WM roll-off driver wins Ontario truck driving championship
Rory Holland was grand champion among 55 competitors
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario Ten WM drivers from six districts participated in the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) Truck Driving Championship on Saturday, June 14, and one was the champion.
Fifty-five drivers competed in four categories: front end, rear loader, special services, and roll off for the honor of being “Waste Sector (Ontario) Truck Driving Champions.” Winners will move onto the Ontario Championships to be held on July 11 and 12 in Barrie, Ontario. Roll-off Driver Rory Holland from Stoney Creek was the grand champion of the event. Holland is a 28-year veteran of Waste Management and it was his third time winning the grand championship. District Manager Steve Mihalic watched while Holland maneuvered around the obstacle course with a near perfect score.
WM Front-End Loader Driver Rob Hunter from Kingston placed third in the front-end category and will also compete in the Ontario Championships in July.
All drivers are required to write an exam and perform a circle check with a Ministry of Transportation inspector. The written test covers safety, proper driving techniques and rules of the road. Contestants must be free of preventable accidents and moving traffic violation convictions for one year prior to the competition.
“The category winners received plaques and prizes along with the respect and admiration of their companies, competitors and the more than 150 people who attended the event,” said Rob Cook, chief executive officer of OWMA. “It was a fun-filled day and included a very serious competition between the professional drivers who so ably represent our industry to the public every day.” “A huge thank you for everything Waste Management did to support and promote the OWMA Truck Driving Championship,” continued Cook. “Your on-site staff were so helpful and it would not have been possible to pull this off without them.”
PHOTO: WM participants were (L-R) Desmond Jones (Route Manager for Kingston), Rob Hunter (Driver-Kingston), Mark Nolan (Driver-Ottawa), Gord Lyttle (Driver-Ottawa), Jeff Fisher (Operations Manager for the Northern Ontario Districts), Laura Lacasse (Driver-Sudbury), Shawn Boyd (Driver-Sudbury), Mark Smith (Driver-Hamilton), Steve Mihalic (District Manager for Hamilton), Rory Holland (Driver-Hamilton), Kevin Yokum (Driver-Waterloo), Dave Park (Driver-Hamilton) and Dan Hird (Driver-London).