Local truckers to compete in driving safety championship

The National Truck Driving Championships take place in Florida this week.

By Erin Ryan

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011 | 4:05 p.m.

Thanks to Steven Spielberg, big trucks are scary as hell (and possibly from there). His 1971 feature debut, Duel, cast a Peterbilt tanker as the ultimate weapon of road rage. Since then, motorists have thought twice about passing semis on the highway. Ironically, many truckers participate in safety contests, and Las Vegas is home to some champions. FedEx drivers Christina Fleury and John Lugo are competing in the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championships in Florida this week. If they do well in this “Super Bowl of Safety,” maybe we’ll trust them enough to cut them off without signaling.