At the Maryland Truck Driving Championship in June, FedEx Freight driver Joyce Bain captured first place in the 5-axle class. A seasoned competitor, Bain outperformed the state field to earn a spot at this month’s National Truck Driving Championship and National Step Van Driving Championships in Minneapolis.
The 2025 NTDC will feature a record 15 women among the field of competitors. The previous high of 11 female drivers was set in 2014 and matched in 2022. Reflecting on her qualifying performance, Bain told Transport Topics, “It means that you have to have a year of accident-free driving. And if I were the owner of a company, I’d want all my drivers to go because that means you’re gonna have fewer accidents. If you haven’t done the [truck driving championships], you need to try it out.”
State-level champions across nine vehicle classes advance to the national stage. Maintaining a yearlong accident-free record is required for both state and national competition.
This year, more than 400 drivers will test their skills at the Minneapolis Convention Center from August 20-23. Competitors will be evaluated on industry knowledge, pre-trip inspections, and precision maneuvering through challenging courses.
NTDC categories include straight truck, 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, sleeper berth, tanker, twins, and flatbed. The event also features the National Step Van Driving Championships.
Angela Griffin, a trucking lifestyle influencer who competed in Maryland alongside her husband Scott and trained with Bain, emphasized the impact of NTDC. “I do think it has a giant impact on the entire global [industry], because it does allow you to have … a wider perspective of what’s going around,” she said. Griffin added, “It just puts you in more of a mindset to want to encourage others who are not drivers to learn about the industry and be safe around trucks.”
Key Details for NTDC 2025:
- What: 88th annual National Truck Driving Championships and Step Van Driving Championships
- Who: State-level winners across eight categories advancing to nationals, with a Grand Champion crowned
- Defending Champion: FedEx Freight tank truck driver Jackie Reed of Mississippi
- Evaluation: Written exam, pre-trip inspection, and driving skills
- When: August 20-23
- Where: Minneapolis
Arizona’s Ina Daly, an XPO driver, America’s Road Team captain, and the only woman to have won a national title at NTDC (tanker division, 2013), qualified this year in the flatbed division. Speaking at a recent Women in Motion forum, Daly shared, “I’m looking forward to seeing everybody that we only get to see at the nationals, but I’m also excited about the competition and the challenge and representing my company, my state.” She added, “The whole joy of the NTDC program to me is that every year you’re going to make new friends. It gives you the incentive to try and come back again the next year.”
NTDC celebrates the nation’s top drivers in safety and precision. Winners in the nine classes earn national titles, and the best-in-show receives the Bendix NTDC Grand Champion trophy.
Several former Grand Champions are returning this year, including Nevada’s Gragg Wilson (UPS, 2023), Wisconsin’s Jeffrey Langenhahn (XPO, 2014), Ohio’s Scott Woodrome (2018, 2019), last year’s winner Jackie Reed (Mississippi), Utah’s Dale Duncan (2006, 2009), and Connecticut’s Roland Bolduc (2017, 2022). Bolduc noted, “All these grand champions, they’re just awesome people; down to earth; part of the NTDC family.”
About a third of the national field will include FedEx drivers. Competitors from UPS, Walmart, Pitt Ohio, Old Dominion, XPO, and ABF Freight make up most of the remaining lineup.
Jacob Pierce, executive director of ATA’s Safety Management Council & Transportation Security Council, said on the NTDC podcast, “This is why we do this event, to showcase the best of the best. And that’s why we work so hard to make sure it’s driver-focused. It’s always about the driver, and it’s always about celebrating [safety].”
Before the competition, an introductory forum will include keynote addresses from leaders at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the ATA, along with representatives from Minnesota’s law enforcement and transportation agencies.
North American Inspectors Championship:
Running alongside NTDC, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will host the North American Inspectors Championship with 45 traffic experts from the U.S. and Canada. CVSA President Collin Mooney described the tournament as a way to “test, recognize, and award commercial motor vehicle inspector excellence.” Competitors will receive hands-on training covering mobile driver’s licenses, electronic parking brake inspections, light-duty vehicles, and hazardous materials regulations.
Col. Christina Bogojevic of the Minnesota State Patrol praised the event, saying, “This event is an opportunity to recognize the incredible skill and dedication of the men and women who keep our roads safe, while also learning from one another and sharing best practices. We’re proud to host this year’s competition and celebrate the teamwork between inspectors and the trucking industry that helps ensure safe and reliable transportation across North America.”
Image Source: XPO driver Ina Daly on the last day of the 2024 NTDC in Indianapolis. Daly is the only woman to win a national class title, prevailing in the tanker division in 2013. (Source: John Sommers II for Transport Topics)
Source: Transport Topics
