BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Winning an international driving title is memorable on its own. Doing it in front of peers gathered in your hometown makes it even sweeter.
John Matthews of Thrasher Trailways in Birmingham, Alabama, captured the 2026 UMA International Driver Competition, taking top honors during the UMA Motorcoach EXPO held in the city where he has spent much of his driving career.
Wren Nance of Northeast Charter & Tour Co. in Lewiston, Maine, finished as first runner-up, while Dirk Armstrong of Village Travel in Wichita, Kansas, was second runner-up.
The competition, held Feb. 13, is a highlight of the annual EXPO, held Feb. 11-14. It tests drivers on precision maneuvers, safety skills and professional knowledge and is designed to showcase the industry’s best motorcoach operators.
The course’s challenges included tight, serpentine lanes and precision docking — obstacles designed to simulate real-world driving scenarios.
“There was a lot of serpentine alley, dock and stuff like that,” Matthews said. “I like to master my craft, so I do a lot of practicing myself.”
Winner drove buses as a teen
Matthews began his career early. At age 17, he started driving a school bus, taking football teams to Legion Field. Over the decades, he built a career that now includes part-time charter work as well as transporting celebrities, VIPs, and sports teams
“I’ve been doing it 36 years,” Matthews said.
The driver competition was established to recognize the professionalism and safety commitment of motorcoach drivers, said Matt Dance, a UMA board member and chairman of the association’s Safety Risk Management Committee, who presented the award during the EXPO’s awards gala Feb. 13.
“In 2016, the risk management committee recognized that the shortage of drivers could eventually lead to a compromise in safety,” Dance said during the awards ceremony. “The committee also recognized that the motorcoach driver profession image was very much in need of attention.”
The committee recommended creating a competition at the UMA EXPO where drivers could demonstrate their skills and commitment to safety, Dance said.
Dance thanked the competition’s sponsors, citing Lancer Insurance “for their steadfast involvement in highlighting the important contribution that our drivers make to safety.”
For Wren Nance, the second-place finish was a return to the podium. He previously won the competition in 2020.
“Last year, I didn’t fare too well. It was quite difficult,” Nance said. “This year, like always, I went out and had fun. I’m happy I got first runner-up.”
Armstrong, who has spent his entire 16-year career with Village Travel, said he was surprised to finish among the top competitors.
“There are a lot of really good drivers,” Armstrong said. “I know I made a couple of mistakes, but I felt like I did really well on most everything.”
Armstrong serves as the shop foreman for Village Travel in Wichita but still drives occasionally. He qualified for the international competition after winning his company’s internal bus rodeo.
“I really enjoyed it. I really like driving motorcoach,” Armstrong said.
He said the motorcoach industry’s sense of community is one reason he enjoys the work.
“It’s a unique industry,” Armstrong said. “Everybody’s friendly. Everywhere you go, you run into other motorcoach drivers, owners and company people — and everybody’s great.”
Guillaume Charron, vice president of retail operations for Prevost, the competition’s sponsor, said professional drivers are critical to the industry’s success.
“Every day, bus drivers carry more than passengers,” Charron said. “They carry your company’s name down the road. They are often the first and last impression your customers have. They apply their professional driving skills to get your customers to their destination safely.”
Photos by Jill Kelly with Terrapin Blue
