HERMISTON, Ore.-With decades of experience behind the wheel, veteran semi-truck driver Juan Calvillo, of Umatilla, showcased his knowledge, safety, and skill operating heavy-duty vehicles as he steered his way to victory at the Oregon State Truck Driving Championships in May.
Getting on the road
Calvillo was born in Hermiston and grew up in Boardman, attending elementary and middle school in Irrigon, and River View High School in Boardman.
As Calvillo recalls he started driving trucks for his family’s trucking company in Boardman at the age of 16 or 17.
“It all started when I began trucking for my parents,” said Calvillo, who has been driving trucks for 23 years now, the past 21 as a professional.
After attending trade school and earning his commercial driver’s license (CDL), Calvillo worked as both a heavy equipment operator and a truck driver, going back and forth between the two jobs during winter and summer.
Calvillo now drives a 70-75-foot-long sleeper berth semi-truck (a 53’ trailer plus the length of the truck) for Walmart out of the Hermiston Distribution Center.
With regional routes averaging about 190-350 miles from Hermiston, Calvillo delivers to Walmart stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
Walmart has certified driver trainers that teach other drivers not to rush, how to be safe on the road, and to work hard, and Calvillo has taken that safety message and pride in his job to heart.
“Anytime I’m out on delivery and a customer says, ‘thanks, if not for you we wouldn’t be able to buy the things we need,’ that brings me a lot of joy,” said Calvillo. “It’s great knowing we’re safely serving one of the biggest corporations in the world.”
From Umatilla to the State Championship
For Calvillo, who finished second at the Oregon State Truck Driving Championships a year ago, getting to state starts with a commitment to safety and competing at the local level.
“To qualify it all starts with yourself, you’ve got to have one year of safe driving with your company,” said Calvillo.
Walmart also holds company truck driving competitions, with winners and those placing high enough going to the state championships in Portland.
Between 120 and 130 drivers at the Hermiston Distribution Center competed in the company competition, with about one driver out of every ten getting a nod to go to state, according to Calvillo.
An annual competition showcasing the knowledge and skills of Oregon’s professional truck drivers, the 2026 Oregon State Truck Driving Championships were May 16 in Portland.
Hosted by the Oregon Trucking Association (OTA), and the Safety Management Council (SMC), over 100 drivers representing trucking titans such as Walmart, Old Dominion, FedEx, UPS, and ABF Freight competed across nine classes at the championships.
Classes included 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, flatbed, sleeper berth, straight truck, tanker, twin trailers, and step van.
The state championships consisted of a written test, pre-trip inspection, and a driving test.
Drivers had an hour to complete the 40-question written test, that covered the rules and regulations of the road, the history of trucking legislation, safety scenarios, including HAZMAT, fire rescue, terrorism, and driver health and wellbeing, according to Calvillo.
“I was constantly studying, grinding every day for three or four months before the championships,” said Calvillo, who would help remodel his wife’s coffee shop, Hortencia by Alondra’s Sweets in Hermiston during the day ahead of its official opening in May, before studying at night.
The written test is followed by a pre-trip inspection, where drivers must find defects that officials have made to their trucks.
In the sleeper berth, Calvillo’s class, drivers must check inside and outside their trucks, for defects ranging from a covered license plate to a cracked windshield and everything in between.
“The pre-trip inspection is part of my daily operations as a driver,” said Calvillo. “You get a little better every time you do it. You get in a routine, and it takes about eight or nine minutes to check everything out to be safe on the road.”
The drive test at the state championship is based on points, and drivers must navigate obstacles on a course, maneuvering big rigs around and between stationary objects.
According to Calvillo, the sleeper berth is the largest truck that competes and is the hardest to operate within the course.
“I was more comfortable and relaxed than last year,” said Calvillo, of the state experience. “I knew I did good on the written test and pre-trip inspection, but I wasn’t as sure about the course, my mind was up in the air.”
After completing the course, drivers are not allowed to watch other competitors, so they have no way of knowing how their performance stacked up against other drivers until the results are announced.
“When they called out my name as Champion, I couldn’t believe it,” said Calvillo. “I felt good about my drive but didn’t know I did that good. I was speechless.”
The Oregon State Truck Driving Championships are open to the public and offer a fan-friendly experience where attendees can learn about big rigs, the trucking industry, and the technology and safety features involved.
The state championship was also an opportunity for Calvillo’s wife, Hortencia Calvillo and their eight-year-old daughter, to see him in action behind the wheel.
“It means the world to me that they were able to see me drive and win the championship,” said an emotional Calvillo. “I’m away from home so much so they can have a good life. Having them here lets them know how good a driver I am, how safe I am, and how much I love my job.”
23rd in the Nation
Following his Oregon State Truck Driving Championship, Calvillo attended the Walmart Nationals in Branson, Missouri.
At the Walmart Nationals he was able to practice against other Walmart drivers and get used to driving inside, something that can be distracting when you’re surrounded by walls instead of the open road, according to Calvillo.
According to the Driver Resource Center, there are currently over 3.6 million professional truck drivers in America, and 407 of the best rolled into Pittsburgh for the National Truck Driving Championships August 11-14.
“It was amazing to be among professionals who respect the road and its rules,” said Calvillo, of his national championship experience. “It didn’t matter that they drove for other companies. It was awesome to be among the best of the best in the USA.”
Calvillo competed against 48 of the best drivers in the sleeper berth class at the National Championships, in a much more intense format of written test, pre-trip inspection, and driving test.
“They don’t make it easy at nationals, and I like that,” said Calvillo. “Everybody has a fair chance to win the championship.”
The written test at the national championships was really hard, asking for specifics, such as the dates certain trucking laws took effect and most drivers struggled, according to Calvillo.
After doing well on his pre-trip inspection, Calvillo admits that his competitive nature took hold when he climbed into the cab of his truck at Nationals and tried for the highest number on the course, rather than shooting for the middle, as some of his mentors advised.
Calvillo finished 23rd overall at the National Championships, an experience he will never forget.
“It was wonderful, it makes you want to do better, be safer, and come back and compete,” said Calvillo. “I told my wife, I’m 23rd now, but one day I’m going to be number 1. I don’t know when, but I know in the bottom of my heart, I will be a national champion.”
