WVDOH’s Mike Simpson Wins First Place at Southeast Regional ROADeo

West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) equipment operator Mike Simpson earned first place in the Lowboy Trailer event at the 2025 Southeast Regional ROADeo, held this year in Lexington, Kentucky.

As a team, WVDOH also placed 5th overall among 13 competing states.

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A lowboy trailer, also known as a double-drop trailer, is a commercial semi-trailer designed with a recessed deck that sits close to the ground, making it ideal for hauling heavy and oversized equipment such as bulldozers, tractors, and other construction machinery.

"Our operators prove every day that skill and safety go hand in hand," said Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh, P.E. "Mike's win and the team's strong showing reflect the professionalism West Virginians can count on whenever we're building or maintaining their roads."

The Southeast Regional ROADeo is both a competition and a training conference, bringing together the region's top operators to test their precision and safety skills in seven events: single-axle truck, tandem-axle truck, lowboy trailer, motor grader, backhoe, skid steer, and tractor mower.

"When the public sees our operators succeed at this level, they can feel confident that the same attention to detail and focus on safety are being applied on our highways every day," Rumbaugh said.

Simpson's performance and the team's overall placement underscore WVDOH's commitment to training and safety, as well as the pride its employees take in representing West Virginia on a regional stage.