NTDC Leadership Salutes Competitors

MINNEAPOLIS — The beauty of the National truck Driving Championships is that anything can happen. 

A newcomer to the contest might outperform a field of tested veterans. A longtime competitor could finally step onto the spotlight. 

There could be circumstances that cause sudden changes to the schedule. Or, an unplanned moment might occur that leads to a distraction. Again, anything can happen. 

For NTDC’s organizing committee current Chairman Robert Foskey the task is simple: Put on an event that runs smoothly. Preparation is key to achieving such success at the National Truck Driving Championships and the National Step Van Driving Championships, which will be in its 88th annual showing this August. 

Speaking to Transport Topics this month following a tour of the Minneapolis Convention Center with the NTDC committee, Foskey explained his colleagues surveyed the venue to ensure competitors and their families have everything they need to enjoy the event. 

“It gave people the opportunity to get out — the committee members that oversee the course, the pre-trip; the [Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance] — to get a good look at the area where they'll be setting up their specific projects: the course, the pre-trip, the CVSA, knowing where the drivers are gonna be domiciled and held. And making sure just everything flows good; where it works,” said the chairman. Adding for emphasis: “We can put eyes on a plan that we've drawn up and be able to make sure it's gonna all come together in August.”

NTDC organizers are busy encouraging more drivers to participate at their state trucking championships. The greater the statewide audiences the better the national contest’s experience might be. (April will feature state qualifiers in Idaho, Arizona and California, among others.) 

The upcoming national tournament — a forum for more than 400 of the country’s top commercial precision drivers — will define itself by its commitment to safety and camaraderie. 

As Foskey put it, “Make sure, one, that you practice. Be aware of what you're getting into … read your ‘Facts for Drivers’ book—know that material, fine-tune your pre-trip, and prepare yourself mentally for the skills course. And then once you get here, just remember what got you here and continue to do that.”

NTDC and NSVDC will be held Aug. 20-24 in Minneapolis. The tournament tests competitors’ knowledge of federal regulations outlined in “Facts for Drivers,” a pre-trip vehicle inspection and a driving course. Nine vehicle classes compete at the event which coincides with CVSA's North American Inspectors Championship.

(Robert Foskey, wearing a safety vest, assisting attendees at NTDC in 2024. Photo by E. Mulero)