RALEIGH – An employee from Alamance County was among the statewide winners of Thursday's “Roadeo," the annual competition among heavy equipment operators in the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Chris Baldwin, who works in the Alamance County Bridge Office, captured the top prize in the crane event which was new this year. The event was held at the Equipment Operators Safety Training Conference at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Travis Price of the Rockingham County Maintenance Office placed runner-up in the low-boy competition.
The “Roadeo" is an event that brings together heavy equipment operators in the department in a competition against their counterparts from across the state. The employees are judged for how well they operate equipment such as dump trucks, backhoes, motor graders, tractor mowers, truck trailers and cranes. The competition mimics the work they do on a regular basis.
Each of Thursday's competitors won in events at the divisional level earlier this year. The NCDOT divides the state into 14 geographical divisions. The winners now move on to compete against their counterparts from other southeastern states in Mississippi. The competition is in September.
The goals of the “Roadeo" include helping NCDOT workers advance their skills, emphasizing the importance of safety when operating heavy equipment, fostering a sense of team spirit and recognizing employees who excel at their jobs.