Moments to Remember From ATA’s Precision Driving Tournament
INDIANAPOLIS — The 2024 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships, held last summer, delivered many stylistically powerful memories.
There was FedEx Freight’s Jackie Reed taking home the Bendix Grand Champion award as well as XPO winning a trio of prestigious national trophies (ie, 4-axle, 5-axle, Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award).
Behind the scenes at the 87th running of the super bowl of trucking safety, nine former grand champions shared a moment together, veteran truckers cheered on colleagues and NTDC’s final round run-off featured two women.
The Nine
Reed didn’t join an illustrious photo-op held on the penultimate day of competition because he had yet to join the grand champions club. But nine former NTDC all-around champions gathered for about an hour at the Indiana Convention Center to reminisce about the old days. The blue ribbon winners photographed by NTDC multimedia guru John Sommers II were: Dick Gillespie (1989, 1991), Gragg Wilson (2023), Roland Bolduc (2017, 2022), Bob Dolan (1990), Don Logan (2012), Dennis Shirar (2008), Mike White (2016), Scott Woodroome (2018, 2019) and Wayne Crowder (2004). Bolduc took on the role of master of ceremony during the photo-op, paving the way for his “Rollin’ with Roland” segment on the Road to NTDC official podcast (produced by PodWheels, powered by RadioNemo).
At the awards banquet, Reed became the newest member of the grand champions club. He reflected on the moment: “Everybody helps each other. No matter who you work for. … This is one big family right here.”
XPO’s 4 Million Mile Man
XPO’s Darrell Thompson from Indianapolis, who reached four million consecutive safe driving miles in 2024, attended the NTDC to cheer for his coworkers. The safety superstar standout told Transport Topics he still was riding high following the company’s recognition of his achievement earlier in the year. As he put it: “It feels fantastic. I'm still floating on cloud nine knowing that I achieved it, you know, with Christ and prayers for my wife. It's just unbelievable. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. And XPO has, they just flooded me with so much flowers and gifts and a brand new truck.”
Nevermind the Boys Club
Illinois’ Rebecca Heck with Landstar Inway Inc., and Arizona’s Ina Daly with XPO advanced to the final round of competition. They were the only women to showcase their skills in the event’s runoff. Daly, 2023’s Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award recipient, competed in flatbed. Heck, a first-time NTDC competitor, competed in 5-axle. Heck told Transport Topics: “The next thing I know I was called to make the final round and I'm like, ‘Wow.’ I am not so arrogant to think that I am anything special by any means. So to make the final round — first trip to nationals — it blew my socks off.”
Transport Topics 2024 coverage team: Eugene Mulero, senior reporter; Judd Hanson, news editor; and John Sommers II, contributing photographer.
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