Reed Looking Good After Day 1

MINNEAPOLIS – The guy to beat, Jackie Reed, is off to a great start, so he says. 

The Mississippi-based FedEx standout and grand champion in 2024 is feeling comfortable after two days of competition at the 88th annual National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships. This is his fourth NTDC.

Don’t take it from us. Reed said it in his own words (redundant): “It was good. It was very challenging, you know, but it was a good course. It had a good flow to it. Not really sure how many green flags I got, but I got my fingers-crossed. But it was challenging.”

Per the written exam: “When I say good, you know, I mean, it makes you have to think a lot of, I guess you would say, critical thinking, you know, and not just a straight, clear answer you had to actually think about.”

And pre-trip: “It was a good pre-trip tooth, I mean really tighten it up this time.” 

The tournament tests the 425 competitors in a pre-trip inspection, a driving course and a written exam. The best of the best is crowned grand champion–29 men have been named blue ribbon champs since 1987. 

Last word from Reed: “Excited, glad to be here, glad I have my wife with me. And just want to try to do my best to see if we can put a score on the board.”