How a social worker and a firefighter became Grand Champion drivers
Stephen Davis and Barac Wimberly didn’t start off as bus drivers. Davis began his career as a social worker and Wimberly as a firefighter, but both share a passion for getting behind the wheel.
Today, they are among the best motor coach drivers in the world. And they have their United Motorcoach Association International Driver Competition Grand Champion titles to prove it.
Davis won the inaugural contest in 2017 while Wimberly claimed this year’s title. A 2019 champion will be selected Jan. 6-10 at the UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In 2017, Davis’s boss, Denny House, president of AT&T Charter Service Inc. in Louisburg, N.C., signed him up for the competition. Davis learned he was competing three days before the start of the contest when House handed him the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration manual to study on their flight to St. Louis, where the conference was taking place.
The competition consists of a 50-question test and a driving performance test that takes about 10 minutes. The obstacle course requires drivers to maneuver around cones.
Driving is ‘my calling’
His Feb. 28, 2017, win was a double celebration for Davis, who claimed the title the day after his 58th birthday. He competed last year but didn’t place. Still, a judge told Davis he set a record for completing the driving portion.
“They told me I did the fastest that it has ever been done,” Davis said. He plans to be back in January for another try.
Davis worked as a social worker for eight years after graduating from college before transitioning into driving tractor-trailers and, later, buses, but says he found his true calling in buses, where he still gets the chance to interact with people—only in generally more positive circumstances.
He also likes the traveling. His 12-year career has taken him to 41 states and more than 250 cities. The longest trips are 32-day, cross-country jaunts.
What makes Davis a championship driver is his ability to concentrate, he said, adding: “You have to be focused at all times.”
“The ultimate high note”
Wimberly learned to drive commercially on a triple-axle telesquirt, a 42-foot fire truck with a 75-foot ladder.
“I’ve always loved driving. The whole reason I got into the fire department was to drive,” said Wimberly, who was a firefighter for about six years before concluding station life didn’t suit him.
He began driving buses in 2000. His company, Travel Lovers Tours & Cruises, in St. Petersburg, Fla, began as a travel agency and grew into a motorcoach business in 2005, when he leased his first bus, a Van Hool T2145 from ABC Companies.
As his business grew, Wimberly added a new bus each year until he had four. He dropped back to three so he could continue to be on the road while managing the business with his dad’s help.
Wimberly’s advice for those who would like to win the title is to know the federal regulations. When he was an owner-operator, he subscribed to industry magazines and attended seminars to increase his knowledge. Wimberly won’t be defending his title, which he calls one of the highlights of his career, so the title is open to a newcomer. You know what they say about leaving on a high note. For Wimberly, this was the ultimate.
“It was the thing that I wanted to do,” he said. “It was a goal that I’d set for myself.”
Wimberly recently sold the business and his home and bought a fifth-wheel. At a young 46, he decided to get a jump-start on this retirement by traveling around the country with his wife and teenage daughter. On the road, he plans to work a part-time gig delivering RVs for a major manufacturer.
“I love driving, so I probably won’t retire from driving anytime soon,” he said.
Tricky driving situation
Try these tips from driving champion Barac Wimberly
- Avoid it, if possible. Better to not allow yourself to get into a tight maneuvering situation. I was never afraid to legitimately say, “We can’t do that, it may risk damage to the coach.” (Of course, most of the time, I owned the coach.)
- Take your time! Even if it’s inch by inch. I’d rather have to explain to a customer (or dispatcher) why I’m a little late picking the group up than explain to the insurance company, safety manager or whomever why there is a damage on a coach and/or other property.
- Finally, use what safety features you have. Some people are against technology, figuring it makes a driver lazy. I say, someone has researched and developed something that will make our jobs easier. Use it! Back-up cameras, parking radar, 360 cameras, blind spot indicators. Know their capabilities and limitations – and use them.
