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TxDOT Statewide Roadeo Competition to Take Place in Austin (Revised)

Course Helps Test Employees’ Driving Ability, Accuracy, Concentration and Safety Skills

AUSTIN - Although you may not be able to find the word “roadeo” in Webster’s dictionary, almost all Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) personnel know what it means—a competition that puts employee’s driving and safety skills to the test.

Each year, as part of TxDOT’s safety program, commercial driver’s license holders compete against each other in six events designed to resemble real-life driving situations. This year’s statewide roadeo competition will take place at 9 a.m., Thursday, October 29 at the Travis Central Maintenance Section, located at 1001 E. Parmer Lane in Austin.

The objective of the roadeo is to perform a timed vehicle inspection, as well as maneuver through six obstacle courses set up to test the employees’ driving ability, accuracy, concentration and safety skills.

"Safety is the most important goal at TxDOT, and it’s vital to practice safe driving habits year-round,” said Jerral Wyer, TxDOT’s safety director. "These competitions are a fun way to remind our employees to always stay safe and allow them a chance for professional development."

The employees who compete in roadeos are the same ones that maintain our highways on a daily basis, performing many important job functions such as clearing roadway debris, filling potholes and driving snow plows in the winter. The participants in the statewide roadeo represent the two top-scoring employees from TxDOT’s 25 district offices.

The Texas Department of Transportation

The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 13,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and preserving the value of the state's transportation assets. Find out more at txdot.gov.