He also anticipated the anticipation. He had been told that waiting for your number to be called can eat at a fellow. This year's competition saw the re-entry of Alaska after a hiatus of over two decades. This year also saw the arrival of support from Mobil Oil Corp., which will sponsor the contest for the next two years. This provides us the opportunity to recognize the men and women who are the backbone of trucking.
Drivers compete in nine categories of vehicles.
In addition to the actual driving part, commonly referred to as the skills test, contestants are scored on a written examination, a personal interview and the pre-trip inspection. A perfect score across the board would total 800 points. The written examination is worth 80 points, the interview is good for 60 and so is the pre-trip. While drivers are not scored on equipment selection, choosing the right vehicle may be the margin that puts you over the top. At least, that is what the contestants tend to think.