ROCK SPRINGS — Jedediah Boyd and Robert Klepper have wrapped up competition at the National Truck Driving Championship at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Boyd finished 27th out of 46 competitors in the straight truck class. Klepper finished 29th out of 48 in the five-axle tractor-trailer class, his first time at the competition.
Klepper said the margins separating drivers were razor thin. Each mistake cost the driver 50 points. Had him pulled an inch closer when backing up, he would have been 10 points shy of fifth place. The same margin separated Boyd from securing a top five finish.
“It’s a game of inches out there when you’re competing against these drivers,” Klepper said. “You know each one of these guys won their state championship.”
The competition ran over four days, with the last day being reserved for the drive-offs and banquet dinner announcing the winner. Drivers checked in, went through an orientation and then completed the first event, a written test.
Wednesday brought the driving and pre-trip inspection events across five classes, and Thursday covered the remaining four classes. By Thursday, Boyd and Klepper had finished competing and spent the rest of the day sightseeing the city.
The top five finishers in each class advanced to a Friday drive-off on a brand new course. Along with a new layout, the scoring pad tightened from 18 inches to six inches. Results were announced that night at the American Trucking Association banquet.
