Trimac Transportation and National Tank Truck Carriers sponsored awards at this year’s North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC), where the Fort Worth Police Department’s Jared Koester was named the Jimmy K. Ammons grand champion—the highest honor for a commercial vehicle roadside inspector.
Trimac sponsored the High Points awards, which go to the inspectors who score the most points for their country. Thomas McKeon, from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, won the Sean McAlister High Points Canada award, and Koester secured the High Points U.S. award, in addition to the grand championship.
NTTC sponsored the awards for North American standard hazardous materials/dangerous goods and cargo tank/bulk packaging inspection, an examination of the requirements related to identifying hazmat markings, labeling, placarding, packaging, and identification. Caitlin Philbrick, from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, placed first; Dustin Henderson, from the Texas Department of Public Safety, took second; and Koester finished third.
Montana Department of Transportation Col. Russ Christoferson, president of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, presented the NAIC grand championship during a joint awards ceremony for CVSA’s inspector competition and the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships. The inspector competition brought together 48 commercial motor vehicle inspectors Aug. 20-24 in Indianapolis to compete in the only North American event dedicating to recognizing inspection excellence.
Other award categories included:
The North American Standard Level V Passenger Carrier Vehicle Inspection is an inspection of motorcoaches and other passenger-carrying vehicles.
- First place: Jared Koester, local member
- Second place: Joseph O’Brien, South Carolina Department of Public Safety
- Third place: Dustin Henderson, Texas Department of Public Safety
The North American Standard Level I Inspection is the most commonly performed inspection. It is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of the driver’s operating requirements and the vehicle’s mechanical fitness.
- First place: Jared Koester, local member
- Second place: Dustin Henderson, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Third place: Jeremy Feigley, Arizona Department of Public Safety
The team award is given to the team with the highest combined score. This year, the winner was the yellow team led by Jacob Raupp with the Indiana State Police. The yellow team also included:
- Andre McLamb, Georgia
- Danson Cappo, Hawaii
- Kimberly Hill, Indiana
- Adam Romkema, Montana
- Anthony Vasquez, New Jersey
- Joseph O’Brien, South Carolina
- Brian Stenbak, South Dakota
- Dustin Henderson, Texas
The next NAIC is scheduled for Aug. 19-23, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.