SAN ANTONIO, TX (August 23, 2010)—U.S. Foodservice put 63 of its drivers and warehouse selectors to the test Aug. 20 and 21 with a series of knowledge, safety and driving challenges during the company’s fourth annual National Safety Championship in San Antonio.
The competitors represented the best of U.S. Foodservice’s 12,000 drivers and warehouse selectors from around the country. Drivers of the tractor-trailers (both 48-foot and 28-foot), forklift material handlers and pallet jack handlers first demonstrated industry and safety knowledge through a written exam before testing their ability to safely navigate specially designed obstacle courses.
The 2010 first place winners were:
- 48-Foot Tractor-Trailer – Joel Feliciano of U.S. Foodservice-Tampa
- 28-Foot Tractor-Trailer – Jay Boyd of U.S. Foodservice-Kansas City
- Forklift Material Handler – Tim Mercer of U.S. Foodservice-Cleveland and Jim Barbeau of U.S. Foodservice-Boston
- Pallet Jack Handler – Migdieser Tirado of U.S. Foodservice-Lakeland
First-place winners each received $2,000 and were honored during a banquet at the historic Empire Theater. The top drivers in each category are also eligible to attend the 2010 International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Food Industry Truck Driving Challenge at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla., September 10-12.
“We focus on safety in every aspect of our business at U.S. Foodservice,” said Stuart Schuette, chief operating officer, U.S. Foodservice. “This competition highlights just a few of our many talented and hard-working team members.”
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