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As part of our 2025 National Champions Series, Ed Hill from FedEx Freight joins the podcast to look back at winning his first career National Championship last August in Minneapolis. The pride of Delaware, Ed first entered his state TDC in 2022 and he came away with the Rookie of the Year, a state title and a trip to the Nationals. As you will hear, Ed returned to be a part of the elite NTDC field in 2023 and 2024 before making his fourth consecutive Nationals last year. It was at NTDC 2025 in the Flatbed Division that Ed heard his name called for the runoff and then as a National Champion.

In this episode, we take a look back at Ed’s career in trucking, his experiences at NTDC and how he was able to breakthrough in 2025 with his first Vehicle Class National Crown.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post Steady Climber Ed Hill Recalls Reaching Flatbed Summit At NTDC 2025 appeared first on PodWheels.

Jerry Maldonado, who is the Chairman of the Board for the Laredo Motor Carrier Association, is our guest for this Borderless Coverage edition of the Trucking Matters Podcast Series. Jerry is also part of the Management Team at Warren Transport, where he is the Director of Laredo and Mexico Operations. Jerry has over 20 years of successful management and leadership experience within the transportation industry, including serving as part of the Executive Committee and a Board Member with the Texas Trucking Association. As you will hear, Jerry shares insights on the future of cross-border trade and the importance of unity in the trucking community.

Your host for this edition of the podcast is Borderless Coverage Founder Mark Vickers, who is an Executive Vice President and the Head of International Logistics at Reliance Partners. Mark will be talking with Jerry about his journey in the trucking industry and the importance of relationships in cross-border trade. They discuss the role of the Laredo Motor Carrier Association in advocating for the trucking industry, the infrastructure developments at the Port of Laredo and the challenges posed by tariffs and trade uncertainties. Jerry shares insights on the future of cross-border trade and the importance of unity in the trucking community.

RELIANCE CAN HELP: Are you in the market for cross-border insurance coverage? Borderless Coverage is a Reliance Partners‘ business that enables international companies to conduct safe and profitable business in North America and across North American borders. We provide cross-border insurance. Our team consists of business minded cross-border supply chain consultants, economists, insurance experts, lawyers and global trade agreement negotiators, including the most recent lead negotiators of USMCA from Mexico. To learn more about the offerings available through Borderless Coverage from Reliance Partners, please click here.

The post LMCA’s Jerry Maldonado Building Bridges in Cross-Border Trade appeared first on PodWheels.

Greg Thompson and Eugene Mulero are back on the show together for the first time in a few weeks, and their first topic of 2026 is the upcoming Safety Drive For A Cure. For those who may not know, Safety Drive is the annual charity event led by America’s Road Team Captain Herschel Evans. This event brings together NTDC hopefuls from across the country in an annual campaign that raises money for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research while also providing professional drivers the opportunity to get some high-level “Spring Training” competition prior to the State TDC Season.

In their discussion of the upcoming 15th edition of the Safety Drive, which will take place in Atlanta on March 14, Greg and Eugene talk about the opportunity to volunteer at the event. You’ll also hear Greg and Eugene talk about reaching the 100-episode milestone for podcast releases of the NTDC Series in 2025 as well as some of their plans for coverage of the TDC Season and NTDC 2026. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Safety Drive 2026, please click here. If you would like to register to compete at Safety Drive 2026, please click here. To learn more about Safety Drive and how your donations help the work of the Pediatric Brain Cancer Foundation, you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post Sending Out A Call For Safety Drive 2026 Volunteers appeared first on PodWheels.

For this National Champions’ edition of the podcast, we look back at NTDC 2025 and Jeff Langenhahn’s run to the title in the Tanker Class. All things considered, it was clear Jeff was poised to have a great week last August. After all, Minneapolis was relatively close to his home in Wisconsin and that meant it was easy for members of Jeff’s family to make the trip.

While Jeff, the 2014 NTDC Grand Champion, had the NTDC Grand Champs from 2023 and 2024 with him in Tanker, he also had his daughter, son-in-law and young grandson in the crowd cheering him to what became his third National Championship in his 12th NTDC trip that now includes seven appearances in the final runoff.

As you’ll hear in this episode, we take a trip back to August with Jeff and his experience at NTDC 2025. We also discuss his career both at NTDC and his many years on the road with XPO, which includes more than two million accident-free miles driven. As we look ahead to NTDC 2026, Jeff will be ready to make another run to qualify for the Nationals.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post Revisiting Jeff Langenhahn’s Tanker Title Run, Third National Crown In Stellar Career appeared first on PodWheels.

The Grawe Pod opens the year by discussing a collection of strategic questions, including: Is your company prepared to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities that will be found in the 2026 trucking and logistics market? Is your Sales strategy aligned with your Operations and Recruiting strategies? Have you defined your ideal customer? Have you properly evaluated your bid participation strategies ahead of the RFP opportunities that are coming up this year?

Grawe Group Founder & CEO Doug Grawe and Grawe Group Executive Business Partner Gary Randall begin 2026 by examining a collection of essential points that trucking and logistics decision makers need to consider as they work to position their respective companies for success in today’s market. As you will hear, Doug and Gary highlight the need for efficiency in processes, the significance of differentiating in a data-driven market, and the value of analyzing bid results for continuous improvement. The conversation also touches on the importance of measuring success through KPIs and empowering teams to foster better outcomes, ultimately leading to a culture of continuous improvement and team buy-in.

To learn more about the Grawe Group, visit the firm’s website, TheGraweGroup.com.

The post Challenges and Opportunities: Is Your Company Prepared For Success In 2026? appeared first on PodWheels.

For our first Borderless Coverage episode of 2026, we will be featuring the insights of Martin Rojas, a highly respected subject matter expert with more than 30 years of experience within the cross-border sector of the transportation industry. Martin has followed up nearly 20 years in leadership roles with the American Trucking Associations by serving for the past decade as the Senior Adviser for The Americas with the International Road Transport Union.

Your host for this edition of the podcast is Borderless Coverage Founder Mark Vickers, who is an Executive Vice President and the Head of International Logistics at Reliance Partners. In addition to looking back at the changes that have taken place in cross-border over the course of Martin’s career, Mark and Martin discuss a number of topics related to what is happening in today’s cross-border market, including  the need for efficiency and certainty in trade operations, especially in light of tariff volatility and the upcoming USMCA 2.0. Martin also notes why partnership between government and industry is vital for addressing trade challenges. In addition, the conversation highlights the formation of the North America Transportation Forum aimed at improving collaboration among industry stakeholders.

RELIANCE CAN HELP: Are you in the market for cross-border insurance coverage? Borderless Coverage is a Reliance Partners‘ business that enables international companies to conduct safe and profitable business in North America and across North American borders. We provide cross-border insurance. Our team consists of business minded cross-border supply chain consultants, economists, insurance experts, lawyers and global trade agreement negotiators, including the most recent lead negotiators of USMCA from Mexico. To learn more about the offerings available through Borderless Coverage from Reliance Partners, please click here.

The post Cross-Border Trade Expert Martin Rojas Discusses Navigating Today’s Challenges appeared first on PodWheels.

As the calendar turns to a New Year, Inside The Cab kicks off our 2026 season by spending some time reviewing what took place on the legislative and regulatory fronts in California during 2025. Caltrux CEO Eric Sauer hosts this look back at these key points of interest and he welcomes Nick Chappie and Chris Shimoda as his guests for this episode of the show. In 2025, Nick succeeded Chris as the CTA staff member overseeing government and regulatory affairs. Chris, who established Shimoda Government Strategies, remains highly involved with CTA, serving as the association’s chief lobbyist.

As you will hear, Eric leads a discussion that reviews the significant legislative developments affecting the trucking industry in California over the past year. They also cover the key proposals, budget negotiations, and the challenges posed by new regulations, particularly focusing on indirect source rules and the role of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The conversation notes that future regulations will require industry collaboration while also highlighting the importance of industry engagement, including the role that CTA and the Association’s members can play going forward into 2026.

For the latest on what’s happening with the California Trucking Association, visit Caltrux.org.

The post California Trucking Year In Review: Caltrux Looks Back At 2025 appeared first on PodWheels.

To open our fifth season of the NTDC Podcast Series, we have pulled an unreleased interview from our vault that two-time National Grand Champion Roland Bolduc did last year with John Greene. As you will hear, the conversation takes us back to 2023 when Roland and John made the trip to Columbus as fellow members of Team Connecticut. John brought home the National Championship in the 5-Axle Van Division, while Roland earned the top trophy in the 5-Axle Sleeper Class. Those 2023 championship performances, along with contributions from other NTDC stalwarts (including Tony Spero in his final year at NTDC before his retirement), helped in Team Connecticut’s drive to win the State Team Competition at NTDC.

Friend Of The Podcast: JoyRide Logistics is serving as our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode. JoyRide Logistics is focused on being a world-class, customer-focused business. JoyRide is driven by its people and their dedication to provide valuable solutions to meet the challenges of today’s supply chain. To learn more about JoyRide Logistics, visit JoyRideLogistics.com.

The post Rollin’ Down Memory Lane With John Greene’s 2023 National Title Run appeared first on PodWheels.

To say that 2025 was an unforgettable year for FedEx Freight’s David Comings would be one of the grandest understatements of the past 12 months. At NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis, David earned his first vehicle class National Championship before hearing his name called as the 2025 National Grand Champion. To make these first-in-his-life experiences even more memorable, David’s six children – ranging from college to high school ages – were onsite during the competition and they were all gathered at the annual NTDC banquet as he accepted his awards with his wife Judy at his side on the eve of their wedding anniversary.

In the months that followed his first National Grand Championship, David has made a number of special trips and appearances, including being spotlighted at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. And, as you’ll hear in this edition of the podcast, David has continued to keep everything in perspective, recalling how last year’s fifth-place finish at the nationals inspired him to work harder in 2025. 

David also shares with us that, no matter what level of success he achieves in competition, everything he does always comes back to safety and the mile-by-mile attention to detail that is needed on today’s roads. David’s inspiring story and his ever-present humility provided the perfect way for the podcast to close out 2025 as we look ahead to continuing our coverage into the New Year and beyond.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post 2025 National Grand Champion David Comings Reflects On His Memorable Year appeared first on PodWheels.

The Grawe Pod closes out 2025 by looking ahead to addressing a collection of strategic questions that decision makers for trucking and logistics companies need to consider as they prepare for the year ahead. What do you need to do to position your company to achieve wins in 2026? What are your goals? Do you have the proper alignment across your organization to realize your goals? Do you have the proper processes and accountabilities in place, including analyzing the data?

Grawe Group Founder & CEO Doug Grawe and Grawe Group Executive Business Partner Gary Randall hit the key points involved when building a comprehensive strategic plan within today’s trucking market. As you will hear, Doug and Gary place their focus on what companies can control and how best to implement effective strategies. They emphasize the need for clear processes, understanding data and fostering a culture of cooperation, accountability and healthy competition among teams. Additionally, Doug and Gary discuss how planning for 2026 involves understanding both opportunities and challenges. It also requires a clear cadence and daily processes, and it requires developing an understanding of actionable data. As Doug and Gary note, the companies that can use the time going into the new year to build a plan around a set of defined objectives will be well positioned for 2026 and beyond.

To learn more about the Grawe Group, visit the firm’s website, TheGraweGroup.com.

The post Strategies For Identifying And Reaching Your Goals In 2026 appeared first on PodWheels.