Grand Champion:
Jeff Payne, Cedar City
Contributed by: Tim Hadley, SLC & CDC Terminal Manager
Jeff Payne joined the Oak Harbor Family in 2023 when we opened our Cedar City, UT terminal. I learned early on that Jeff is extremely competitive and skilled. Shortly after starting with us I had asked Jeff to pick a number between 1 and 10, and he answered back very quickly “1 Tim, its always 1. I always push for 1.”
33 years ago, Jeff got his CDL and began driving commercially. In those 33 years he has driven 3.2 million miles accident free. For anyone that knows Jeff or his wife Ronda, they know that they both eat, sleep, and breath the TDC (Truck Driving Championships). Jeff has competed in 26 State TDCs and has taken 1st place in 17 of them. In 2011, Jeff was able to take 1st place at
Nationals in the Twins Class.
This year, Jeff once again took 1st place at the Utah TDC, this time in the 4-Axle class. Not only did he win 1st place he was also crowned the “Grand Champion”. In August, Jeff will be competing in Nationals for the 18th time, this time it will be in Minneapolis, MN. When Jeff is not focusing on the TDC he enjoys hanging out with his grandkids and riding his Harley.
Jeff’s drive for excellence is unmatched and as he heads to Nationals, we’re cheering him on every mile of the way. Best of luck in Minneapolis, Jeff. Bring home another win!
