PARIS, TX - A Truck Roadeo is series of driving skills events in which the driver must maneuver a 6-yard dump truck through six individual events without striking obstacles or driving outside the boundaries of the events. In addition, the driver must perform a timed pre-trip inspection of a truck with planted defects and try to find the 10 planted defects within 12 minutes. A perfect score for the roadeo is 350 points (7 events worth 50 points per event).
Every year, TxDOT districts all over the state test the skills of the drivers of their large trucks and heavy equipment with truck roadeos.
The idea is to test the various skills that these drivers must have to perform their daily jobs as they build and maintain the transportation system throughout the State of Texas.
Shane Bolton (left) was named TxDOT - Paris District's 2007 truck roadeo champion and Rusty Holland (right) was runner up. The two will represent the district at the state roadeo finals this fall.
During the month of April, the Paris District conducted a series of
such roadeos at various locations in the district’s nine-county area.Roadeos concluded with a District Championship to find the best two drivers in the district for this year. Throughout the month, 186 drivers tested their skills in exercises such as the Arc Line, Serpentine, and the Offset Backing. The Diminishing Clearance, Stop Line, and Cloverleaf offered additional challenges to these drivers. After that, a challenging vehicle inspection event tested their knowledge of the trucks that they drive.
Drivers from Fannin, Red River, Delta, Rains, Hunt, Franklin, Lamar, Grayson, and Hopkins counties participated in the event. Employees from the shops located at the District Headquarters in Paris also participated in the roadeos.
The roadeo season concluded with the District Championship at the Love Civic Center in Paris on May 3 where the tops drivers from each unit drove once more to find the best two drivers in the district. Shane Bolton from the Cooper Maintenance Section was the district’s winner, and Rusty Holland from the Paris Maintenance Section was the runner-up.
Tena Stinson (left) and Joe Strickland (right) score a driver on the Arc Line event during TxDOT - Paris District's truck roadeo championship held at the Love Civic Center in Paris on May 3.
At the sectional level competition, the winners and runners-up are:
Unit Winner
Score Runner-up Score
District Shops
David Merritt 340
Ray Wilson 330
Clarksville Maintenance Sect.
Jimmy Meals 340
Malcolm Weemes 320
Cooper Maintenance Sect.
Tim Wright 340
Shane Bolton 290
Paris Maintenance Sect.
Mark Miller 330
Michael Smith 330
Bonham Maintenance Sect.
Kent Hall 330
Mark Titsworth 320
Sherman Maintenance Sect.
Tommy Langford 320
Robert Cook 310
Mt. Vernon Maintenance Sect.
Tracey Hankins 280
Toby Godfrey 280
Sulphur Springs Maint Sect.
Phillip Huff 260
Stanley Evans 260
Greenville Maintenance Sect.
Larry George 320
Jerry Dickerson 320
Emory Maintenance Sect.
Jim Jacks 310
Jason Dale 300
Section level drivers scoring 300 points or more were also given the opportunity to compete in the District Championship.
These drivers were:
Section Employee Score Section
Employee Score
Signal Shop Tim Dorner 310
Sherman Maint. George Erwin 300
Signal Shop Jim Lewis 310
Greenville Maint. Duane Andrus 310
Equipment Shop Rocky Young 310
Greenville Maint. Robert Vetter 300
Bridge Crew Shawn Murray 310
Greenville Maint. Ray Crabtree 300
Dist. Maint. Stacy Hatcher 310
Greenville Maint. Mike Gibson 300
Bonham Maint. Jason Hewitt 320
Greenville Maint. Quentin Wallace 300
Bonham Maint. Chris Gilbreath 300
Clarksville Maint. Ronnie Yarbrough 310
Sherman Maint. Ralph Vannoy 310
Clarksville Maint. David Blanton 300
Paris Maint. Rusty Holland 320
Paris Maint. Keith Jenkins 300
Paris Maint. Bobby Phifer 310
Paris Maint. Geary Allen 300
Roadeo 31: Roadeo 17: Tena Stinson (left) and Joe Strickland (right) score a driver on the Arc Line event during TxDOT - Paris District's truck roadeo championship held at the Love Civic Center in Paris on May 3.