National Truck Driving Championships
Podcast
With a tradition and history that is now approaching nearly 90 years, the 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 (ATA) and the organization’s Safety Management Council, the home for NTDC 2025 will be in Minneapolis. In addition to the competition, the NTDC always features great personal and inspirational stories. PodWheels is proud to share those stories throughout the year – from the State Truck Driving Championships to the Nationals and long after the NTDC has concluded. PodWheels covers it all. PodWheels is honored that our Road To Minneapolis Series has been selected by ATA to serve as the Official Podcast of NTDC 2025.
Latest Episodes
One Month Later, NTDC 2025 Chairman Robert Foskey Looks Back On The Championships
Almost one month to the day that the NTDC 2025 Organizing Committee began its onsite work to prepare for the Opening Day of this year’s Championships, PodWheels caught up with NTDC 2025 Chairman Robert Foskey. In this episode of the podcast, PodWheels Executive...
Celebrating Professional Drivers’ Dedication To Safety, Service & Community
The NTDC 2025 Podcast dedicates this episode to spotlighting the importance of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by looking back at the achievements at NTDC 2025 and on the highways by the 425 state champions who gathered in Minneapolis for this year’s edition...
Champions’ Chat: Dan Shamrell Reflects On NTDC Career While Rollin’ With Roland
As we continue to celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week on the NTDC 2025 Podcast, we are thrilled to bring you a Champions Appreciation edition with a special Rollin’ With Roland episode of the series. About one month prior to the NTDC 2025 competition in...
Appreciating The Performances and Achievements By Nation’s Top Drivers at NTDC 2025
As this year's celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week begins, the NTDC 2025 Podcast dedicates our 80th episode release of the year to take an initial look back at a number of the top performances across the nine vehicle divisions in the competition...
NTDC Wednesday Rewind: Alex Ayala Values Carrying H-E-B’s Banner and Promoting Safety
As we continue our NTDC 2025 Rewind Series from our time onsite in Minneapolis, PodWheels is rolling it back to Wednesday of NTDC Week when we caught up with a friend we met in Columbus two years ago. In 2023, PodWheels Executive Producer was introduced to Alex Ayala,...
Championship Saturday Moment Rewind: Jersey Legend Wilbert Vano Continues To Inspire
Not long after the finalists had been announced and the vehicle parade ended on Championship Saturday in Minneapolis, PodWheels witnessed a moment that we will be featuring with this rewind episode which truly embodies the full spectrum of competition and respect that...
Rewinding To Two Weeks Ago, Looking Deeper Into NTDC 2025
Recorded four days after the closing night of NTDC 2025, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero sit down for an extended look at what took place in Minneapolis during NTDC Week for 2025. As you will hear, Greg is...
Maine NTDC Rewind: Lewis Now Four Generations Deep In Reaching Nationals
One of the many highlights of PodWheels’ onsite coverage of NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis was the time that we spent with the Lewis family. As part of our NTDC 2025 Rewind Series, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson takes us back to Friday of NTDC week when he...
Minnesota NTDC Rewind: Proud Mom Lindy Jackson Blazing Trails In Step Van
On Friday of NTDC Week, we caught up with FedEx Step Van driver Lindy Jackson, who will forever own a piece of Minnesota TDC history with her 2024 first-place finish in the Step Van Division. Lindy’s victory last year made her the first woman to ever win a state...
NTDC Host Rewind: Minnesota’s John Hausladen Inspired By Professional Drivers
On Thursday of NTDC Week, PodWheels had the opportunity to sit down and have an extended conversation with John Hausladen, who has served as the President & CEO of the Minnesota Trucking Association since 1996. As you will hear in this episode of the podcast, NTDC...
NAIC Rewind: Looking Back At 2025 Inspector’s Challenge Competition
In this NTDC Rewind edition of the podcast, we are going to highlight the North American Inspectors Challenge, which is the annual event conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. We will hear the acceptance speech from this year’s winner of the Inspector’s...
Looking Back At NTDC 2025 Grand Championship With The Comings Family
About 45 minutes after David Comings held the Bendix NTDC Grand Championship trophy for the first time while his entire family celebrated the realization of a career dream on the NTDC 2025 stage in Minneapolis, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson was able to...
Rewind With ATA Chairman: Dellinger Salutes Commitment To Excellence At NTDC
Recorded on the opening day of NTDC 2025 Week, ATA Chairman Dennis Dellinger tells our podcast that he was so impressed with his visit to the National Championships in 2024 that he made plans to be onsite in Minneapolis for the entire run of NTDC 2025. As you will...
Championship Saturday Rewind: ATA COO Dan Horvath Values Every Moment of NTDC
When the moment arrived for the Parade of Equipment on Championship Saturday at NTDC 2025, American Trucking Associations Chief Operating Officer Dan Horvath had the honor of driving the lead truck in this special convoy that could be seen inside the Minneapolis...
NTDC Rewind: ATA’s Chris Spear Celebrates Drivers’ Dedication To Safety at ‘Tournament of Champions’
As we begin our NTDC 2025 Rewinds and share unreleased interviews from our onsite coverage in Minneapolis, we will start by presenting our conversation with Chris Spear, the President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. As you will hear in this interview...
2023 NTDC Grand Champion Gragg Wilson Shares Retirement Plans
Not long after the finalists had been announced on Championship Saturday, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson walked up to say hello to two of the past Grand Champions – Wayne Crowder (2004) and Gragg Wilson (2023). In addition to having their names etched...
North Dakota’s David Comings Shines Brightly In Becoming 30th NTDC Grand Champion
Championship Saturday at NTDC 2025 was filled with memorable moments and North Dakota’s David Comings of FedEx Freight shared the realization of a career goal with his six children and his wife Judy cheering him every step of the way. On the eve of his 23rd wedding...
An All-Time Legend Returns For Friday Fun At NTDC 2025
When the second day of driving and pre-trip competition got underway on Friday of NTDC 2025 Week, the annual celebration of safety welcomed Minnesota native and NTDC Legend Ray Simon as one of the spectators. Ray is the only professional driver who has won three...
Getting To Know JoyRide Logistics: A Friend of the Podcast Sponsor Spotlight
The NTDC 2025 Podcast salutes JoyRide Logistics as a Friend of the Podcast Sponsor of our onsite coverage from Minneapolis of this year’s National Championships. JoyRide Logistics will also be joining us for our post-event coverage of all things NTDC, and we wanted to...
Learn More About Project 61: A Friend of the Podcast Sponsor Spotlight
The NTDC 2025 Podcast is grateful for the support of Project 61 as a Friend of the Podcast Sponsor of our onsite coverage from Minneapolis of this year’s National Championships. Project 61 will also be joining us for our post-event coverage of all things NTDC, and we...
Record Number Of Women State Champions In Spotlight At NTDC 2025
On Day Two of NTDC 2025, five vehicle divisions hit the course and went through the Pre-Trip phase of the National Championships, and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero filled his notebook (and audio recorder) with many great conversations. With a record...
Walmart’s Senior Director of Fleet Safety Jason Ahten Discusses Positive Impact of NTDC Program
What do the National Truck Driving & National Step Van Driving Championships mean to the Safety Directors whose companies have drivers who qualify to reach the NTDC competition? Our NTDC 2025 Podcast asked that question and a few more about what has been called...
Day One Of NTDC 2025: Warm Welcomes, Walkthroughs and Test Taking
The NTDC 2025 Podcast opens our onsite coverage of the National Championships in Minneapolis with a look back at Day One. PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero share their reflections on Opening Day of NTDC 2025....
NTDC 2025 Is Here! Let The Fun Begin
As the champions prepare to gather in Minneapolis for today’s Driver Orientation Meeting on the Opening Day of the National Truck Driving & National Step Van Driving Championships, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter...
Part 3 Of NTDC 2025 Preview Series: Looking At Tanker, Sleeper and Twins
In the finale of our three-part preview series, Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson take an inside look at the competitors lining up in the Tanker, Sleeper and Twins vehicle classes. As you’ll hear, the Tanker...
NTDC 2025 Preview Part 2: Going Inside 4-Axle, 5-Axle and Flatbed
Our division-by-division preview of NTDC 2025 continues with deep dives into the 4-Axle, 5-Axle and Flatbed vehicle classes. Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson discuss the return of Joe Hicks, the defending...
NTDC Division Preview Series: Get The Latest On Step Van, Straight Truck and 3-Axle
As we count down the final hours to the start of NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis, Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson introduce the first episode of a three-part series that looks at all nine vehicle class divisions....
North Dakota Grand Champion David Comings Bringing Family Cheering Section To NTDC 2025
David Comings of FedEx Freight has been looking forward to making a family trip to neighboring Minnesota ever since he qualified for NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis by winning the 5-Axle vehicle class at the North Dakota Truck Driving Championships on June 21. The fourth...
In The Money Once Again: North Carolina’s Michael Bills Arriving At NTDC With Third State Grand Championship
A veteran of North Carolina Truck Driving Championships since 2011, Michael Bills of FedEx has become a regular qualifier for a trip to the Nationals. In 2025, Michael navigated his way to his ninth state vehicle class title while also claiming his third Grand...
Groendyke Transport’s Bret Woodring Looking Forward To His Rookie Trip To NTDC
While Bret Woodring from Groendyke Transport was pleasantly surprised to hear his name called as the Tanker Division State Champion at the Oklahoma Truck Driving Championships in June, he was so stunned by the next announcement that a friend had to tell Bret, “It's...