AVON, Ohio – Among truck drivers, who is the best of the best? The top pros in the country are ready to find out. Next week, they will climb into their trucks and compete at the 86th installment of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC will be there, too, as it continues its tradition of sponsoring the top award at the NTDC. The Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion Award is given to the overall top driver of the four-day competition, which takes place Aug.16-19 in Columbus, Ohio.
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For the 12th straight year, Bendix is honored to celebrate the drivers and their dedication to professionalism and safe roads. Ongoing sponsorship of the award by Bendix highlights the company’s commitment to highway safety and honors the professionals whose skills help create safer roads.
“The NTDC is the premier showcase for honoring America’s safe commercial vehicle drivers, and Bendix is grateful for the chance to support the competition,” said Fred Andersky, director – demos, sales, and service training at Bendix. “These professionals bring exceptional skill and dedication to their role as drivers while also performing a vital job as industry ambassadors and mentors to their fleets’ newer drivers. At every level, these inspiring drivers deserve recognition and thanks, and we extend wishes of good luck to all the 2023 contestants.”
The NTDC – which dates back to 1937, when it was known as the National Truck Rodeo – is the culmination of local, state, and regional truck driving championships from across the country. The event features the winners in eight classes of competition from 50 state trucking associations’ truck driving championships. Drivers compete for First, Second, and Third Place titles, in addition to the Professional Excellence Award, the Vehicle Condition Award, the Rookie of the Year Award, and the highest honor – the Bendix Grand Champion Award. To qualify, all competitors must drive accident-free for at least one year prior to the event. Many competitors have tallied millions of accident-free driving miles.
In Columbus, these top drivers will compete in the championship event, testing their expertise through a written exam, pre-trip inspection test, and the crowd-pleasing skills-based competition course. Inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center, drivers must demonstrate extensive knowledge of safety, equipment, and the industry, as well as put their driving abilities to the test. The driving course challenges drivers to maneuver, reverse, park, and position their vehicles with precision over scales, before barriers, and around curves. In the behind-the-wheel skills course, drivers are tested on their ability to handle their trucks, judge distances, and move through tight spots.
The most recent Bendix Grand Champion Award winner is Roland Bolduc, an East Longmeadow, Massachusetts-based professional driver for FedEx Express, who was crowned the winner of the 2022 competition. He also won the Bendix Grand Champion title in 2017.
