Columbus, Ohio – Forty-five professional truck drivers have advanced to the finals of the National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships, which are being held this year at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Known as the "Super Bowl of Safety," these annual competitions date back to 1937 and inspire tens of thousands of drivers to operate accident-free for the right to compete. This year’s competitors have driven a combined 674 million accident-free miles throughout their careers.
“The past few days have been filled with energy and excitement as the nation’s most elite professional truck drivers demonstrated their mastery of regulations, keen attention to detail and prowess on the challenging courses,” said Rodney Myers, NTDC Chairman and Vice President, HR, FedEx Freight. “We commend all of the finalists who are moving on to the next round, and we thank all of this week’s competitors for their commitment to safety.”
Of the 418 drivers representing 49 states, the following 45 competitors have advanced to drive for the Bendix Grand Championship:
3-Axle:
- Ritch Fundell, FedEx Freight, Illinois
- James Niswander, United Parcel Service, Inc., Kentucky
- Joseph Hicks, XPO, Rhode Island
- Jeremiah Jarvis, FedEx Freight, Vermont
- Barry Kraemer, XPO, Wisconsin
4-Axle:
- Adam Heim, FedEx Freight, Idaho
- Jerry Beckman, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, Iowa
- Bruce Quaal, ABF Freight System, Inc., Minnesota
- Martin McMahon, RIST Transport, New York
- Andrew Rynearson, XPO, Wisconsin
5-Axle:
- John Greene, FedEx Freight, Connecticut
- Humberto Carrillo, FedEx Freight, Nevada
- James Quarles, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, South Carolina
- Julio Pineda, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, Texas
- Michael Martin, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, Virginia
Flatbed:
- Ernest Wagers, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., Kentucky
- Robert Bramwell, ABF Freight System, Inc., Missouri
- Daryl Miller, The Cope Company Salt, Pennsylvania
- James Sowder, FedEx Freight, Tennessee
- Myron Means, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., Wyoming
Sleeper Berth:
- Tyler Rogers, FedEx Freight, Colorado
- Roland Bolduc, FedEx Express, Connecticut
- Kevin Robinson, Publix Supermarkets, Inc., Florida
- Chris Moore, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, Georgia
- David Cady, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, New York
Straight Truck:
- David Coffel, FedEx Express, Arizona
- James Fisher, United Parcel Service, Inc., Illinois
- William Colantuone, FedEx Express, Massachusetts
- James Kohr, FedEx Express, New York
- Michael Bills, FedEx Express, North Carolina
Tank Truck:
- Christopher Perna, FedEx Freight, Florida
- Timothy Vogt, XPO, Georgia
- James Wilson, United Parcel Service, Inc., Nevada
- Jason Imhoff, Wal-Mart Transportation, LLC, Ohio
- Jeremy Thomas, Oliver Fuels & Oils, Inc., West Virginia
Twins:
- Alejandro Fonseca, United Parcel Service, Inc., California
- Michael Flippin, FedEx Freight, Colorado
- Robert Fair, FedEx Freight, New Hampshire
- David Schroeder, FedEx Freight, Ohio
- Jeffrey Langenhahn, XPO, Wisconsin
Step Van:
- Jerome De La Cruz, FedEx Express, Alaska
- Matthew Futral, FedEx Express, Georgia
- Gregory Long, FedEx Express, Maryland
- Alex Lofgren, FedEx Express, Minnesota
- Jaime Bautista, FedEx Express, Washington
The 45 finalists announced this morning will compete in the Championships Finals today, and a Grand Champion will be announced at a banquet reception this evening. For regular updates, follow ATA on social media and #NTDC23.
Sponsors of the 2023 National Truck Driving Championships include:
Platinum:
- Amazon Freight Partner
- Fed Ex
- Fed Ex Express
- Fed Ex Freight
- Fed Ex Ground
- Yellow
Gold:
- ABF Freight
- DHL
- Old Dominion Freight Line
- PrePass
- United Parcel Service
- WalMart-Transportation
- XPO
Silver:
- U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Administration
- PITT OHIO