PITTSBURGH — The 2026 National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships (NTDC), going on now at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, are shifting into high gear as 45 professional truck drivers from around the country advance to the finals.
Since 1937, the NTCD has inspired thousands of drivers to operate accident-free for the right to compete. This year’s competitors have driven a combined 775 million accident-free miles throughout their careers, according to a statement released by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
“Over the past several days, these professional drivers have demonstrated the skill, discipline, and commitment to safety that define the very best of our industry,” said NTDC Chairman Heath Arnold.
“Every competitor who earned a place at NTDC should be immensely proud of that accomplishment. Advancing to this stage requires countless hours of preparation, unwavering professionalism, and a dedication to excellence behind the wheel,” he continued. “We congratulate the finalists who are moving forward and salute every competitor for exemplifying the highest standards of our industry.”
The drivers competing in this year’s Championships hail from 49 states and represent 55 companies of every size. Of the 429 competitors, the following 45 individuals have advanced to drive for the Bendix Grand Championship:
Step Van
- Ceth Christensen, United Parcel Service Inc., Illinois
- Robert Ledoux, Federal Express Corp., Massachusetts
- Logan Stacho, Federal Express Corp., Ohio
- Rafael Jusfredo, Federal Express Corp., Vermont
- Gregory Long, Federal Express Corp., Virginia
Straight Truck
- Robert Cochran, Federal Express Corp., Maine
- Robert Stokes, PITT OHIO, Maryland
- David May, XPO, New York
- Michael Bills, Federal Express Corp., North Carolina
- Lynn Wilson, Walmart Transportation LLC, Utah
3-Axle
- Chuck Pearson, ABF Freight System Inc., Georgia
- Jeffrey Halford, XPO, Idaho
- Todd Loreman, Walmart Transportation LLC, Louisiana
- John Jadrossich, FedEx Freight, New York
- Chris Poynor, XPO, Washington
4-Axle
- Miguel Corral, United Parcel Service Inc., Illinois
- Stephen Johnson, FedEx Freight, Mississippi
- Todd Gimpel, FedEx Freight, Nebraska
- David Comings, FedEx Freight, North Dakota
- Bryan Krol, The Martin-Brower Company LLC, Pennsylvania
5-Axle
- Adam Heim, FedEx Freight, Idaho
- Robert Bramwell, ABF Freight System Inc., Missouri
- Daniel Bruch, FedEx Freight, New Mexico
- Andres Garcia, FedEx Freight, Texas
- Matthew Boenisch, FedEx Freight, Wisconsin
Flatbed
- Richard Prescott, Walmart Transportation LLC, California
- Karl Wilkerson, United Parcel Service Inc., Illinois
- Darius Uible, United Parcel Service Inc., Kentucky
- Mark Collins, Walmart Transportation LLC, Louisiana
- Kenneth Rageth, FedEx Freight, Wyoming
Tank Truck
- Eric Ramsdell, Walmart Transportation LLC, Arizona
- James Dixon, A. Duie Pyle Inc., Connecticut
- Steven Elliston, Walmart Transportation LLC, Georgia
- Allen McNeely, ABF Freight System Inc., North Carolina
- Paul Waite, A. Duie Pyle Inc., Pennsylvania
Twins
- Gary Mars, Walmart Transportation LLC, Arkansas
- Vladyslav Piatkovskyi, FedEx Freight, Maryland
- Jeffrey Reed, United Parcel Service Inc., New Mexico
- Mark McLean, FedEx Freight, New York
- Ronald Ramon, H-E-B Grocery Co., Texas
Sleeper
- Patrick Condon, Walmart Transportation LLC, Florida
- Ron Marker, Walmart Transportation LLC, Indiana
- Erik McFarland, Fareway Stores Inc., Iowa
- Terry Covey, FedEx Freight, Kansas
- Matthew Fletcher, The Martin-Brower Company LLC, Pennsylvania
The 45 finalists will compete in the Championships Finals today, and a Grand Champion will be announced at a banquet reception this evening.
Greg Thompson is an award-winning writer and producer who has worked in the trucking industry in a variety of roles since 1998. With more than a decade’s worth of experience as a journalist prior entering trucking, Greg is the founder and executive producer of PodWheels.com, a podcast network dedicated to spotlighting the trucking industry.
Since 2019, PodWheels has provided specialized coverage of the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships.
In 2025, PodWheels’ NTDC Series earned the honor of being named the official podcast of the National Championships by the American Trucking Associations, which hosts the annual nationwide competition.
During 2025 alone, PodWheels produced some 100 episodes and provided over 50 hours of podcast content highlighting the competitors, organizers and volunteers involved with the Truck Driving Championships at both the state and national levels. PodWheels’ coverage of the NTDC, including state competitions and other features, is available through RoadToNTDC.com.
