Clearwater Solid Waste Wins Big at State Driving Competition
Published on May 06, 2024
The city of Clearwater’s solid waste team competed Saturday, April 27, in the Solid Waste Association of North America, or SWANA, Florida Sunshine Chapter ROAD-E-O competition against other government and private collection workers. This year’s competition was held in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and gives professional solid waste drivers an opportunity to show off their large-truck-driving skills and compete against some of the best solid waste drivers, operators and mechanics in the business.
Clearwater was well represented and took home the top prize and several others. The following Clearwater city employees will advance to the International competition, showcasing their skills and knowledge on a national stage:
- Tim Jones – first place, Side Loader and “Top Gun” (best overall driver in the competition, shown at bottom of page)
- Joe Marshall – second place, Tractor Trailer
- Joshua Burdo – second place, Roll-Off
Congratulations go to Harlan Hamilton, Lester McVicker, and Rufus Whiting, for their outstanding performances at the event. Their hard work and competitive spirit don't go unnoticed.
Special thanks go out to Arnie Retzer, Angela Campagna, Michael Campagna, and Erick Swinton, who volunteered their time to help judge the competition. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental to a successful event.
The competition consists of a written safety test, a CDL vehicle “pre-trip” inspection, and an obstacle course. For the obstacle course portion, drivers must perform an off-set driving maneuver, a right-hand turn through cones, parallel park their truck, back into an alley dock, drive through a serpentine course forward and backward, put their passenger side tires through two rows of tennis balls set 30 inches apart (rear tandem tires are 24 inches), and finish on a stop line as close as possible without going over the line.
“We're incredibly proud of our team’s accomplishments,” said Kervin St. Aimie, Clearwater Solid Waste and Recycling Director. “Their dedication and skill truly shined.”
The Solid Waste Department has competed in SWANA’s Sunshine Chapter’s Road-E-O consistently since the 1980s and has earned “Top Gun” status multiple times, including: Alex Grant (2022), James Deluca (now with Clearwater Public Utilities, 2016), John Garakop (2015), and Mark Beery (2007 and 2009). Impressively, Mark Beery went on to win International Top Gun in both 2007 and 2009.
The first and second place finishers will compete at the international road-e-o competition, which will be held Oct. 5, 2024, in Dublin, Georgia. (SWANA Florida pays for competitors’ travel and hotel costs.)
