Old Dominion Freight Lines Driver Mike Markham wins Rookie of the Year & Grand Champion Award

After an exciting day of competition, Old Dominion Freight Lines Driver Mike Markham was named Grand Champion of the West Virginia Trucking Association’s 65th Annual Truck Driving Championship, held Saturday, April 29th in Parkersburg, association representatives announced. 

Markham, who has been a professional truck driver for 27 years, took the top honor after competing in a variety of skill and safety tests.  This was Markham’s first time competing in the WV Truck Driving Championships, where he also won the coveted “Rookie of the Year” award for 2023 as well.  

Traci Nelson, President of the West Virginia Trucking Association, said, “The purpose of the Truck Driving Championship is to give trucking professionals the opportunity to test their driving and safety skills against their West Virginia peers. The competition mirrors what professional truck drivers must do day-in and day-out to maintain safety records unmatched by any other segment of the driving public.”

In addition to the driving competition, which included 40 professional truck drivers representing multiple West Virginia-based motor freight companies, the association recognized drivers for their 2023 safety accomplishments during an awards ceremony held after the competition.    

Nelson said Travis Engle, who drives for XPO, was honored with the WV Professional Driver of the Year Award.  Engle has driven for 24 years and logged over 3.7 million miles.   

Mark Godbey, a driver with XPO, earned the West Virginia Public Service Commission Driver of the Year Award.  Godbey has driven for 36 years and has logged over 3.5 million miles.
 
Other winners include:

• First Place Straight Truck – Alexander Adkins, Pitt Ohio 
• First Place 3-Axle Tractor Semi-trailer – James (Vince) May, FedEx Freight
• First Place 4-Axle Tractor Semi-trailer – Michael Roberts, XPO
• First Place 5-Axle Van – Paul Norman, Pitt Ohio
• First Place Tank Truck – Jeremy Thomas, Oliver Fuels
• First Place Flatbed – Mike Markham, Old Dominion Freight Lines
• First Place Twin Trailers – Larry Ross, ABF Freight Systems
• First Place Sleeper Berth – Jordan Jordan, Walmart Transportation
• First Place Step Van – Brian Ash, FedEx Ground
• Pre-Trip Inspection Award – Jeremy Thomas, Oliver Fuels
• Team Champion Award: Old Dominion Freight Lines

All first-place drivers will compete in the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championship – also known as the Super Bowl of Safety – taking place in Columbus, OH August 16th – 19th.  
 

Thank you to everyone that made this event a huge success!