Sep. 27, 2009 (United Press International) -- A North Carolina man who won a second national truck driving championship says he was once was so nervous competing he could barely work the clutch.

Mick Simpson of Indian Trail, N.C., won his second American Trucking Associations national championships for skilled driving last month in Pittsburgh, but he wasn't always so calm, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Sunday.

Simpson told the newspaper that during his first forays into competitive driving, his leg "was shaking so bad I could barely hold the clutch down." Now, however, after four North Carolina state titles and two national crowns, the driver for Family Dollar stores (NYSE:FDO) has driven 3.5 million miles without an accident.

He said nerves of steel are needed at nationals but competing is a great thrill.

"It's a real high because of the intensity of it," Simpson said.

Drivers in the competition take trucks through a series of maneuvers designed to measure precision in stopping, negotiating tight spaces and making turns.