Cloverdale's Daryl Giesbrecht is B.C.'s grand champion professional trucker.
Giesbrecht, a commercial truck driver who works with Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd., also came in first place in something called the tandem-tandem event at the British Columbia Professional Truck Driving Championships.
Jaswinder Singh Diyal, also of Surrey, earned Rookie of the Year at the annual competition, hosted by the B.C. Trucking Association, and held June 23 at Tradex Centre in Abbotsford.
The competition includes a written test that challenges the drivers' knowledge of the industry and equipment; a pre-trip inspection, and a driving competition that simulates everyday trucking road skills such as maneuvering, cornering and judging distance.
To be eligible, competitors must be free of preventable accidents for 12 months before the event, and that includes everything down to a broken tail light on a trailer.
The first place winners in the four driving categories, including Giesbrecht, will represent B.C. at the 2012 National Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, Sept. 6 to 9.
The BCTA represents more than 1,200 truck and motor coach fleets, and 250 suppliers to the industry. Members operate more than 13,000 vehicles.