In early June, Ritch Fundell brought home his fifth Grand Championship for the state of Illinois. One of the many people in the crowd cheering Ritch as he won the Tanker Class Championship en route to the day’s top trophy was his son, who had driven five hours from...
NTDC
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National Championship Driving Course Design: NTDC 2025 Committee Member Frank Ems Takes Us Inside
What goes into developing the driving courses for the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships? During this episode of the podcast, we asked that question and touched on a number of related topics with Frank Ems, the member of the NTDC 2025...
‘Rhode Warriors’ Chris Maxwell And Al D’Angelo Celebrate Joe Hicks In TDC Look Back
In the days prior to winning what would be his 7th career Rhode Island State TDC Grand Championship, Joe Hicks of XPO was being honored on the floor of the Rhode Island State House. Joe heard a proclamation from the Rhode Island Speaker of the House being read to...
NTDC 2025 Organizing Committee Chair Bob Foskey Ready For Final Countdown
Recorded on June 20 when the start of NTDC 2025 was just 60 days away, this episode of the podcast gave us the opportunity to catch up with Bob Foskey, who is serving as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for NTDC 2025. We talked with Bob on a range of topics,...
Picture Perfect Early Birthday Gift: Ramon Guzman Returning To Nationals
Ramon Guzman of FedEx Freight has become a fixture at the California Truck Driving Championships and he is a true testament to perseverance. Until breaking through in 2025 winning the title in the Flatbed Division, Ramon had claimed his first and only state...
MMTA President & CEO Louis Campion Looks Back At Maryland & Delaware TDCs
What does it take to host a pair of State TDCs at the same location for the first time? We asked this question and many more during our recent conversation with Louis Campion, the President & CEO of the Maryland Motor Truck Association. As you’ll hear, Louis and...
Celebrating The Grand Championship 3-Peat of Kentucky’s John Willinger
How do you win three State TDC Grand Championships in a row? That’s the question we asked Kentucky’s John Willinger a few weeks after he took home the top trophy in the Bluegrass State for a third straight year. A proud member of Team FedEx, John will be making his...
Dan Istre’s Journey Back To NTDC Made Sweeter By Idaho Grand Championship
Over the past 25 years or so, Dan Istre had become a fixture at the Idaho TDC and a regular presence at NTDC, with 23 State TDCs and seven national appearances prior to 2025. Dan was one of the stalwarts on the Yellow Freight Team, but he had to find a new ride...
Tim Stanga Captures Grand Champion’s Gold In Silver State TDC
For 2025 Nevada TDC Grand Champion Tim Stanga, the journey back to the NTDC took a little more than a decade and included a move to Las Vegas. The last time Tim was part of the Nationals field was in 2014 when he qualified as part of Team Arizona as a state champion....
Certain Recognition: TTA TDC Awards Banquet Crowns Champs & Honors Driver of the Year
For this episode of the series, PodWheels went on the road to attend the Tennessee State TDC Awards Banquet that was held on the first Saturday in May, following the two-day competition. Hosted by the Tennessee Trucking Association, the State TDC Banquet not only...
NTDC ‘Oath’ Author Jason Wing Dedicated To Safety & Service To Others
With this episode of the podcast, we are starting a series of features on members of the NTDC Organizing Committee. As we get closer to NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis, we’ll drop in interviews with some of the people who help to make the national championships a reality...
Georgia’s Herschel Evans Pays Tribute To Matt Awbrey With Grand Championship Win
For Herschel Evans and for everyone involved in this year’s Georgia Truck Driving Championships, the event was a true emotional rollercoaster. The cheers for the hard-earned victories that secured championships and positions in the NTDC 2025 field were softened by the...
South Carolina Veteran Competitor Steve Ward Secures His First State Grand Championship
South Carolina’s Steve Ward is no stranger to success at both the State TDC and at the Nationals. Eight years ago, Steve narrowly missed having his name called for a trophy at NTDC 2017. That experience was one of three previous trips Steve has made to the Nationals...
Rollin’ With Roland: Talking With Jimmy Dixon Ahead Of Tri-State TDCs
As the competitors prepare to hit the course this Saturday in the Tri-State TDCs, we saved an interview that two-time National Grand Champion Roland Bolduc recorded with Jimmy Dixon earlier this year for our Rollin' With Roland features. Both Roland and Jimmy are...
Taking Stock Of The Journey So Far On The Road To Minneapolis
Just before the State Trucking Driving Championships got rolling again on May 31, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson sat down with Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero to dedicate an episode of the podcast to looking back at the state TDCs that are...