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ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite being some of the nation’s top professional drivers, competitors at the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships said it was only natural to be nervous.

This week, contestants of the National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships will be convening in Orlando to begin four intense days of competition.

Tim Bailey Jr. will be the third generation of Baileys representing West Virginia in the National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships this week in Orlando, Fla.

American Trucking Associations this week expressed its support for the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s campaign to eliminate drunk driving.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed fines up to $2,750 for truckers who use a handheld cell phone while driving, as well as the possible suspension or revocation of a commercial license for repeated offenses.

American Trucking Associations has agreed to give step van drivers a permanent spot in the National Truck Driving Championships.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety drew an angry rebuke from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood over a study the group released that showed no relation between texting bans and fewer car crashes.

The Governors Highway Safety Association has decided not to endorse complete bans on cellphone use while driving, the Washington Post reported Monday.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced that the Obama administration intends to issue a broader ban on texting while driving aimed at closing a jurisdictional loophole involving intrastate haulers of hazardous materials.