2011 SWANA International Road-E-O Rap-Up!

Were you there?  Where?  The 2011 SWANA International Road-E-O, of course!  If you weren’t, boy did you miss it!!!  About 280 people were in Dublin, Georgia on September 3rd and had the bestest of times -- thanks to some real ol’ fashioned Southern hospitality courtesy of the SWANA Georgia Chapter, City of Dublin Georgia, Laurens County Georgia, and all the Road-E-O Sponsors and volunteers.

One hundred and seven of the solid waste industry’s best drivers, mechanics and operators competed in ten different categories.  The top three finishers in each category took home trophies and bragging rights – at least until the next Road-E-O – as the best-of-the-best in the business.  “Top Gun” awards were made to the top finishers in the truck and equipment competitions.  Besides driver, mechanic and operator competitions, the 2011 SWANA International Road-E-O weekend included a Golf Tournament, a Sporting Clays Tournament and NASCAR Races tailgating.Following the competitions on September 3rd, an awards banquet was held at the DuBose P

orter Center at Heart of Georgia Technical College.  Following a meal of good ol’ fashioned southern cookin’, competition winners were awarded trophies and Estella Martinez of SWANA International presented the Georgia Chapter with a sponsor check for the Road-E-O.  The night was closed out with dancing and partying to the country sounds of “The Brantley Brothers” (formerly “Deep Step”), a local Georgia band that is about to make national news.  All banquet attendees had a good time!

The SWANA Georgia Chapter would like to thank all our sponsors, volunteers and members for the support they provided to make the 2011 SWANA International Road-E-O a success and the “Talk-of-the-Town” for 2011. 

Competition at the 2011 SWANA International Road-E-O was INTENSE!  In the equipment category, tie-breakers (obstacle course completion time) was need to decide the second and third place finishers in the Dozer and first and second place finishe

rs in the Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) competitions, respectively.  Also in the equipment category for Rubber-Tired Loaders, the top finisher (and ultimate Equipment “Top Gun”) finished the course with a perfect obstacle course score!

The Mechanics blew everyone away with all competitors receiving perfect scores in their competitions – competition judges had to resort to completion time to break the seven-way tie and determine order of finish.  After much discussion by the Judges and Road-E-O organizers after the awards banquet, it was decided to award “Top Gun” status in the mechanics category as well as truck and equipment categories.  Although not recognized as the mechanics “Top Gun” at the banquet, the top finisher in the mechanics competition will be awarded the same “trophy” as the other “Top Gun” winners.

The truck competitions were no less exciting, but top finishers were a little more obvious.  None of the competitions were decided by tie-breaker.  From the scores for all the competitions, it is obvious that Georgia and the 2011 SWANA International Road-E-O were rewarded with performances from the best-of-the-best drivers, mechanics and operators in the solid waste industry!  Congratulations to all the top finishers and all competitors – you make us proud to be “garbage men” and “garbage women”!Congratulations to all the competitors!  They are all winners in our minds!

For a complete listing of the 2011 Road-E-O competitors and scores, click here.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar!  Next year’s Road-E-O is tentatively planned for September 15th in Kentucky.  “We’re glad you have ‘Georgia on My Mind’! 

Y’all come back now, y’ hear?”