2018 DLA Disposition Services MHE Rodeo finalists

Defence logistics worker Travis Ocker, who works for DLA out of Letterkenny, Pennsylvania, was named the 2018 DLA Disposition Services MHE Rodeo Champion.

Last week's rodeo was the first in what DLA officials hope will be an annual event.

The employees from seven regions competed to win a trip to Battle Creek to compete in the three-day finals.

Drivers were judged on knowledge, expertise and driving precision.

The practical component consisted of a "Slam Dunk", where the equipment operator had to use forks to grab a basketball, navigate through a timed course and attempt to put the ball through the hoop; a "Quarter Bounce", where the operator used downward pressure to attempt to flip a coin up off the ground and onto an industrial fork; "Serve and Volley", in which the operator made a precision grab of tennis balls and worked their way through a serpentine course to make a precision placement of the balls; and "Rubber Meets the Road", where the operator had to quickly stack awkward aircraft tyres for the best time.

It is understood DLA would like to expand the rodeo to include other heavy equipment like excavators and front-end loaders.