Page 10 - Jan/Feb 2023 Vol 40 No 6

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Equipment Rodeo

It’s all about bragging rights for a year. Gradall, wheel loader , skid
Always a favorite (and highly steer, and auto refuse truck, the
competitive) Annual Conference event, Equipment Rodeo was held on
the Equipment Rodeo once again a well-designed course carefully
provided an outstanding showcase for maximizing usable space.
our state’s operators to demonstrate their Approximately 70 operators took
skills on multiple pieces of machinery. part in this year’s rodeo.
These Public Works professionals make Rodeo participants practiced
it look so easy. In fact, the average person on the machinery in the morning
or bystander probably doesn’t have a clue before a barbeque provided by
about the skill sets needed to maneuver CMI Equipment Sales.
those massive machines. Since each brand Operators were tested on time
and model of heavy machinery may and skill. For example, with the
have different features and consoles, the auto refuse truck event, competitors move ahead with a faster time.
controls are varied and not all in the same proceeded to the first trash cart, set Cash prizes were awarded to the top
place. the parking brake, and picked up the three winners in each category and to
Additionally, not every city owns cart, demonstrated dumping the empty the top three overall winners. Engraved
enough equipment for their daily tasks to container before returning the cart to CASE knives were presented to each
have participants in each event category. the target area. After two more stops, of the different event winners and the
Providing enough equipment to host the the truck returned to the starting overall competition winner. The City of
statewide competition can be a challenge line position. Points were lost for not Knoxville proudly accepted the team
for cities hosting the Annual Conference, emptying the cart, or for hitting cones trophy this year.
but Knoxville (with Alcoa’s help) was up along the course, or for not returning Students from the L&N Stem Academy
to the task. each cart to its target area. If an operator were invited to stop by and watch the
Featuring competitions with the emptied and returned all three carts event in the afternoon. About 14 traveled
skid steer, backhoe, knuckleboom, perfectly, another competitor could still the short distance to the rodeo site.

1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd
In the OVERALL COMPETITION, first place went to Buster Payne, Alcoa; second In the SKID STEER COMPETITION, first place went to Buster Payne, Alcoa;
place went to Scott Vaden, Knoxville; and third place to Tim Merriman, Alcoa. second place went to Jim Merriman, Alcoa; and third place to Tim Merriman,
Alcoa

1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd

In the BACKHOE COMPETITION first place went to Christopher Webster, Knoxville; In the WHEEL LOADER COMPETITION, first place went to Tim Merriman, Alcoa;
second place went to Scott Vaden, Knoxville; and third place to Allen Wedman, second place went to Jim Merriman, Alcoa; third place to Allen Wedman,
Chattanooga. Chattanooga.
10 TPW January/February 2023