National Truck Driving Championships
Podcast
Earning the name “the Super Bowl of Safety,” National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships features a collection of the best and most accomplished professional drivers in the country from nine different classifications. To qualify to be a part of the championship, each of the competitors had to win their respective state championship within one of those categories. Plus, they had to also stay accident-free for the past 12 months.
Hosted by the American Trucking Associations and the organization’s Safety Management Council, the home for NTDC 2024 will be Indianapolis. In addition to the competition, the NTDC always features great personal and inspirational stories. PodWheels Powered By RadioNemo is proud to share those stories throughout the state competitions, and we’re thrilled to be onsite for the Nationals in August.
Latest Episodes
Consistency and Dedication Guide Joe Hicks’ Journey To NTDC Greatness
Joe Hicks, a proud product of Rhode Island, is in the spotlight for this National Champions edition of the podcast. You will hear Joe talk about his title win in the Four-Axle Division at NTDC 2024 with Eugene Mulero, co-host of the podcast and a Senior Reporter with...
Inspired By His Father, Dave Mogler Has Carried Forward A Legacy Of Safety Excellence
In this National Champions Series Edition of the podcast, we will be spending time with Dave Mogler, who brought home the top trophy in the three-axle division during NTDC 2024. Dave was also the captain of Team Colorado, which earned the State Champion honors at the...
ATA’s Jacob Pierce Ready To Start On The Road To Minneapolis And NTDC 2025
The time has arrived to officially start our podcast journey toward NTDC 2025 and the road to Minneapolis. The first mile of the trip begins with our interview with Jacob Pierce from the American Trucking Associations. Jacob is an Executive Director for ATA overseeing...
Jim Kohr’s Final Straight Truck NTDC Run Delivers A National Title
NTDC Straight Truck title holder Jim Kohr is in the spotlight during this 2024 National Champions edition of the podcast. While Jim is no stranger to the NTDC and the Final Five Run-Off, 2024 marks the first time that Jim claimed a national championship. Ironically,...
Youth Is Served, Inspiration Sparked With Connor Dent’s National Twins Title
Our National Champions Interview Series continues on the podcast as Connor Dent joins us to discuss winning the 2024 NTDC Twins Title at the age of 25. As you will hear, Connor shares his passion for truck driving, his journey to becoming a national champion and his...
Giving Thanks For Our Listeners And Launching Our National Champions Series
As Thanksgiving Day approaches, our podcast takes some time to reflect on the past year and the tremendous support of our listeners. Also, in this episode, you will hear the first segment in our National Champions Series as we begin to feature the nine professional...
Celebrating Grand Champion Jackie Reed & Special Memories of NTDC 2024
In this can’t miss episode, our podcast returns after a brief break to feature the first in-depth interview with Jackie Reed, the Grand Champion of NTDC 2024. Jackie spoke with Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero. The interview featured in this episode took...
Appreciating All Talents Of Drivers & Celebrating Champions Of Safety
This episode of our series spotlights two moving moments from Championship Saturday at NTDC 2024. Once you hear them, you’ll know they are moments that call on us to pause and reflect on the immense talents of professional truck drivers. As the industry and the...
Trucking & Law Enforcement Come Together With NTDC & NAIC Events
One of the many great parts of the National Truck Driving & National Step Van Driving Championships is that the event is held in the same location as the North American Inspectors Challenge (NAIC). Both competitions feature top professionals in their respective...
Convoy Of Hope Shines In First Trip To NTDC
The Convoy Of Hope is familiar with answering the call for assistance. As an organization dedicated to feeding children throughout the world and a specialist in providing help with disaster response, the Convoy Of Hope knows how to get involved and lend a hand. Prior...
Celebrating Carl Krites’ Emotional & Inspirational Visit To NTDC 2024
On Championship Saturday, XPO’s Wilbert Vano was pleasantly surprised when he spotted an old friend walk into the Indianapolis Convention Center as the championship drive-off round was taking place. Fellow XPO driver Carl Krites, who earned the 2010 National Grand...
Road Team Captains Antoine Sadler & Anthony Tirone Share Their Journey and Insights
In this onsite conversation with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show, Antoine Sadler and Anthony Tirone share their respective journeys within the trucking industry and the paths that brought them to be selected as America’s Road Team Captains earlier this year. As you...
Going From The Farm To The Highway: The Inspiring Story of Pete Palczynski
Pete Palczynski has dedicated his working life to two of America’s essential industries – farming and trucking. During his visit with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show onsite in Indianapolis, Pete discusses his lifelong passion for farming and truck driving. Pete shares...
Empowering The Future: Next Generation In Trucking Association Helping To Pave The Way
Lindsay Trent from the Next Generation In Trucking Association joins Jimmy Mac from the Dave Nemo Show in this onsite segment at NTDC 2024. As you will hear, the conversation highlights NextGen Trucking’s efforts to introduce trucking programs in high schools. In...
Colorado’s Nate McCarty Looks Back AT TDC Competitions & His Career Journey
In this episode, Nate McCarty talks with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show about his career journey that has been highlighted by serving in the military and excelling in the trucking industry. This year, Nate’s dedication to safety helped him win the Straight Truck...
Ron Round: A Model of Consistency In The Super Bowl Of Safety
Ron Round, a veteran driver with 36 years of experience who continues to be inspired by the NTDC, joins Jimmy Mac from the Dave Nemo Show to talk about his career in trucking and his involvement in the Super Bowl of Safety. From watching his first precision driving...
Celebrating A Trucking Icon: Ralph Garcia’s Journey and Retirement Plans
In this episode, Jimmy Mac from the Dave Nemo Show puts the spotlight on Ralph Garcia, a revered member of the truck driving community and a long-time contributor to the industry. Ralph shares his experiences from his early days in trucking, his involvement with...
Wayne Crowder Reflects On His Rookie-Rookie Grand Championship In 2004
It’s been exactly 20 years since Wayne Crowder became the one (and still only) person to win the National Grand Championship as a “rookie-rookie.” In this conversation with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show, Wayne shares his remarkable journey in the truck driving...
ATA’s Chris Spear On NTDC’s Role In Celebrating The Importance of Safety
During his visit with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear offers the highest praise for the National Championships and the standard of safety excellence the NTDC competitors have set for the trucking industry. As you’ll hear, Chris...
Getting To Know First-Year Road Team Captains Bernie Wanyo and Mike Whitehead
The trip to be a part of NTDC 2024 stood as another highlight for both Bernie Wanyo and Mike Whitehead. Earlier this year, Bernie and Mike, along with 22 other top professional drivers, were named to serve as Captains on America’s Road Team. In this chat with Jimmy...
Bob & Byron Bramwell: Celebrating A Father-Son Legacy At NTDC
During this interview by Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show, we catch up with Bob and Byron Bramwell, whose family traditions speak to not only the career opportunities that trucking provides, but to the dedication to safety and service that stand at the heart of the...
Kirk Weiss Looks Back On His Start In Trucking, The Importance of Safety & Staying Fit on the Road
Kirk Weiss of ABF Freight discusses his journey to find the trucking industry with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show. As Kirk shares with us, his trucking career began after being laid off from a factory job. Kirk was pleasantly surprised by being allowed to practice...
Catching Up With Herschel Evans, A True Knight of the Road
At NTDC 2024, Herschel Evans got an opportunity to look back on what has been an amazing career in the trucking industry. A two-time National Champion at NTDC, Herschel’s many great works both inside and outside the industry, including organizing an annual precision...
2023 Grand Champ Gragg Wilson Looks Back At An Eventful Year
Gragg Wilson opened NTDC 2024 with a speech to all of this year’s competitors that reminded the field of 400-plus professional drivers just how special a journey they made to Indianapolis. In this conversation with Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo Show, Gragg looks back at...
First-Time Visit To NTDC Is Memorable For Dennis Dellinger
NTDC 2024 marked the first time that Dennis Dellinger had made the trip to watch the national competition. Serving as First Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations, Dennis had the opportunity to welcome the 400-plus competitors on the opening day of NTDC...
Meet Ritch Fundell: From Dock Worker to Champion Driver
In this episode, we get to know Ritch Fundell, who earned National Runner-Up honors in the Three-Axle Division during NTDC 2024. Ritch is now in his 26th year as a professional behind the wheel, with 20 of those being a part of the FedEx Freight fleet. Speaking with...
Ina Daly’s Trailblazing Journey in Trucking
With this episode, we catch up with Ina Daly, the only woman to win a National Championship in the history of the NTDC. At this year’s competition, Ina was once again a standout, reaching the finals in the Flatbed Division. Jimmy Mac of the Dave Nemo leads Ina on a...
Mic’d Up: Roland Bolduc Leads Fun Q&A Session With Grand Champion Group
One of the true highlights of NTDC 2024 took place just off the driving course during the competition’s third day when the organizing committee brought together nine of the NTDC Legends who have won the title of Grand Champion. Our NTDC Podcast was on hand as some of...
NTDC Competitors Hit The Driving Course: An Inside Look
As the competitors from five of the driving classifications hit the driving course, our podcast team of PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero worked to take our listeners inside the happenings at NTDC 2024....
Day One of NTDC 2024: Going Behind The Scenes In Indianapolis
As we hit the ground in Indianapolis for the NTDC 2024, our podcast was on hand for the orientation and welcome for this year’s field of competitors. In this episode of the podcast, Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and PodWheels Executive Producer Greg...