XPO Million Miler Joe Hicks is incredibly humble given all that he has accomplished over his career on the road and while driving at the State TDCs and in the Nationals. He’s quietly becoming a legend in his home state of Rhode Island, and Joe is one of the top competitors everyone expects to see at the NTDCs.

As you will hear in this episode of the podcast, the 2026 Rhode Island TDC provided the opportunity for Joe to win his eighth State Grand Championship and his 12th vehicle class title. Joe also holds the distinction of having a proclamation read at the Rhode Island State House. The proclamation recognizes Joe’s accomplishment of becoming the first professional driver from his state to win a National Championship. Joe brought the 4-Axle title that he earned at NTDC 2024 back home to Rhode Island.

In this conversation, we look back on Joe’s career on the road and in competition. We also talk to Joe on how he is approaching NTDC 2026 in Pittsburgh. In addition, you will hear Joe pay tribute to his wife, Barbara, a school bus driver who serves as a coach in his preparations for the state and nationals. We asked Joe to share some words of wisdom for the rookies and second-year drivers who will be competing at NTDC 2026 this year. You’ll want to stick around until the end of the episode because Joe delivers some sage advice.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

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