CEMEX USA’s Best Drivers Face Off for Safety - CEMEX USA’s Best Drivers Face Off for Safety - CEMEX USA
Birmingham, Alabama - April 24, 2017
CEMEX USA’s Alabama drivers compete for top safety honors
Four CEMEX USA mixer truck drivers showed they were the best-of-the-best by earning top honors at the Alabama Concrete Industries Association mixer truck rodeo and testing their knowledge and their acumen behind the wheel Saturday, April 8, in Birmingham.
“Our drivers are talented, and they are always focused on safety,” said Alan MacVicar, CEMEX USA’s Vice President of Health and Safety. “This rodeo gives them opportunities to show off what they do every day and show their colleagues and their families how they always put safety first when they hit the roads.”
Eight drivers from CEMEX USA were among more than 40 drivers from across Alabama competing in the rodeo. The drivers were required to complete a 25-question written test covering product knowledge, environmental safety as well as other safety issues and customer relations. Then, they had to inspect a truck, and alert the judges to potential problems.
“The rodeo tests are challenging, but our drivers are up to it,” MacVicar said. “They show they are committed, like everyone at CEMEX USA, to Zero4Life. We want to make sure that not only our workers are safe, but people who share the roads with them are as well.”
Trucks were setup with seven problems, and the drivers had to identify all of the issues and report them to the judges before getting behind the wheel for the driving portion of the rodeo.
Each driver went through a series of tests with the trucks. They were judged on their abilities to make tight turns, to properly parallel park the huge trucks and even position the rear discharge over a bullseye.
“It’s a team effort when it comes to safety,” CEMEX USA President Ignacio Madridejos said. “Our drivers want to constantly improve their abilities and make sure they are providing our customers the best service as safely and efficiently as possible.”
Gaylon Lovelace of Ready Mix USA earned third place overall for the competition. Ready Mix USA driver Jeremy Johnson was recognized for his performance on the written test. Ashley Gassaway and David Meeks received honors for the front stop competition and tight turn respectively. Four other CEMEX USA drivers, Jody Johnson, Jeff Burns, William McWhorter and Derrick Kenner, challenged themselves as well as part of the competition.
CEMEX USA employees compete in similar safety rodeos across the United States to showcase the talent of its drivers. Another one is scheduled in Florida in May.
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Its U.S. network includes 11 cement plants, 43 strategically located distribution terminals, 57 aggregate quarries and more than 270 ready-mix concrete plants.