TIMONIUM, MD. Two veteran Overnite Transportation Company drivers took home top honors at the Maryland State Truck Driving Championships held here last weekend.
Baltimore Road Driver Tony Cesenaro, a former national truck driving champion, and Hagerstown, Md., Road Driver Robert Hess, each captured the championship trophy in their division and will go on to represent the company at the National Truck Driving Championships this summer in Tampa, Fla.
Cesenaro, who was honored in 1997 as Americas No. 1 driver in the same competition class, will get another shot at earning a national title after capturing the top prize in the twins class.
Hess, who will compete for the first time in a national arena, took the championship trophy in Marylands straight truck competition.With Cesenaro and Hess victories, Overnite drivers have earned 16 state championships titles this season.
In addition to negotiating the competition course, all competitors are rated on their driving skills, scored on a written test and a personal interview, and must have excellent safety records.
On May 16, UPS (NYSE: UPS) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Overnite Corporation for $1.25 billion. Overnite Transportation Company, which provides a complete menu of regional, interregional and long-haul services, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Overnite Corporation (NASDAQ: OVNT), which also owns Motor Cargo Industries.
Together, they form one of the largest less-than-truckload carriers in the United States with more than 200 service centers and a fleet of over 6,000 tractors and more than 22,000 trailers, covering all 50 states and providing customers with direct access to more than 45,000 cities in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexico.