2006 HDT Rally Driving Skills


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Our location - Wichita Kansas - 9/30 - 10/8/2006 Driving Skills Competition
	One of the rally events was the Driving Skills Competition. We went to the local area technical college that runs a truck driving school. A course had been set up. Kenny Doonan delivered a new Peterbilt Medium Duty Truck and a Teton fifth-wheel trailer so all the drivers drove the same vehicle.
	The course has three specific skills test spots plus the general test of staying within the coned course. The first specific skill test was turning a corner with the trailer wheels as close to the cone as possible without hitting the cone, simulating turning a corner and not hitting the curb. For the experienced drivers, this was a challenge, because they normally go to great lengths to have as much clearance from the curb as possible.
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	The next skill test was to stop with the wheels of the trailer inside a marked box. Points where given for being centered in the box. The challenge in this test is that it is very hard to see the trailer wheels to know when to stop. The last skill test was to stop as close to a line as possible simulating a crosswalk situation. The challenge is that the nose of the truck covers the line long before you are up to it.
	The teams were supposed to be a man and a woman picked from mixing up married couples. There was a shortage of women, so Mark and Larry Eberle were paired.
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	The two sashayed out to the truck as comedy relief.
	Mark takes off.
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	Mark heading into the turn.
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	Pulling out from the trailer wheels in the box stop.

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	Pulling up to the stop line denoted by the cone. Note the yellow scale on the ground.
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	Dale drove second in her team.
	Dale getting the seat and steering adjusted.
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	Dale drove a very good course. The turn was great. She stopped the trailer wheels in the box. However, she "killed" the pedestrian by going over the stop line by a 1/2". Dale, like all the women, generally drove the course better than the men.