The Road To Pittsburgh has reached its final destination as the NTDC 2026 Podcast is onsite at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in the heart of the Steel City. PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson talked with the first person to navigate the semifinal...
In this episode of the podcast, we visit with Rebecca Olyer, who is the President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association. As you will hear, NTDC 2026 will be the first edition of the National Championships that Rebecca has attended since she took her post...
Terry Luthy from FedEx Freight will have two very unique experiences in tow when he arrives at NTDC 2026 this week in Pittsburgh. First of all, Terry will have the honor of representing South Dakota as the State’s Grand Champion, winning that title and the 5-Axle...
On Sunday morning, two days before the August 11th official start of NTDC 2026, Old Dominion’s Wes Herek will lead the Driving Course Committee out to the floor of the David L. Lawrence Center in Pittsburgh. The months of planning, discussion and reviewing design...
As a professional driver with more than two million safe miles to his credit, XPO’s Steve Iburg understands the important roles that patience and persistence play in his success on the road. As he shares with us in this episode of the podcast, Steve continued to be...
As a veteran volunteer at the NTDCs, Carlos Ortiz was ready when the opportunity arrived for the New Jersey-based Safety Professional with NFI Industries to lead the 2026 Pre-Trip competition that will take place in Pittsburgh. In this edition of the podcast, we take...
As the Chairman of NTDC 2026 National Organizing Committee, Heath Arnold is greatly appreciative of all the work that has been done by the committee, the volunteers, ATA staff and everyone involved in the preparation for this year’s National Truck Driving and National...
What is involved in being ready to welcome State Champions from across the country to the National Truck Driving & National Step Van Driving Championships? Our podcast asked that question and discussed a range of topics with Jacob Pierce, the Executive Director of...
By Tuesday evening of next week, NTDC 2026 will be officially underway as the state champions from across the country will have gathered for the initial driver meeting and orientation, the written test will be in the books and the walk-through of the semifinal course...
Once Don Jones got a taste of winning vehicle class championships and going to Nationals for the first time back in 2022, the FedEx Freight veteran from Montana has not stopped winning. In this episode of the podcast, Don takes some time to look back at a run that now...
In early June, Miguel Sanchez completed the circle on what has been an incredibly successful 12-month run for the veteran UPS driver. Competing in the Florida State TDCs, Miguel made a successful defense of his Twins Class title and he also brought home the Sunshine...
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...
When veteran Walmart driver Eric Ramsdell won the Tanker Class title at the Arizona State TDC earlier this year, he did not take another trip to the NTDCs for granted. Instead, as he has done every year since he first qualified for his first Nationals in 2000, he...
Even though Ernie Budlowski ventured into some new territory within a familiar place during the 2026 Connecticut State TDCs, the veteran XPO driver still found the route to a championship result. As you’ll hear in this edition of the podcast, Ernie has been a part of...
There’s no question that Kevin Lemar of FedEx Freight has established an impressive track record for winning at the Delaware State TDC. As you’ll hear in this episode of the podcast, Kevin has won a Vehicle Division title and qualified for Nationals in each of the...
