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August 19, 2003 7:00 AM, EDT

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fter years of watching fellow drivers at Overnite Transportation Co. compete in the North Carolina Trucking Association’s state championships, George Somers decided, “This year, I just really wanted to try it myself.”

So many Overnite drivers wanted to compete, Somers said, “we had a runoff at work to see who would make the team. Whoever scored the highest in the runoff got to choose what they were going to drive at states.”

Somers said Overnite took the top eight drivers, and he finished eighth, leaving him driving a sleeper, a truck he doesn’t normally use. He wound up winning the state competition in the sleeper division.

That put him on the road to Columbus, Ohio, for the 66th National Truck Driving Championships. This year’s competition, sponsored by American Trucking Associations, is scheduled for Aug. 19-23.

For the full story, see the Aug. 18 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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