UPS Driver Named 2023 National Truck Driving Champion

James Gragg Wilson, a dedicated UPS driver hailing from Nevada, has emerged as the triumphant winner of the prestigious Bendix Grand Champion title at the highly anticipated 2023 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).

From Aug. 16 to 19, the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio played host to this thrilling competition, where skilled drivers from across the nation gathered to showcase their talent and expertise behind the wheels of commercial trucks.

“Gragg delivered a flawless performance to take home our industry’s top prize and earn the title of Grand Champion,” said American Trucking Associations (ATA)President and CEO Chris Spear. “This accomplishment epitomizes his entire career, with 37 years and more than 2.5 million miles of accident-free driving. All of the professional drivers who competed this week are phenomenal ambassadors for our industry. They are shining examples of highway safety, and their commitment to excellence makes us proud.”

Commonly known to those in the industry as the “Super Bowl of Safety,” this annual event has been a tradition since 1937. This year, the competitors amassed an impressive total of over 643 million accident-free miles throughout their professional driving careers.

Claiming the title was Wilson, whose exceptional driving accuracy and extensive knowledge of truck safety earned him the highest score among 418 state champion professional truck drivers from 49 states, spanning all vehicle classes. This remarkable achievement was confirmed by an ATA news release.

Notably, Wilson has achieved an impressive record, having won the Nevada State Championship 13 times across six different classes. He has also secured the title of Grand Champion five times in Nevada. This outstanding success led to Wilson being named the 2019 Nevada Driver of the Year.

In addition to Wilson’s accomplishments, the ATA also bestowed the title of “Rookie of the Year” upon Myron Means of Wyoming, a professional driver for Old Dominion Freight Line. Furthermore, the Connecticut drivers team secured the top spot for their collective score and was celebrated as the leading state delegation.

During the awards banquet, Ina Daly of Arizona, a professional driver for XPO Logistics, was honored with the esteemed Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award. Another standout recipient was Bill Graham, who was chosen for the prestigious Lifetime Volunteer Award.

“Congratulations to Grand Champion Gragg and the rest of the 2023 champions. These drivers devote an enormous amount of time preparing for this competition, and the awards reflect the extraordinary dedication and commitment to safety that they bring to their jobs every day,” said Dan Van Alstine, chairman of ATA and president and COO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems. “I would also like to thank the staff and volunteers for organizing this week’s event. Their efforts were instrumental to once again making NTDC a big success.”

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has been proudly sponsoring the prestigious Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion since 2011.

This year, top performers from each of the nine vehicle classes were recognized and celebrated. Check out the impressive lineup of champions and top finishers below.

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