One is a grandfather whose thinning hair is as gray as his neatly trimmed beard, the other barely old enough to be eligible to vote in his first presidential election in 2008. What they share in common, however, are enviable safe driving records, state driving titles and an appreciation for the UPS shield that adorns their daily uniforms.

West Virginian Clarence Jenkins, who has been a company freight driver for the past 34 years, will be in Columbus, Ohio, this week making his 14th appearance in the National Truck Driving Champtionships. A teammate is Jeff Kalinwski, a small package driver from Aurora, Ill., 24, whose slight build, close-cropped blond hair and boyish looks give the impression he needs a note from a parent to see an adult-rated movie.

Jeff has been driving for UPS for just three years but has already captured two state driving championships. “Last year, nobody knew who I was and I guess they just ignored me. This year everybody knew I was the defending state step van champion but it didn’t make any difference. I was confident I could repeat and win again.”

Over-confidence may have been his undoing at last year’s National Championships, where he finished well back in the standings in the competition held in Pittsburgh. “I was blown away.  I thought I knew what to expect but there is so much happening. It is a completely different level of competition when everyone you are competing against is a state champion and just about everyone has more experience,” said Jeff.

In addition to the competition, there are other distractions. Even the most experienced driver can be unsettled when 2,000 people, including family and friends, are cheering from the sidelines as you try to negotiate a series of maneuvers on a demanding indoor course — all under the watchful eye of judges monitoring every move.

The pressure may have hurt him last year but served as an incentive to return to the National stage in 2010. “I know I could do better and I want to prove that what they saw last year was not the real Jeff Kalinowski,” he said.

When it comes to real there is no question that Clarence Jenkins is the real deal. Clarence started driving for Overnite Transportation, now UPS Freight, 34 years ago after graduating from high school in West Virginia. He has been based in Charleston ever since.

The record he has amassed over the years is nothing short of amazing.  It begins with 34 years of accident-free driving. There is the record 14 first-place finishes in the state driving championships, one national title, a member of the company’s all-star road team and a spokesman for the trucking industry as a member of ATA’s National Road Team.

How tough a competitor is he? A driver for another company at the state championships admitted many drivers wait to the last minute to register for the championships to see what classification Clarence is running in so they can choose another to avoid going head-to-head with him. For the record he has won state titles in the 5-axle, 4-axle, Tanker, Twins and Sleeper divisions. This year he won the West Virginia Sleeper division for the fourth time.

Between his company workload and the busy schedule ATA keeps him on with public speaking engagements around the nation, there was a question whether Clarence would find time for the state championships, let alone qualify for the nationals.

“No problem. I didn’t have much of a chance to practice or study but did have the Saturday free of the championships,” he said. Too bad for the other guys.

Like the company he represents, UPS Freight driver Clarence Jenkins rarely disappoints.