David Comings of FedEx Freight celebrates his 2025 NTDC grand championship with wife Judy in Minneapolis. (American Trucking Associations)
May 26, 2026 4:52 PM, EDT
Key Takeaways:
- Eighteen states have completed NTDC qualifying tournaments, with more competitions continuing nationwide.
- Reigning grand champion David Comings has qualified to defend his title in Pittsburgh this summer.
- The championships test drivers through written exams, inspections and on-course skills across multiple classes.
The qualifying season is underway for American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships, with hundreds of commercial drivers competing in state tournaments for a spot at the industry’s pre-eminent safety competition.
Top finishers from nine vehicle classes will advance to the 89th annual event, to be held this summer at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh on Aug. 11-14.
Thus far this year, 18 states have completed their qualifying tournaments. Among them is North Dakota, home to reigning NTDC grand champion David Comings of FedEx Freight. He qualified May 9 in the 4-axle class to return to nationals seeking a repeat title.
Camaraderie and Competition
Competing for a fifth time at NTDC, Comings said the appeal of the event extends beyond the competition.
“The atmosphere and the camaraderie of all the different drivers — I never would have imagined I’d have so many trucking friends from all over the country,” Comings told Transport Topics soon after qualifying. “I love the competition, and I love having a common goal.”
Comings captured the 2025 Bendix NTDC Grand Champion Award with the top overall performance across all classes.
“At FedEx, Safety Above All guides everything we do,” said John A. Smith, chief operating officer of U.S. and Canada ground operations for FedEx, soon after Comings took home the 2025 title. “I’m proud of our team’s outstanding performance at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships. Their dedication to safety and outstanding service is clear in every mile they drive.”
Past Champions
Comings edged out two-time grand champion Roland Bolduc of Massachusetts for the title last year. Bolduc is a longtime TDC and NTDC competitor and co-founder of New England’s Roadeo Research and Development Facility. He appears on the covers of the first two NTDC history books, published in 2023 and 2025 by ATA. He also was featured in a recent ATA documentary chronicling his career at FedEx Express.
Connecticut’s Roland Bolduc of FedEx celebrates his first of two NTDC grand championships in Orlando, Fla., in 2017. (TT File Photo)
When not competing, Bolduc contributes to NTDC’s official podcast, PodWheels, through a segment titled “Rollin’ with Roland.”
“I like talking about Truck Driving Championships,” Bolduc told TT recently. “My NTDC family loves the subject — my blood relatives are a little tired of hearing about it.”
Also qualifying for nationals is Mississippi-based Jackie Reed of FedEx Freight, who will compete in the tanker division. Reed, a new member of ATA’s America’s Road Team, won the NTDC grand champion title in 2024.
The Senator
Few individuals have shaped NTDC more than Rick Cates.
A lifetime member of the NTDC organizing committee with more than five decades of involvement, Cates — known throughout the event as “The Senator” — will make his final appearance this August in Pittsburgh.
Over the years, Cates has played a central role in expanding media coverage, preserving NTDC’s oral history, mentoring volunteers, influencing course design and test structures, advising during final rounds, recruiting organizers and competitors, and advocating for trucking safety across the industry. He provided foundational insight for NTDC’s history books.
Rick Cates shuttles then U.S. Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana around the course at the 2024 NTDC in Indianapolis. (TT File Photo)
Asked about the key to success at NTDC, Cates offered simple advice.
“Practice, practice, practice,” he said. “Practice when you’re driving — use stoplights, crosswalks, alley docks, right turns. The grand champions practice every day while they’re out delivering freight or going over the road.”
Cates’ influence extends beyond the competition floor. ATA Safety Management Council Executive Director Jacob Pierce, who assists with NTDC production and co-authored the two history books, is among the many industry leaders mentored by Cates.
NTDC 2026
- Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level who have advanced to the national competition, where a grand champion will be crowned
- What: Contestants are judged on a written exam, pre-trip inspection and driving skills
- When: Aug. 11-14
- Where: Pittsburgh
“ATA and the NTDC Committee are excited to return to Pittsburgh for the 2026 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships,” Pierce said. “This year’s event will bring together the nation’s top drivers for a showcase of talent, precision and safety excellence.”
The championships, which date to 1937, are expected to draw more than 400 of the nation’s safest and most skilled professional drivers for a week of competition, camaraderie and celebration. Competitors will be tested in a written examination, pre-trip inspection and driving skills. Eight classes will be contested: straight truck, 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, sleeper berth, tanker, twin trailers and flatbed. The event also features the National Step Van Driving Championships.
