Press release from the N.C. Department of Transportation:
Dusty Keller and Chris Benefield strolled to a backhoe at the N.C. Department of Transportation maintenance yard in Burke County, growing more tense with each step.
They were about to break their tie on the scorecard after three minutes of finessing the controls of the backhoe to lift five golf balls with a spoon from sand and deposit them in a pipe — an exercise of safety and speed, dexterity and skill.
They were among the more than 130 employees from across Division 13 — Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties — competed this week at the annual “roadeo” competition, which combines learning safety tips and showcasing the skills of operators who use the same machinery daily to build and repair roads in western North Carolina.
On Wednesday, a crowd watched Benefield, a 22-year-old transportation worker, take controls of the backhoe first in the playoff round. He was attempting to outscore Keller, his supervisor.
Again, they tied. So, a judge flipped a coin, and Keller won the toss to finish second, behind the champion Wesley Sparks, who had finished the backhoe event just a few seconds quicker in regulation. Benefield placed third.
“Part of this event is for our younger operators to watch the veteran operators and learn some of the things that experienced operators do to get the most of the equipment,” Division 13 Maintenance Engineer Tim Anderson said. “It’s also an opportunity for everybody to interact — share some stories and tips and tricks — in a controlled environment that is not on the side of a highway.”
Other events this week include steering heavy machinery through an obstacle course, using a motor grader to knock tennis balls of a tee, and weaving a tractor mower backwards.
“The Roadeo is an key component of our safety and program and allowed the operators to test the skills they uses every day in tight situations,” Division 13 Safety Consultant Walt Russell said. “To do their job safely and efficiently is critical to our success as an agency.”
The following winners of each event advance to the state roadeo to be held June 20 in Raleigh.
• Lowboy: Donnie Dockery, McDowell County Maintenance
• Tandem-axle truck: Mark Wise, Mitchell County Maintenance
• Motorgrader: Chad Robinson, Burke County Maintenance
• Backhoe: Wesley Sparks, Burke County Maintenance
• Tractor mower: Brian McCall, Burke County Maintenance
• Single-axle truck: Benjie Caldwell, Madison County Maintenance
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