Six members of the Dot Foods and Dot Transportation (DTI) teams competed for industry-wide national honors at the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Championship in Kissimmee, Florida on October 23-24.
Three Dot material handlers alongside three DTI drivers faced off against more than 250 warehouse order selectors and truck drivers from industry giants across North America. Following a comprehensive pre-trip written exam highlighting truck and warehouse safety procedures, competitors navigated a complex obstacle course in either a tractor trailer or their choice of warehouse picking equipment. Challenges included carefully backing up a truck within inches of a target, rolling a bowling ball from a pallet jack into a set of pins, and dropping a basketball from a narrow aisle machine into a regulation basketball hoop.
The Dot/DTI team included:
- Jon Moore (Mt. Sterling, Illinois warehouse)
- Brandon Battice (Ardmore, Oklahoma warehouse)
- Brian Treat (Bullhead City, Arizona warehouse)
- Omega Morrell (Liverpool, New York driver)
- Nate VanSickle (Ardmore, Oklahoma driver)
- Justin Keiser (Cambridge City, Indiana driver)
Moore made his return to the IFDA stage for a second straight year after taking home top honors in the pallet jack division in 2024. Battice, Treat, Morrell, VanSickle, and Keiser were all first time IFDA attendees along with more than 70 percent of the field.
Before and after the competition at Kissimmee’s Silver Spurs Arena, contestants and guests enjoyed the amenities at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort. Attendees also attended a Saturday night awards banquet featuring a surprise visit from Disney characters.
While the contest results didn’t go in favor of Dot/DTI this year, the team did not leave empty-handed. Payton Keiser, seven-year-old daughter of driver Justin Keiser, won first prize in the children’s “Draw A Picture of Your Hero” contest with a spot-on likeness of her father with his blue and white tractor trailer. For her masterful artwork, Payton took home a giant gift basket full of art supplies and Disney souvenirs.
IFDA has hosted a National Championship for truck drivers every year since 2003 with 2023 being the first year with a warehouse-specific competition.