Published: August 27, 2008 12:09 am      

Driving skills put to the test

District 9 highway workers compete in equipment roadeo

Grayson — Traffic cones, tennis balls and boards took the place of mail boxes, oncoming traffic and ditch lines Tuesday at the Highway District 9 Equipment Roadeo.

State highway workers from all 10 counties in District 9 gathered at Grayson Lake State Park to compete in a variety of events that tested and honed their skills as large equipment operators and drivers.

Event coordinator and bridge inspector Rick Rogers said this is the third year District 9 has had a competition, where first- and second-place finishers advance to state competition in Anderson County on Sept. 11.

Highway workers perform a variety of skills from installing culverts to patching roadways to cleaning up storm damage and plowing snow. They are always on call and often asked to work in the foulest of weather conditions, Rogers said.

“These guys are really good at what they do,” said highway spokesman Allen Blair. “These are highly skilled drivers. It’s not just driving a truck. They are skilled at what they do.”

The event, conducted in conjunction with a company picnic, helps to show off the workers’ talents. Because highway crews are assigned to specific counties, they seldom have an opportunity to get together with personnel in other counties and other highway department staff, who served as judges for the event.

Rogers said the event also helps to prepare crews for the upcoming snow and ice season, where maneuverability and attention to detail are critical.

“It’s a friendly competition, but it’s still practical,” said Blair.

Competition included a road course, backhoe competition and trailer/alley dock challenge.

In the road course, drivers maneuver a large dump truck equipped with snow plow through an obstacle course. It tests a variety of skills including forward and backwards maneuverability. Drivers are required to weave in and out of cones, back into a tight space, drive with their wheels in a narrow line and stop accurately. Points are awarded for each skill.

“It’s very difficult,” William Bradley of Rowan County said while navigating the road course. “It’s a lot different out on the road. You’ve got vehicles all around you. You have to watch out for everybody.”

Jake Rogers, the competition’s overall winner, said the key is paying attention. “And don’t get in a hurry,” he added.

Virgil Hanshaw, a superintendent in Carter County, was the winner of the backhoe competition. In that event, operators had to pick up tennis balls from sand using a spoon-like attachment and then drop them in buckets or through narrow pipes.

“It’s hard to do,” said Hanshaw, a 25-year veteran of the department, who has operated every piece of equipment at one time or another. “It’s a lot easier out on the road — when there aren’t 300 people watching you,” he said.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.