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By Eric Miller, Staff Reporter

This story appears in the Sept. 1 print edition of Transport Topics.

Only four days after he was crowned Grand Champion of the 2008 North American Inspectors Championship on Aug. 23, Wisconsin State Patrol inspector Daniel Slick already was back at work.

“Can I call you back?” Slick originally told Transport Topics Aug. 27 when contacted for an interview. “I was just about to head out the door and crawl underneath a truck.”

Highway safety doesn’t take a holiday — even for a champion.

To be sure, Slick’s fellow commercial vehicle inspectors and his bosses couldn’t be prouder of his impressive accomplishments. But the workload at the Superior, Wis., truck scales was not getting any lighter, nor was there much time for him to bask in the limelight.

“My co-worker said, ‘That’s great; now get out there and show us,’ ” said Slick, who spoke with TT later that same day after completing an inspection.

Slick earned NAIC’s Jimmy K. Ammonds Grand Champion Award because he accumulated the most points among the 54 contestants representing 52 jurisdictions in the United States, Canada and Mexico, competing in seven inspection categories.

On his way to becoming Grand Champion, Slick placed first in the hazardous materials/dangerous goods and cargo tank packaging category and second in the standard Level I inspection contest.

The championship, conducted Aug. 18-24 in Houston, was managed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Since 1981, it’s been an annual competition held in conjunction with the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships. (Click here for p. 1 story).

“CMV law enforcement officers are on the front line of highway safety,” said Stephen Campbell, executive director of the CVSA. “NAIC is the only event dedicated to recognizing and rewarding commercial vehicle inspector excellence.”

It was Slick’s fourth trip to the NAIC, where the best truck and bus inspectors in North America get a chance to display their abilities.

“I think on any given day if you put me in the parking lot with any of my co-workers, I don’t know that I’m any better than they are,” said Slick, 42. “This year all the stars were aligned for me, I guess. It was my day to shine.”

Because the 21-year veteran inspector works for a state agency, he said that he won’t be getting any bonuses like many NTDC grand champions.

No extra vacation time. No mug shots in industry publication ads. Just the satisfaction of knowing that one day, under pressure and working against the clock, Slick was the best in his profession.

“I was focused,” he said. “I must have just been in the zone.”

To be Grand Champion, an inspector needs to demonstrate attention to detail, be well-organized, a good time manager and be knowledgeable about day-to-day inspection activities and federal regulations, said Collin Mooney, CVSA’s director of enforcement programs.

“It’s one thing to know your stuff and another thing to apply your knowledge when a time element is involved,” Mooney said.

The competitors were judged by their performance in locating hidden safety defects in trucks and buses, as well as on their written test and personal interview scores.

“NAIC honors the vitally important contribution to safety made by thousands of dedicated and skilled inspectors every singe day,” said FMCSA Administrator John Hill.

“Through NAIC, we salute all commercial vehicle inspectors who are working to make our roads and highways safe for every traveler,” he said.

Paul Richardson, an inspector with the traffic safety division of the Michigan State Police, won the prestigious John Youngblood Award.

Youngblood, a staff member for the first two championships, was killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings. The award bearing his name is presented each year to the inspector who best demonstrates the qualities of congeniality, leadership, integrity, professionalism and commitment.

Dan Armstrong, an inspector with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, was the highest-scoring competitor from Canada.

Jacobo Garcia, an inspector with Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes, was Mexico’s high scorer.