RALEIGH- More than 100 state highway workers across North Carolina showcased their excellent driving skills using heavy equipment in Raleigh this week.
They participated in the Statewide Equipment Training Conference at the N.C. State Fairgrounds for the N.C. Department of Transportation. The employees work in all 14 divisions across the state. They won the right to compete in this week's training conference by competing and winning in their local division.
They maneuvered large trucks and other equipment such as motor graders and a crane, through several obstacle courses that required careful precision. One of the competitions involved an operator who manipulated the arm and boom of a backhoe tractor to drop golf balls into a tube.
The Wednesday event- informally known as a “roadeo" – gives NCDOT employees the opportunity to train in a safe, controlled environment away from public traffic. They also compete with one another based on how they score doing each event.
The NCDOT employees who competed are assigned to maintenance, bridge, equipment and traffic services. Below are the winners who will compete in the final competition against other department of transportation employees across the Southeastern U.S. in September here in Raleigh:
Tractor Truck with Lowboy Trailer: Glen Cannon (Div. 6) and Peyton Rose (Div. 13)
Tandem Axle Dump Truck: Steve Lovelace (Div. 13) and Will Davidson (Div. 10)
Tractor with Mower: Jason Dobbins (Div. 13) and Donald Wooten (Div. 4)
Backhoe: Johnathon White (Div. 6) and Dustin Johnson (Div. 3)
Motor Grader: Justin Wyatt (Div. 11) and Chris Mecimore (Div. 12)
Skid Steer: Austin Brown (Div. 3) and Kevin Gathings (Div. 10)
Single Axle Dump Truck: Patrick Russel (Div. 13) and Bobby Sanders (Div. 14)
Crane: Kevin Gathings (Div.10) and Chris Baldwin (Div. 7)