FedEx’s Coffel Repeats as Grand Champion
Arizona’s most important venue for precision driving is the truck driving championships—an annual forum for hundreds of competitors, families and friends that typically takes place in the central part of the state.
Its immense relevance in elevating the status of elite drivers took its current form nearly three decades ago, under a group of enthusiasts and volunteers who trained aggressively with quasi-pugnacious swagger. To the point, the Grand Canyon State has produced national title winners.
The latest Arizona TDC grand champion — the obvious frontrunner to lead the state at this summer’s National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Driving Championships — is David Coffel with FedEx Express.
The back-to-back grand champion, and recent new father, is headed to his fifth nationals this August in Minneapolis.
Reflecting on his state victory earlier this month, he told Transport Topics some things you just don’t forget: “Day of, yeah, the formula still applies: Buckle down, knock out the test. Do your best pre-trip and pay attention. Run your best course and see where it all stacks up.”
“When you see the course and you game-plan how you want to run it, yeah, muscle memory kind of, I guess, just kicks in— of, ‘okay, I want to be in a certain spot.’ Get to that spot and, you know, just, you know how to drive a truck, so just drive the truck,” he added.
With nationals just a few months away, the joys of fatherhood and the support from Team FedEx is a constant source of inspiration. As Coffel put it, “Get some more practice, some more studying done.”
“Got a lot of time between now and nationals to study the book. Feel like, really, pre-trip—I got to buckle down. I wasn't happy with that pre-trip performance this year. So just practicing a couple little things and getting that squared away and I think we'll be in line to do our best.”
Name: David Coffel
Age: 37
From: Phoenix
Class: 4-axle
Favorite food: lasagna
Top vacation spot: Orlando, Fla.
Best flick: Jurassic Park
Last word: “Stay safe. That's the only reason we're able to do this.”
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