The Road Team has been around since 1996, and its mission has always stayed the same. Members teach students and the public about safe driving and how to share the road with commercial vehicles. Over the years, more than 150,000 students across Florida have learned from Road Team presentations.

Drivers cannot simply sign up. Member companies nominate candidates, and only drivers with strong experience, solid work history, and clean records are considered. To qualify, each nominee must have at least 10 years behind the wheel with a CDL, at least five years with their current company, and a proven commitment to safety. Communication skills matter too, because Road Team members spend a lot of time talking with students and the public.

President and CEO of FTA, Alix Miller, underscored the importance of the program.
“Our Road Team continues their enormous impact on students across the state with collaborative efforts from planning with schools and government groups to the support from our member companies to make it possible. The employing companies are giving their drivers time and the equipment to take to events, because the image of the industry and safety message delivered is so important.”

Meet the 2025 to 2028 Florida Road Team

Matthew Chidester, Walmart Transportation, Palm Bay
A 30-year driver with Walmart. He serves as a Walmart Certified Driver Trainer and Driver Ambassador. He has a spotless safety record and has spent years coaching youth sports.

Christopher Grandshaw, Walmart Transportation, Brooksville
Twenty-five years on the road and more than 2.3 million miles with Walmart. He is a Lead Certified Driver Trainer and Safety Team Pod Captain. He stays active in community events, including the Brooksville Christmas Parade, Wreaths Across America, and multiple hurricane relief efforts.

Demetrius Dee Hastings, UPS, Jacksonville
On the road since 2000 with two million safe miles in the last seven years at UPS. Dee has a military background and has worked as a Manufacturing Supervisor and Logistics Lead in the U.S. Military. His volunteer work includes United Way, Meals on Wheels, Wreaths Across America, and local youth programs.

Larry Johnson, Walmart Transportation, Alachua
Twenty-five years of professional experience with Walmart and more than 1.7 million miles logged. He works as a Driver Ambassador and Ambassador Mentor and stays involved in youth sports.

Michael Lightfoot, Walmart Transportation, Alachua
Twenty-three years of experience, including five with Walmart. He has 361,000 miles with the company and previous experience at R E D and South Point Distribution. He is a Certified Driver Trainer, Store Ambassador, and Wall of Fame honoree.

Russell Rusty Roberts, Walmart Transportation, MacClenny
Nearly three decades on the road and twenty-five years with Walmart. He serves as a Driver Culture Ambassador, Certified Driver Trainer, and Store Ambassador. Rusty is active in food distribution efforts and hurricane relief operations.

Miguel Sanchez, UPS, Jacksonville
A twenty-four-year professional with 1.5 million safe miles in the last seven years. Miguel won the Twins class at the 2025 National Truck Driving Championships and is the 2025 Grand Champion for Florida’s Truck Driving Championships. He gives back as a volunteer Bible Group Leader and basketball league announcer.

Elizabeth Emmanuel, Vice President of Public Affairs, highlighted why these drivers were selected.
The 2025 to 2028 Florida Road Team Captain joins the ranks of an expert group of professionals trained to educate and participate in community events. Our Captains are selected based on their driving record, community involvement, regulatory expertise, and public speaking skills. They’ve had additional testing and training to ensure their presentations adapt to every age group.”

Drivers continuing on the Road Team include:

• Scott Brown, FedEx, Tampa
  • Michael Cherry, Walmart Transportation, Palm Coast
  • Mihaly Ramirez, FedEx, Orlando
  • Omar Stebbins, XPO Logistics, Pompano Beach
  • Anthony Tirone, Walmart Transportation, Fort Pierce
  • Chevelle Walker, Werner Enterprises, Lake City

This new class brings a broad mix of experience, safety commitment, and community involvement. Florida drivers will be seeing these ambassadors at schools, events, and safety programs statewide over the next three years.

Image Source: Florida Trucking Association

Source: Truckers News

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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

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