FedEx Freight Brings 111 Drivers to This Week’s National Truck Driving Championships

FedEx Freight is sending 111 drivers to this week's 2026 National Truck Driving Championships in Pittsburgh, including 18 state Grand Champions and nine past national champions.

FedEx Freight will send 111 professional drivers to this week’s National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, giving the carrier one of the largest teams competing at the American Trucking Associations’ annual safety competition.

Among the group are 18 drivers who earned Grand Champion honors at their state championships this year, nine previous national champions and three defending class champions from the 2025 NTDC.

Experience Takes the Stage

The team’s accomplishments extend well beyond competition. Together, the 111 drivers represent more than 230 million accident-free miles and nearly 2,950 years of professional driving experience. Ninety-six competitors have driven more than one million safe miles, while 22 have surpassed three million accident-free miles.

Those numbers reflect the level of experience required to reach the national stage, where only drivers who qualify through state truck driving championships earn the opportunity to compete.

More Than a Driving Competition

Often called the “Super Bowl of Safety,” the National Truck Driving Championships challenge competitors with a written exam, a pre-trip inspection and a driving course designed to test precision behind the wheel. National titles are awarded across nine vehicle classes, with one competitor also earning the National Grand Champion title.

Hosted annually by the American Trucking Associations, the championships have recognized the nation’s safest professional drivers since 1937.

FedEx Freight’s Championship History

FedEx Freight has built one of the strongest records in the competition’s modern era. Since 2003, company drivers have captured 53 National Championship titles and seven National Grand Champion awards.

Returning this year are Jackie Reed of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the 2024 National Grand Champion, and David Comings of Wahpeton, North Dakota, who claimed the title in 2025. Three defending class champions from last year’s competition will also return to Pittsburgh looking to add another national championship to the carrier’s record.

With another experienced team headed to the National Truck Driving Championships, FedEx Freight will once again be among the carriers to watch as drivers compete for some of the trucking industry’s most respected safety honors.