Despite having won two national championships, multiple state championships and claiming three previous state grand championships, Chris Poynor was not expecting to hear his name called when the Washington Trucking Associations announced its 2025 State Grand Champion in mid-April. As you’ll hear in this super-sized state grand champion edition of the podcast, Chris holds a deep appreciation for his victories in the 2025 Washington State TDC.

Chris, who recently surpassed two million safe driving miles in his career that spans more than 25 years, takes us inside his approach to road safety and his preparations for the state and national driving championships. This episode features two interviews with Chris as he chatted with both Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and with PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson. As you’ll hear, Chris is quick to credit the practice sessions he has done over the years with his cousin, Robert Dean, who is a fellow XPO driver and a past Washington State TDC Grand Champion.

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