National Truck Driving Championships

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

You can understand why Scott Lorio of FedEx Freight put a special circle around the dates for NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis. Of course, Scott who has become a regular within the NTDC by winning four state titles and two State Grand Championships while competing in Montana...

There is a part of Pete Dreisbach who must still see his journey to his fourth consecutive NTDC as quite the incredible trip. In this edition of the podcast, Pete tells us how he made the most out of his full-ride NCAA Division I scholarship at VMI earning two...

While he was optimistic about his chances for success at the Colorado TDC in early June, Nick Gaudette from FedEx knew from experience that he would have his hands full during all phases of the competition. Ironically, as he shares with us in this edition of the...

Randy DeVault has never lost the perspective of what it means to go to the nationals as part of his work on the NTDC Organizing Committee and coordinating the Pre-Trip portion of the competition. A previous champion in his NTDC vehicle class, Randy valued every trip...

Robbie Roth’s trip to the NTDC the last time the Championships were held in Minneapolis sparked a number of lasting memories. First of all, the 2007 NTDC marked the first time that Robbie had qualified for the Nationals at a State Champion, representing Missouri as...

As our series is just two episodes away from our 50th release of 2025, we wanted to take a moment to step back from our spotlight interviews to share some fun facts and insights from your NTDC 2025 Podcast co-hosts, Eugene Mulero and Greg Thompson. As you’ll hear,...

If you have ever had the opportunity to spend five minutes with Roland Bolduc, you would see that it’s very clear safety has remained as a constant and a motivator throughout what has been an amazing career that now spans 41 years. As you will hear in this episode of...

Seven months and 45 episodes ago, Jacob Pierce from the American Trucking Associations was the first featured guest on this podcast just three days into the start of the New Year. Now, as we stand less than three weeks away from the start of NTDC 2025, Jacob returns...

When FedEx’s Chris Buswell heard his name called for the first time as the Grand Champion of Massachusetts, it just happened to be the voice of the same person who shared some important advice with Chris several years ago. Brian Singelais, the 2015 National Champ in...

How do you become a living legend within the NTDC Community? That’s the one question we did not ask Dan Shamrell, who is our featured guest on this episode of the podcast. First of all, Dan is far too humble to try to attempt to answer that question. As you will hear...

When the competitors in the Tanker Class gather at NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis, this division will feature three National Grand Champions. Tanker includes the past two NTDC Grand Champions with Jackie Reed in 2024 and Gragg Wilson in 2023. The third member of the Grand...

Much in the same way that professional drivers from across the country prepare for their State TDC that will give them a shot at qualifying for the National Championships, Heath Arnold is drawn to serve as a volunteer at the state and national levels of the...

How do you top winning the State Grand Championship in New York in 2024? Mark McLean of FedEx Freight provided that answer in 2025 when he became the back-to-back Grand Champion from the Empire State. For Mark, who is a veteran of TDC competitions dating back some 20...

Miguel Sanchez of UPS believes in preparation. Like countless professional drivers on the road today, Miguel stays prepared for the unexpected. In the hours before the Florida Trucking Association held its awards dinner for this year’s Sunshine State Truck Driving...

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...