Four Former National Champions Lead Largest-Ever Overnite Team To National Trucking Championships

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 19, 2003 -- Led by four former national champions, Overnite Transportation Company's largest contingent ever is set to compete in the 2003 National Truck Driving Championships to be held August 19- 23 in Columbus, Ohio.

A record 23 drivers from 10 states, including four former national champions and four state Grand Champions will represent the company in the Buckeye State this week where the nation's finest professional truck drivers will meet to test their skills at the 66th annual competition sponsored by the American Trucking Association (ATA).

Looking to repeat their national titles are Charles "Skip" Goodrich, Jr., 1989's national straight truck winner, Linwood Walker, the 1981 national three-axle truck driving champion, and two of trucking's all-time top twins drivers, Tony Cesenaro and Roger Lanham. Cesenaro, a Baltimore road driver, will look to add a second twins title to his 1997 trophy, while Lanham, a veteran Charleston, W.Va., road driver and 1985's national twins champ, will go after a five-axle trophy this time. Goodrich, a city driver from Richmond, Va., will compete for this year's top prize in the sleeper truck category, while Walker, a Greensboro, N.C., city driver, will vie for first-place honors in the flatbed division.

Combining forces with Overnite's national title-holders are four drivers who earned Grand Champion honors for delivering the best performance in state competitions earlier this summer. Joining his father in the national arena is Greensboro City Driver Brian Walker, the Tarheel State's Grand Champion and top five-axle driver. Road drivers John Blow of Atlanta, this year's Georgia twins champ, John Cook of Gaffney, S.C., the Palmetto State's No. 1 three-axle driver, and Virginia twins champion Marty Hogan of Roanoke were also named the Grand Champion of their state's competition.

Also stepping into competition at the Greater Columbus Convention Center are Oklahoma City's Bob Akers, the state's top twins driver, and Tom Hawks of Memphis, Tenn., the Volunteer State's five-axle champ, who like Lanham, are both former ATA America's Road Team Captains, the nation's most honored and accomplished professional drivers.

All state title-holders, Overnite drivers rounding out the company's national championships team include: Ricky Harris of Memphis; South Carolina drivers Chris Gray of Columbia, chosen the state's Rookie of the Year, and Gaffney's Steve Newsome; Greensboro drivers Chuck Jones and George Somers; Walter Sackevich of Burlington, Vt.; Jake Callison of Tulsa, Okla.; Missouri drivers Russell Alexander and Scott Raper of Springfield, and Mike Millaway of St. Louis. Completing the team are two Richmond drivers, Harold Lafon and Dennis Kendrick; and Georgia Driver of the Year Al Churchwell, a road driver from Marietta who also serves as the captain of Overnite's 2003 All-Star Road Team.

"These drivers define what being a true professional is all about," said Vice President-Safety Phil Warren. "We are extremely proud they are part of the Overnite family."

Collectively, Overnite's crew of 23 state champions has logged nearly 400 years of accident-free driving.

"Our team and all the state champions at the national competition demonstrate the kind commitment to safety that is essential to make our highways as safe as possible, and their skills are tested behind the wheel everyday," Warren added.

Drivers qualify for the national championships by winning at the state level in one of nine equipment classes. Both the state and national competitions include difficult driving skills and maneuvering tests, equipment inspections and exams covering safety policies and regulations.

Overnite Holding, Inc., the parent company of Overnite Transportation Company, reported revenue in excess of $1.3 billion in 2002. A nationwide and regional less-than-truckload carrier with premium long-haul capabilities, the company serves more than 45,000 points in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. For additional information about Overnite Transportation and its services, visit the company's Web site at www.overnite.com.