Fifty-one commercial motor vehicle inspectors representing jurisdictions throughout North America gathered in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 7-11, 2017, to compete in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 25th annual North American Inspectors Championship, the only event dedicated to testing, recognizing and awarding commercial motor vehicle inspector excellence.
This year, local member Rommel Garcia of the Houston Police Department earned the highest combined score in six competition categories to take home the top prize, the Jimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award.
“As we celebrate 25 years of NAIC this year, we’re also celebrating another historic accomplishment,” said CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz of Yukon Highways and Public Works. “This is the first time in NAIC history that a local member has earned the Grand Champion Award.”
All of the inspection categories are timed events and the compilation of scores for those categories result in a Grand Champion, which is the highest honor for commercial motor vehicle roadside inspectors. The six competition categories in which each inspector is tested and scored are:
North American Standard Level I Inspection
North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedure
North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Inspection
North American Standard Cargo Tank/Other Bulk Packagings Inspection
North American Standard Level V Passenger Carrier Vehicle Inspection
North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Exam
A special award, the John Youngblood Award of Excellence, is an honor NAIC contestants bestow upon a fellow NAIC inspector who exemplifies the high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. This year, NAIC contestants voted to present the John Youngblood Award to Erick McGuire with the Florida Highway Patrol.
Awards are given for first, second and third place for selected inspection categories.
North American Standard Level I Inspection:
First Place – Rommel Garcia – Local Member – Houston Police Department
Second Place – Thomas Disterhaft – Wisconsin State Patrol
Third Place – Darren Kennedy – British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection:
First Place – Jose Najera – Texas Department of Public Safety
Second Place – Steven Payne – Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Third Place – Lance Skoog – Alberta Justice and Solicitor General
North American Standard Level V Passenger Carrier Vehicle Inspection:
First Place – Mark Wisner – Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Second Place – Erick McGuire – Florida Highway Patrol
Third Place – James Hamrick – Arkansas Highway Police
Team Award – Purple Team:
Erick McGuire – Florida Highway Patrol
Steven Hill – Kentucky State Police
Rommel Garcia – Local Member – Houston Police Department
Cindy Campbell – Nevada Highway Patrol
Adam Trujillo – New Mexico Department of Public Safety
Tommy Torok – South Dakota Highway Patrol
Kent Hutchinson – Wyoming Highway Patrol
Cheryl Anderson – Yukon Highways and Public Works
Team Leader: Scott Henry – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
In celebration of 25 years of NAIC, each of the competing inspectors and registered volunteers received an exclusive commemorative 25-year anniversary challenge coin.
“The challenge coin not only acknowledges the NAIC anniversary, it’s also a thank you to the competing inspectors for the hard work they do every day to make our roads a safer place,” said Debuschewitz. “Approximately 4 million roadside safety inspections are conducted each year throughout North America by CVSA-certified inspectors who save lives every day by removing dangerous commercial motor vehicles and drivers from our roadways.”
The work of a commercial motor vehicle inspector is not easy, but it is vital in ensuring public safety on North American roadways. NAIC was created to recognize the hard work and expertise of inspectors and officers – the backbone of the commercial motor vehicle safety program in North America – and promote uniformity of inspections through training and education.
NAIC is sponsored by CVSA and many of its valued federal and associate members. For the past 25 years, the championship event has been held in partnership with the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck and Step Van Driving Championships. NAIC has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives as an event that “Advances America
