and rewarding commercial vehicle inspector excellence. It is sponsored by CVSA and many of its valued associate members. Each year, member jurisdictions throughout North America are invited to participate in this important event.
For the past 21 years, the championship event has been held in partnership with the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC). NAIC has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as an event that "Advances America."
In addition to the Grand Champion award, the following additional awards were presented:
- High Points United States: Derek Canard, Arkansas
- High Points Canada: Darren Kennedy, British Columbia
- North American Standard Level I Inspection: First Place—Derek Canard, Arkansas; Second place—Joshua Anderson, North Dakota; Third Place—J.W. Watlington, Arizona
- North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection: First Place—Derek Canard, Arkansas; Second Place—Brad Yates, Louisiana; Third Place—Michael Robson, Alberta
- North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection: First Place—Derek Canard, Arkansas; Second Place—Joshua Anderson, North Dakota; Third Place—J.W. Watlington, Arizona.
- John Youngblood Award of Excellence is a special award NAIC contestants bestow on a fellow NAIC inspector who exemplifies the high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. The award this year goes to William Keane of the New York State Police.
- Team Award: Yellow Team: Team Leader—Lane Murphy, Utah; Jorge Antenucci—New Jersey; Lance Bonney—Illinois; Derek Canard—Arkansas; Tom Forbes—Ohio; Scott Hill—Lewisville, Texas; Darren Kennedy—British Columbia; Richard Moore—Vermont; Charles Shaver—Tennessee; Brad Yates—Louisiana
About CVSA
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy-makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit http://www.cvsa.org.
Lisa Claydon, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, http://www.cvsa.org, 301-830-6152, [email protected]
Share this article