The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is announcing Kaleb Rains with the Texas Department of Public Safety as this year’s North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) Jimmy K. Ammons grand champion award winner, the highest honor for a commercial motor vehicle roadside inspector.
As NAIC grand champion, Rains secured the highest overall score among the elite field of commercial motor vehicle inspectors representing jurisdictions across North America.
Rains was announced as this year’s NAIC grand champion by CVSA president Maj. Erick McGuire with the Florida Highway Patrol at the joint awards ceremony of CVSA’s inspectors’ competition and the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.
Rains will attend the CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla, and will address the Alliance’s membership at the annual conference awards luncheon on Sept. 23.
North American Inspectors Championship
Forty-seven commercial motor vehicle inspectors gathered in Pittsburgh, Penn. a, to compete at NAIC, the only North American event dedicated to testing, recognizing and awarding commercial motor vehicle inspector excellence.
“NAIC promotes uniformity and excellence in commercial motor vehicle inspections while recognizing the critical role inspectors play in preventing crashes, saving lives and ensuring the safe movement of people and goods throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States,” CVSA said.
Participating jurisdictions each sent their top inspector to NAIC to represent their jurisdiction, receive valuable training and compete against other top inspectors for the ultimate title of NAIC grand champion.
Each NAIC competitor received hands-on training on the latest safety information, technologies, standards and procedures. Much of what contestants learn at NAIC may be taken back to their home jurisdiction and applied roadside.
For the competition, each contestant competed in six inspection categories over two days. Contestants conducted mock inspections and identified regulatory violations and critical vehicle inspection item out-of-service conditions – all while being timed. Contestants were tested on real-world vehicle and driver inspection scenarios and had to appropriately evaluate the situation and properly identify violations within the recreated roadside inspection scenarios.
Additional Awards
In addition to the NAIC grand champion award, sponsored by PrePass Safety Alliance, other notable awards were earned by this year’s competing inspectors.
High Points Award
The highest-scoring inspector from each of CVSA’s competing member countries receives the High Points Award. Sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company, the following High Points Awards were presented:
- Sean McAlister High Points Canada Award – Cody Hammer with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
- High Points U.S. Award – Kaleb Rains with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Team Award
Sponsored by FedEx Freight, the Team Award goes to the team with the highest combined score. This year’s winning team was the Yellow Team, led by team leader John Sherid with the Pennsylvania State Police. The Yellow Team included the following contestants:
- Aaron Azbill – Arizona Department of Public Safety.
- Andre McLamb – Georgia Department of Public Safety.
- Tyson Oxford – Kansas Highway Patrol.
- Timuchin Aker – Michigan State Police.
- Robert DeFrancesco – Nevada Highway Patrol.
- Lorrence Herbert – Ohio State Highway Patrol.
- James Paris – South Dakota Highway Patrol.
- Katie Halnan – Washington State Patrol.
John Youngblood Award of Excellence
Brandon Johnson with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol received the John Youngblood Award of Excellence for exemplifying the spirit of cooperation, leadership, a professional image, dedication to the profession, a positive attitude, organizational ability and congeniality. The John Youngblood Award of Excellence is an honor that NAIC contestants bestow upon a fellow competitor who exemplifies high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. It’s the only award whose winner is selected by their peers.
Inspection Category Winners
First, second and third place awards were given for the following inspection categories:
The North American Standard Level I Inspection is a comprehensive 37-step procedure that includes an examination of the driver’s operating requirements and the vehicle’s mechanical fitness. This award was sponsored by J.B. Hunt Transport Inc.
- Andre McLamb with the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
- Tyson Oxford with the Kansas Highway Patrol.
- Kaleb Rains with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection is an inspection of the requirements related to identifying hazardous materials/dangerous goods markings, labeling, placarding, packaging, identification, etc. This award was sponsored by National Tank Truck Carriers Inc.
- Kaleb Rains with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- Tyson Oxford with the Kansas Highway Patrol.
- Justin Scott – Local Member from the Houston (Texas) Police Department.
The North American Standard Level V Passenger Carrier Vehicle Inspection is the inspection of motorcoaches and other passenger-carrying vehicles. This award was cosponsored by the American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association.
- Kaleb Rains with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- Ethan Johnson with the New Mexico State Police.
- Patrick Fay with the Minnesota State Patrol.
Next year’s NAIC is scheduled for Aug. 9-13, 2027, in Columbus, Ohio.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
