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Dave Knisley has been involved with the American Trucking Associations (ATA) National Truck Driving Championship for 13
years. You might say that Knisley has Yellow fever: Yellow
Truck Driving Championship
fever, that is.
Knisley had been videotaping the annual championship since 1987; in 1998, he
got the call to direct
Yellow's participation in the event. Over the years, he has become the chief cheering section
for Yellow
drivers who compete. James Welch, Yellow president and chief executive officer, is also a fan, backing the
drivers' participation and attending the National Championship.
Yellow safety administrators Winston Adams, Jerry Nohren and Pete Herbst help
Knisley organize Yellow involvement in the competitions, which includes ordering
shirts, commemorative pins, and various other Yellow paraphernalia; taking care
of travel details for Yellow participants; planning the entertainment event; and raising awareness of the competitions among drivers
and throughout the company. Their work begins in February with planning for the
August competition.
Along with his membership on Yellow's committee, Jerry Nohren is also a
member of the ATA Championship Committee, the committee responsible for planning
the competitions.
Yellow's sponsorship of its team has seen many changes over the years. Some
years, drivers had to go on their own. Now, Yellow pays their entry fees and
expenses. And if they progress to nationals, Yellow also pays the expenses of
one guest. In addition, Yellow offers other incentives for drivers to
participate.
Knisley has some goals for Yellow's participation in the competitions:
He'd like to see more driver
participation.
Participating in the competitions raises safety awareness and helps drivers to
improve their skills. As more drivers qualify for and participate in the
competitions, Yellow's safety record as a whole improves.
He would also like to see more people attend the competitions to cheer
on their area drivers. Admission is free, and competitions occur in most states.
The national competition, usually in mid-August, rotates among several cities. The 2002 national event
will be in Milwaukee, Wis. 2003 is slated for Columbus, Ohio.
Check the ATA website for more information on state and national
championship events.
7/02
Archived Features
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