With 40 accident-free years and more than three million miles behind the wheel of a UTA bus, Alan Bowden is one of UTA’s most skilled bus operators. He put his talents to the test earlier this month when he competed against bus operators from across the United States and Canada at the 2018 International Bus Roadeo.

Bowden was selected to represent UTA because of his high scores in a UTA bus competition last September, his safe driving history and his spotless attendance record. UTA Operations Supervisor Nicole Howden said Bowden is a friendly and reliable employee who encourages other operators to perform at their best.

“He’s very dependable and I don’t have to worry if he’s going to show up or not,” Howden said. “He cares about his customers and he’s a great teammate.”

At the 2018 International Bus Roadeo, Bowden was required to navigate a 40-foot bus through 11 obstacles. Operators are given seven minutes to steer the bus through a serpentine line of cones, perform left and right-hand backups and complete sharp turns without hitting any of the markers.

Although he didn’t win, Bowden said he significantly improved his score from his first international competition in 2016. He hopes to qualify again for the 2019 International Bus Roadeo so that his wife, who was recovering from knee surgery this year, can watch him compete.

Bowden joined UTA in 1976 and spent many years in Ogden driving route 613 through the Weber Industrial Park and Ogden Business Depot. After a brief retirement in 2016 he rejoined the team again in August 2017 as a part-time operator.

“I like what was happening with the company,” Bowden said. “They really started to implement things that I wanted to be a part of.”

If you see Alan Bowden behind the wheel of one of our Ogden buses, please take a moment to congratulate him on a job well done.