By Al Muskewitz

Alabama Trucking Association officials were confident and excited about the prospect of holding their own Truck Driving Championship later this month even if the national “rodeo” had been canceled for the second year in a row.

But after months of preparation and a last-minute push to register drivers, ATA Safety & Maintenance Management Council leaders elected to cancel the popular event.

“Based on the travel restrictions in place of several of our members and various other obstacles we must overcome, (the) Committee made the decision to cancel the 2021 Alabama TDC,” ATA vice president of Safety and Compliance Tim Frazier wrote in his letter to SMMC members announcing the decision.

Frazier told Wright Media in March the ATA had ‘full intention” of staging the competition later this month at the traditional Oak Mountain Amphitheater and Pelham Civic Complex parking lot location and was hoping to draw at least 30-35 drivers to make it happen.

He explained in his letter that as difficult as the call was to make, the committee placed the safety and well-being of drivers, their families, and the many volunteers as the top priority in the decision to cancel.

“While we believe we could conduct a safe environment for the event, we want to be able to conduct the event with quality and class as we always do,” he wrote. “I would like to thank our TDC Committee for their efforts over the past few months in trying every avenue feasible to make the event happen. With the various obstacles we’ve faced, and the concern for all our participants, this committee definitely worked to make it happen.”

A few days after the ATA’s announcement, the American Trucking Associations announced a virtual TDC that amounts to a nationwide trivia contest with questions based on Facts for Drivers, federal and state laws and state trucking history and culture.

Al Muskewitz is the Editor of Wright Media. He can be reached at musky@wrightmediacorp.com