HUMBOLDT — Think of your standard driver’s education course. Now, make it about a hundred times harder. And change the sedan to a cement truck. No sweat, right?
That was the scene Saturday morning at Monarch Cement in Humboldt during the company’s 5th annual driver competition. Around 15 drivers, all from different Monarch subsidiaries, competed for the chance to qualify for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s Driver Championship in Orlando, Fla. The top two spots advanced, picking up $1,000 and $500 prizes along the way. Third place earned $250 and will also attend the national competition in October.
Those honors went to Levi Herrera of Concrete Materials Inc. of Spring Hill, who notched a total score of 484 points. This was Herrrera’s third year in a row winning Monarch’s championship. The runner-up was Jess Kampe of Rost Ready Mix out of Marshfield, Mo. Duane Morris of Concrete Enterprises in Pratt won third place.
The course included eight different stations, each designed to test drivers in a different way. An “egg drop” challenge tested how close drivers could locate the discharge chute next to an orange cone. Then, drivers had to navigate curbside parking, reverse while making nearly an 180-degree turn, make their way through tennis balls and more.
“This is a great chance for these drivers to showcase their skills,” said Justin Tucker, Subsidiary Operations Manager at Monarch Cement. “These aren’t exactly like the challenges they face every day, but they’re close.”
“Ready mix drivers are kind of their own breed,” Tucker said, who would know. He managed several different ready mix operations for 19 years before joining Monarch. “In the summer, they’re often on the road at 1 or 2 a.m. to beat the heat and traffic.”
A competitive streak in drivers apparently runs strong, too. “These guys are good,” said Tucker with a smile. “But I think I could beat them all.”
IN ADDITION to the drivers test, Saturday’s competition also included a truck inspection station, where drivers had to identify a set of defects – missing mudflaps, open valves, loose lug nuts, and the like. Each competitor had five minutes to walk around the vehicle twice. A written test featured 50 questions in 30 minutes.
A perfect score in all three segments – driver’s course, truck inspection, and the written test – would add up to 696. The competition was stiff, but the mood was relaxed Saturday morning. Everyone gathered was a far better driver than average. And with a fully loaded cement truck weighing over 30 tons, just getting there safely is commendable enough.
