In his work on the second edition of the From Roadeo To TDC history book on NTDC last year, Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero had the opportunity to conduct an extended interview with Mike Alpine, the 2004 National Champion in the Auto Hauler Vehicle Class. Now, as you’ll hear beginning at the 19-minute mark of this episode, Mike holds the distinction of being the final Auto Hauler National Champ as that vehicle class was not offered as part of the competition beginning in 2005.

What makes Mike’s accomplishment in 2004 even more impressive and memorable is the fact that he was competing as a rookie in the last run of the Auto Hauler Class. During this 2025 interview that Eugene conducted, you will also hear how Mike returned to the TDC and NTDC 18 years later in 2022 representing ABF Freight and the state of Arizona.

Mike, who holds the incredible accomplishment of over four million accident-free miles, returned to the nationals as an Arizona State Champion in 2023 and 2024. Mike’s observations on what the NTDC means to him and the indelible impression that being part of the competition made on his dedication to safety can be heard throughout this interview.

This episode of the podcast opens with Greg Thompson and Eugene Mulero noting the selection of two recent NTDC National Champions as Captains on America’s Road Team for 2026-27. Greg and Eugene salute Mississippi’s Jackie Reed and Florida’s Miguel Sanchez on being a part of the new class of America’s Road Team Captains, which was announced on January 20th. In 2024, Jackie won the Tanker Division National Title en route to earning the honor of becoming NTDC’s Grand Champion for that year. Miguel claimed the 2025 Twins National Championship after winning the Grand Championship at the Florida TDC. We hope you enjoy this super-sized episode of our series. To buy a copy of the From Roadeo To TDC history book online, please click here.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

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