FedEx Ground Truck Driver Wins National Driving Championship
7 September 2000
FedEx Ground Truck Driver Wins National Driving Championship; Hartford Contractor Keith Herzig Receives Top Honors
PITTSBURGH--Sept. 6, 2000--Keith Herzig, an independent linehaul contractor for FedEx Ground, recently won top honors in the Twins Division at the American Trucking Associations' (ATA's) 2000 National Truck Driving Championships held August 12-19 in New Orleans.Herzig is the second FedEx Ground contractor to win a national title. In 1999, driver Michael Nardone of Rockville, Conn., who is employed by Herzig, placed first in the Twins Divisions at the National Truck Driving Championship.
The ATA sponsors the Championships annually to reward the driving skills and safety commitment of the best linehaul drivers from across the country. The contestants, who must maintain spotless driving records for at least the past year and are state-level winners in their respective categories, participate in a written exam, personal interview, equipment defect test, and a driving course.
"Competing in the Championships was exciting," Herzig said. "There was the pressure to win, as well as the pressure of following in the footsteps of Mike Nardone, who not only works for me, but is a good friend."
Herzig, who resides in Hebron, Conn., has spent 19 years as a professional truck driver, including 12 years for FedEx Ground. During this time, he has logged more than 1.8 million miles on the road -- all accident-free.
In addition to his recent honor, Herzig was selected as a Captain of the ATA's 1999-2000 America's Road Team, an elite group of professional drivers who educate the public, government agencies, and the media about the trucking industry and highway safety. He is one of nine FedEx Ground contractors who have been named to the team during the company's 15-year history. In 1998 and 2000, Herzig also won awards in the Connecticut State Driving Championships.
As an independent businessman, Herzig owns three tractors, employs three drivers, and operates linehaul routes between Willington, Conn., Scranton, Pa. and Maybrook, N.Y. Herzig is based at FedEx Ground's Hartford distribution hub in Willington.
In his free time, Herzig is involved in several community projects involving the trucking industry. He is the organizer of Wishes on Wheels, a program to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. As part of the event scheduled for September 17, 2000, a convoy of trucks and other vehicles will make their way from the Department of Transportation headquarters in Newington, Conn. to the FedEx Ground distribution hub in Hartford.
Herzig is also a participant in Trucker Buddy, a national program through which he educates fifth-grade student in Epsom, N.H. on the trucking industry. Herzig corresponds with the pupils while on the road, and visits them periodically to talk about life as a truck driver and the importance of highway safety.
