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 some time to look back with Carlos at his involvement in both the NTDCs and the New Jersey TDCs over the years. We also look ahead to NTDC 2026 and discuss the work that Carlos and the Pre-Trip Committee have been doing to prepare for the Nationals. This is his first year leading the Pre-Trip Committee after working for a number of years with the equipment that is part of the Nationals.

As you’ll hear, Carlos has a deep appreciation for the State Champions gathering in Pittsburgh and the community of support that is always a part of the Nationals with family, friends and everyone who is a part of the NTDC Community. While Carlos did not provide any hints about the defects included in this year’s Pre-Trip competition, he did share some sage advice for the 429 State Champions coming to Pittsburgh that you can hear during the closing moments of our conversation. 

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

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