– Event recognizes operator skills and driving ability to increase safety
TxDOT Deputy Executive Director John Barton, TxDOT Roadeo Runner-Up Kody Gray and TxDOT’s Phil Wilson. Photo courtesy: Michael Amador, TXDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation Paris District would like to congratulate Red River County Maintenance employee, Kody Gray, for being named the runner-up in the annual TxDOT ‘Roadeo’.
Kody won the Clarksville Maintenance section and Paris District Championship Roadeo titles before heading to Austin for the State Truck Roadeo. At the State Truck Roadeo he finished second in the state competition with a score of 290 points out of the possible 360 points, only 20 points below the first place ranking.
“This is the highest finish that any driver from the Paris District has ever attained,” TxDOT spokeswoman Becky Ozuna said.
The purpose of the “Truck Roadeo” is to:
- Establish safe vehicle operation, thus reducing accidents.
- Recognize the skills of the operators participating and the pride exhibited in the safe operation of TxDOT equipment.
- Create a keen interest in driving ability, which contributes to the safety program of any fleet operation.
The program consists of the following:
- An equipment inspection exercise that will test each driver’s skill in finding several safety defects which have been “planted” on a dump truck (points are awarded for successful completion of this exercise).
- An obstacle course that has been designed to simulate equipment maneuvers encountered on a normal workday (points are awarded for each test of skill; penalties are assessed for various driving deficiencies).
- The driver with the maximum number of accumulated points will be declared the winner.
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail, and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 11,000 employees are committed to working with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas by maintaining a safe system, addressing congestion, connecting Texas communities, and being a Best in Class state agency. Find out more at www.txdot.gov. “Like” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/txdot; and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/txdot.