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Randy DeVault has never lost the perspective of what it means to go to the nationals as part of his work on the NTDC Organizing Committee and coordinating the Pre-Trip portion of the competition. A previous champion in his NTDC vehicle class, Randy valued every trip he made to the nationals from his home state of Maine.

As you will hear in this edition of the podcast, Randy knows what it takes and what it means to compete at an NTDC. As he transitioned several years ago to his current position as the Training Coordinator for the Maine Motor Transport Association, Randy has maintained a passion for safety and helping others to be prepared for the challenges on our roads.

As Randy shares with us, the opportunity to coordinate the annual Maine TDC and to be a part of the NTDC Organizing Committee overseeing Pre-Trip allow him to stay connected with the excitement of his days as a competitor while providing for an endless list of memorable moments.

The post Randy DeVault Takes Us Inside Preparations For NTDC Pre-Trip Competition appeared first on PodWheels.

Robbie Roth’s trip to the NTDC the last time the Championships were held in Minneapolis sparked a number of lasting memories. First of all, the 2007 NTDC marked the first time that Robbie had qualified for the Nationals at a State Champion, representing Missouri as part of the FedEx Freight Team.

As you’ll hear in this edition of the podcast, it was also during his trip to Minneapolis in 2007 that Robbie first experienced the warmth and caring spirit that are a part of the NTDC Community. During the 2007 Awards Ceremony, the NTDC Organizing Committee took a moment that night to recognize Robbie, who was preparing for a deployment with his National Guard Unit to Afghanistan as part of his 29 years of military service.

In this edition of the podcast, Robbie talks to us about his return trip to Minneapolis and how it feels to represent Missouri as a State Grand Champion for the first time in his career. 

The post Robbie Roth’s Return To Minneapolis Brings Back NTDC Memories appeared first on PodWheels.

As our series is just two episodes away from our 50th release of 2025, we wanted to take a moment to step back from our spotlight interviews to share some fun facts and insights from your NTDC 2025 Podcast co-hosts, Eugene Mulero and Greg Thompson. As you’ll hear, this episode was inspired by Eugene, who wanted to provide our audience with the opportunity to get to know the people behind the microphone asking the majority of the questions you hear in this series.

While Eugene and Greg do touch on a few notes related to NTDC, the majority of this conversation covers their respective journeys in the trucking industry and journalism. The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling and the connections formed within the trucking industry and the NTDC community. Eugene, as he often does for his Transport Topics interviews with State Grand Champions, actually turns the tables on Greg, asking the PodWheels Executive Producer to take the “Mulero Questionnaire.” 

Along with noting his deep appreciation for everyone who is part of the NTDC Community, Greg shares some memories of how he started his radio career some 40 years ago in Minnesota by making calls out of his college dorm room to secure interviews with Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts and Southern Rock legend Charlie Daniels as well as few other musical artists. It’s a fun episode that will allow you to get to know Eugene and Greg a little more.

The post Fun Facts & Insights From Your NTDC 2025 Podcast Co-Hosts appeared first on PodWheels.

If you have ever had the opportunity to spend five minutes with Roland Bolduc, you would see that it’s very clear safety has remained as a constant and a motivator throughout what has been an amazing career that now spans 41 years. As you will hear in this episode of the podcast, safety and a desire to challenge himself and those around him to be the best have fueled Roland’s drive to win 20 state championships, earning two decades worth of trips to the NTDCs. In 2017 and in 2022, Roland brought home the National Grand Championship, placing him in rare company within the history of NTDC. 

For Roland, who is the 2025 State Grand Champ from Connecticut, NTDC is more than a competition. It’s an opportunity to gather with fellow professionals who share his passion for safety excellence. It’s a chance to mentor and to learn. To Roland, a longtime stalwart of Team FedEx, the Nationals have also become a time for what he calls the “NTDC Family Reunion,” which annually welcomes both veterans and newcomers to what is a celebration of safety.

Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero recently caught up for a phone conversation with Roland as he makes his final preparations for the Road To Minneapolis. Eugene and Roland cover a number of topics, including Roland’s participation in the Nothing Without Trucking Documentary Series Driven, which was produced by the American Trucking Associations.

The post An Ambassador Of Safety, Roland Bolduc Returning For 20th NTDC appeared first on PodWheels.

Seven months and 45 episodes ago, Jacob Pierce from the American Trucking Associations was the first featured guest on this podcast just three days into the start of the New Year. Now, as we stand less than three weeks away from the start of NTDC 2025, Jacob returns to the show to talk to us about the months-long preparations and what we can expect in Minneapolis when the competition begins on August 20th. For those new to the podcast, Jacob is an Executive Director for ATA overseeing the Safety Management Council and the Transportation Security Council. And when it comes to NTDC, Jacob is the point person on staff at ATA serving as the liaison for the National Truck Driving & National Step Van Driving Championships.

Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero and PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson cover a number of topics with Jacob, including looking back at the State TDC Season and the work that continues to be done behind the scenes by the ATA Team, the NTDC Organizing Committee and the volunteers involved in the event. Jacob also shares some of his memories related to working for more than a decade on the National Championships. As you’ll hear, Jacob has deepest respect and admiration for the professional drivers and everyone who is involved in the annual NTDC program.

The post Update On NTDC 2025 Preparations From ATA’s Jacob Pierce As Final Countdown Begins appeared first on PodWheels.

When FedEx’s Chris Buswell heard his name called for the first time as the Grand Champion of Massachusetts, it just happened to be the voice of the same person who shared some important advice with Chris several years ago. Brian Singelais, the 2015 National Champ in 5-Axle who had taken the time to become a mentor to Chris prior to the 2018 State TDC, had the honor of calling Chris to the stage to receive a trophy that undoubtedly represented years of hard work.

As you will hear in this episode of the podcast, Chris actually thought the Grand Champion had been announced when the Rookie of the Year came up to accept his trophy. Ironically, it was Sarah Singelais, Brian’s wife, who caught the attention of Chris and the reality began to hit that he would be making his fourth trip to the Nationals. Only this time, Chris would be making that trip as a State Grand Champion.

The post Massachusetts’ Chris Buswell Travels Full Circle With State Grand Champ Title appeared first on PodWheels.

How do you become a living legend within the NTDC Community? That’s the one question we did not ask Dan Shamrell, who is our featured guest on this episode of the podcast. First of all, Dan is far too humble to try to attempt to answer that question. As you will hear in this episode, Dan would much rather talk about his family, the friends he’s made through his experience in state and national competitions and, most importantly, his focus on staying safe on the road. 

Dan’s record is the stuff of legends and it speaks for itself. Amassing 38 years of safe driving as part of FedEx Freight and competing in the TDCs out of the state of Oregon since 1990, Dan has won 11 State Grand Championships as part of his 19 trips to the Nationals with state titles in hand. Dan has won one National Championship and he contributed to two state team championships for Oregon at the Nationals. The recipient of NTDC’s annual Professional Excellence Award in 2017, Dan has become a highly respected veteran presence at NTDC. As you’ll hear through two feature interviews with Eugene Mulero of Transport Topics and Greg Thompson of PodWheels, Dan is focused on paying it forward to the next generation each time he makes what has become an annual trip to the Nationals.

The post 11-Time Oregon Grand Champion Dan Shamrell Ready For His 19th NTDC Trip appeared first on PodWheels.

When the competitors in the Tanker Class gather at NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis, this division will feature three National Grand Champions. Tanker includes the past two NTDC Grand Champions with Jackie Reed in 2024 and Gragg Wilson in 2023. The third member of the Grand Champion trio in the Tanker Class is XPO’s Jeff Langenhahn, who brought home the coveted title in 2014. And, as we’ll hear in this edition of the podcast, Jeff talks to us about his 12th career trip to the Nationals. As a veteran of both the State TDCs and the Nationals, Jeff has a great perspective on the competition and the fellowship that remain at the center of the NTDC experience.

Before we hear from Jeff, whose accomplishments behind the wheel have made him a legend in his home state of Wisconsin, we will have an opportunity to catch up with Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero. Returning to the podcast after taking some time earlier this summer to focus on finishing up the update to the second edition of the NTDC History Book, Eugene takes us inside his work on From Roadeo To TDC. As most of our listeners know, this is a book that chronicles the history of the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships. As Eugene shares with us, the second edition of the book will be available for sale at NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis.

The post 2014 Grand Champion Jeff Langenhahn Part Of Stacked NTDC 2025 Tanker Field appeared first on PodWheels.

Much in the same way that professional drivers from across the country prepare for their State TDC that will give them a shot at qualifying for the National Championships, Heath Arnold is drawn to serve as a volunteer at the state and national levels of the competition. Heath, who is Director of Safety and Compliance at ABF Freight, has the deepest respect for the men and women behind the wheel who move the nation’s economy mile after mile.

As you will hear in this episode of the podcast, Heath believes those drivers who work to qualify for competition by staying safe year after year deserve the best experience that the NTDC Organizing Committee can provide. Serving as the First Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee for this year, Heath takes some time to discuss the preparations for NTDC 2025 and what it means to be a part of the nation’s longest running safety program. It’s a great conversation that provides many insights into the work that happens behind the scenes at the national championships.

The post NTDC 2025 Organizing Committee Member Heath Arnold Inspired By Example of Champions appeared first on PodWheels.

How do you top winning the State Grand Championship in New York in 2024? Mark McLean of FedEx Freight provided that answer in 2025 when he became the back-to-back Grand Champion from the Empire State. For Mark, who is a veteran of TDC competitions dating back some 20 years, the opportunity to bring home the day’s top trophy from the New York State Truck Driving Championships moved his career total of Grand Champion titles to three.

As you will hear during his visit with us on the podcast, Mark has made getting involved in TDC competition a part of his everyday life at his home terminal. Mark has encouraged his co-workers to get involved in the State TDC, with everyone working to stay safe on the road to qualify and taking the time to prepare for competition. And when it comes to the pre-trip training, Mark enlists the assistance of his wife to provide Mark and his co-workers the types of defects they can expect to see in competition at the state and national level.

The post Back-To-Back NY State Grand Champ Mark McLean Continues To Excel appeared first on PodWheels.