As founder of The Custom Companies, Inc., Perry Mandera leads a Chicago-headquartered company with transportation operations spanning the United States. Emphasizing driver safety and training, Perry Mandera has a team of experienced drivers who regularly participate in industry events such as the Illinois Professional Truck Driving Championship (IPTDC).
The Illinois Trucking Association-sponsored event has an emphasis on professionalism and safety and brings together nearly 150 drivers from more than 20 companies who between them share in excess of 150 million miles of driving without accident.
Held in St. Charles, Illinois, at the Pheasant Run Resort, the 2016 competition spanned nine equipment classes, from sleeper berth semi-trailer to four-axle tractor trailer. The course features a series of pre-set driving problems, with drivers needing to solve each course problem within a defined time.
The 2016 event brought together a select group of drivers, all of whom had maintained accident-free records over the past year, while being continuously employed in the sector and racking up at least 1,200 driving hours. The Custom Companies, Inc., fielded a pair of contestants who had taken trophies in previous runnings of the IPTDC.
