HUDSON, NY (May 8, 2013)—Ginsberg’s Foods recently hosted its 4th Annual Drivers Rodeo Competition. Taking top honors was John Hotaling of Claverack, an 11-year driver veteran who delivered 185,000 cases in his 38,000 miles last year. Second place went to Bret Allsop of Valatie, third to Steven VanAlphen of Hudson, and fourth place to Chris Cooke of Catskill.
Ginsberg’s utilized the guidelines and structure from the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) nationwide Truck Driving Championship to create their own Drivers Rodeo. The drivers started with a written exam that measured a driver’s knowledge of safety and operating procedures. Next, each driver completed a pre-truck inspection to determine the readiness of the vehicle for operation. The final part of the competition was the driving course; set up in the parking lot with 10 different challenges that simulated everyday operating conditions. These challenges ranged from stopping at the appropriate distance from a railroad crossing, backing down a tight alleyway with only six inches on either side of the trailer, to parallel parking the truck and trailer.
Since Ginsberg’s Food trucks traveled over three million miles in 2012, part of the day centered on safety. All attendees heard from Jacy Good, who told her personal story of her miraculous recovery from a crash caused by a distracted driver; a crash that took the lives of both her parents. Jacy works tirelessly speaking around the country to educate people about the dangers of cell phone use behind the wheel as well as an advocate for legislation nationwide for cell-free roads. New York State Trooper Brendan Keeler spoke about the consequences of using a cell phone while driving and criminal outcomes when the cell phone use results in an accident.
Over 25 Ginsberg’s team members helped out with the event by judging, tabulating, emceeing, taking photos and shooting video. Drivers’ family members came to root for their favorite. The day wrapped up with lunch and the awards ceremony.
Ginsberg’s Foods is a leading foodservice distributor covering the Capital Region, Central Region and Hudson Valley of New York as well as Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut.
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Left to right: John Brusie – Vice President Operations; Chris Cooke – Driver; Steven VanAlphen – Driver; John Hotaling, - Driver, Bret Allsop – Driver; Bob Cornelius – Fleet Manager |
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