In honor of International Women’s Day that was celebrated on March 8th, our podcast shines the spotlight on Ina Daly, the veteran XPO driver and the only woman to win a National Championship in the history of NTDC. With the Arizona State TDC just around the corner on March 28th, the timing is perfect to look back at Ina’s career accomplishments as she has become a regular at NTDC over the past two decades. In 2023, the NTDC Organizing Committee honored Ina with the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award.

For this episode, we will be featuring a conversation that NTDC Historian Eugene Mulero had with Ina while she was in Washington DC last summer. As you’ll hear, Ina talked about the significance of being involved with the Women In Motion program from ATA and she also discussed what it takes to prepare to be ready for competition.

NEW FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: PodWheels is honored to welcome the Lutzie 43 Foundation as a Friend of the NTDC 2026 Podcast Series. Founded to honor the legacy of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the Lutzie 43 Foundation is dedicated to make sure that the tragedy that took his life would never have to be repeated. Philip was a standout athlete, a beloved teammate, and a man of tremendous character. Today, the foundation that carries his name is working to change the driving culture across the Southeast and beyond by tackling distracted driving, impaired driving, and unsafe habits behind the wheel. To learn more about the Lutzie 43 Foundation and how you can use 43 Key Seconds to run through an important safety checklist before starting your vehicle, visit Lutzie43.org.

The post Spotlighting NTDC Legend Ina Daly Ahead of Arizona’s TDC appeared first on PodWheels.

When the 15th edition of Safety Drive For A Cure opens its NTDC-style competition this Saturday, Brent and Laura Darnell will have already been onsite at the UPS Smart Hub in Atlanta before the sun rises. For Brent and Laura, along with a legion of volunteers led by chief organizer Herschel Evans, Saturday’s charity benefit for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, will represent a coordinated effort that has been almost a year in the planning and execution.

In this edition of the podcast, we talk with Brent and Laura as they entered the final week of preparations. We also spend some time learning about how deep trucking’s roots are a part of their family traditions, with Brent being a fourth-generation professional driver. In addition, Brent and Laura shared how their family has become involved in Brent’s preparations for the Georgia TDC over years, and they share their memories of Brent’s third-place finish in the 3-Axle Division last summer at NTDC 2025.

SAFETY DRIVE NOTES: There are still some openings for volunteers to help onsite in the Atlanta area on March 13-14. If you are going to be in the Atlanta area this weekend and are interested, you can sign up to become a volunteer by clicking here. You can also support the drivers who have entered the competition or the cause in general by making a donation. You can learn more by visiting Safety Drive event page by clicking here. To stay updated on what’s happening with Safety Drive you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

NEW FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: PodWheels is honored to welcome the Lutzie 43 Foundation as a Friend of the NTDC 2026 Podcast Series. Founded to honor the legacy of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the Lutzie 43 Foundation is dedicated to make sure that the tragedy that took his life would never have to be repeated. Philip was a standout athlete, a beloved teammate, and a man of tremendous character. Today, the foundation that carries his name is working to change the driving culture across the Southeast and beyond by tackling distracted driving, impaired driving, and unsafe habits behind the wheel. To learn more about the Lutzie 43 Foundation and how you can use 43 Key Seconds to run through an important safety checklist before starting your vehicle, visit Lutzie43.org.

The post Brent and Laura Darnell: Answering The Call and Winning By Serving Others appeared first on PodWheels.

For Atlanta-based XPO veteran driver Tim Vogt, the 15th edition of the Safety Drive For A Cure Benefit scheduled to run this coming Saturday is one of the most important dates on the calendar. In addition to getting a highly competitive test of his TDC skills ahead of Georgia’s Championship this April, Tim is part of the lead group of volunteers who will be working to ensure the Safety Drive record field of 265 professional drivers, their families, friends, supporters and Star Families will have a memorable time at Safety Drive 2026. This NTDC-style competition benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, and the Star Families attending the event are families who have a child impacted by brain cancer. All the money raised through Safety Drive goes to support research to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer.

During this edition of the podcast, we talk with Tim about his career in trucking, which includes serving as an America’s Road Team Captain since 2015 along with being a constant presence at the Georgia TDC and being a part of past NTDC fields. Tim, who has more than 1.5 million miles as a local driver in one of the country’s busiest metro areas, serves as a trainer and mentor to drivers who are entering the industry with XPO. As you will hear, Safety Drive is one of the many opportunities to make a difference that Tim has discovered during his 27-year career in the trucking industry.

FINAL WEEK SAFETY DRIVE UPDATE : There are still some openings for volunteers to help onsite in the Atlanta area on March 13-14. If you are going to be in the Atlanta area this weekend and are interested, you can sign up to become a volunteer by clicking here. You can also support the drivers who have entered the competition or the cause in general by making a donation. You can learn more by visiting Safety Drive event page by clicking here. To stay updated on what’s happening with Safety Drive you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Veteran Driver Tim Vogt Continues To Find Inspiration Through Annual Safety Drive Event appeared first on PodWheels.

How would you respond if you landed one point short of reaching the runoff in your vehicle division at Nationals? Zack Bourque, the two-time reigning Tanker State Champion from New York, was forced to look squarely into that very challenge the moment he got his envelope following the call of the runoff finalists at NTDC 2025. As you’ll hear in this episode of the podcast, Zack refused to get eaten up by disappointment. Instead, he continued to work to make the most of his time onsite with all the driving professionals who were gathered in Minneapolis last summer.

During this interview with PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson, Zack shares how he used the afternoon and evening of 2025’s Championship Day to be a part of group conversations with a number of the runoff participants, including eventual 2025 National Grand Champion David Comings. Zack also talks to us about the important mentoring role that Jim Kohr, a TDC and NTDC stalwart from New York, continues to play in Zack’s development as a professional driver and NTDC competitor.

While Zack is counting the days to New York’s TDC in June, he knows that, in order to compete, he has to maintain his safety-first focus on the job as a driver for Wegmans Food Markets. And, when it comes to this winter, staying safe has included driving through many snow-filled days.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Inspired By 2025, New York’s Zack Bourque Looking To Take Next Big Step appeared first on PodWheels.

With a record that was highlighted by five National Championships, one Grand Championship and the Professional Excellence Award during his NTDC days, Bob Dolan put together a hall-of-fame driving career and remains a legend in his home state of Pennsylvania. In this edition of the podcast, we will be featuring Eugene Mulero’s 2025 interview with Bob that was part of Eugene’s work on the second edition of the NTDC History Book that he co-authored with Jacob Pierce. As you will hear, Bob closed out his NTDC career in 2019 in Pittsburgh by helping Pennsylvania secure the State Team Trophy.

In the closing section of this episode, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Eugene send out a huge note of thanks to our listeners while touching on a number of topics. Greg shares that the news that the series has seen a steady rise in listenership during the first two months of this year in comparison to the solid January and February numbers the show yielded in 2025. As you will hear, Greg takes a moment to invite listeners to submit their feedback and share their ideas for future episodes by sending a message to the following email address: [email protected].

SAFETY DRIVE 2026 VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP: As we noted in the episode, the organizers for the 15th Annual Safety Drive For A Cure are still looking for volunteers to help onsite in the Atlanta area on March 13-14. You can sign up to become a volunteer by clicking here. There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities to support what will be the largest competitive field in the history of Safety Drive, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. You can also support the drivers who have entered the competition or the cause in general by making a donation. You can learn more by visiting Safety Drive event page by clicking here. To stay updated on what’s happening with Safety Drive you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post NTDC Rewind: Celebrating Pennsylvania’s NTDC Legend Bob Dolan appeared first on PodWheels.

During this episode of the podcast, Darius Uible takes us behind the scenes with Team UPS. A finalist to serve as an America’s Road Team Captain for 2026-27 and a veteran driver for UPS, Darius has become a fixture at the NTDC in recent years with his video work. Darius, an accomplished videographer who is a regular competitor at the State TDC in Kentucky, was asked by UPS a few years ago to photograph and video the efforts of the members of Team UPS as they compete at the Nationals.

As you will hear, Darius tells PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson how his NTDC video gig came together and what it means to him to be able to record company history while also sharing in the experience of his UPS teammates as they compete at the Nationals. During this episode, you will hear the feature interview that Darius conducted with UPS teammate Jeff Reed, reflecting on earning Rookie of the Year honors at NTDC 2026 while competing in the Twins Division.

In the closing section of the podcast, Greg talks with Darius about his experience this January going to Washington DC as a finalist this January to be a Captain for America’s Road Team. Darius also offers a window into the early preparation by Team UPS for the upcoming State TDC Season. You’ll hear Greg ask Darius about his thoughts on breaking through to become a State Champion in Kentucky this May and qualifying for NTDC 2026 in Pittsburgh.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Spotlighting Darius Uible, Road Team Finalist and Man Behind The Camera For UPS  appeared first on PodWheels.

This episode of the series is highlighted by our feature interview with Heath Arnold, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for NTDC 2026. Heath joins the podcast about 26 minutes into the episode, providing us an update on the onsite visit that the NTDC Organizing Committee made earlier this month to Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Heath talks to us about the meticulous planning and hundreds of details that must be covered in preparation for this August and NTDC 2026. For instance, the committee measures the distance between the bullpens and the driving course as part of working to keep things running in a timely fashion during NTDC week. Heath also shares with us how the Organizing Committee works with the feedback they received from participants and attendees at NTDC 2025. It’s all part of the work that goes into seeking to enhance the experience for those who are a part of NTDC 2026. During the course of the interview, Heath breaks some news for us, noting that both the driving course and pre-trip segments of the competition in Pittsburgh will each have a new sub-committee chairman this year.

During this episode, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson also talks with Eugene Mulero about his first blog post for 2026 in the RoadToNTDC.com section of the PodWheels website. Eugene will be sharing some notes and the inspiration behind his column that he is calling At The Top.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post NTDC 2026 Committee Chairman Heath Arnold Excited About Road To Pittsburgh appeared first on PodWheels.

For this episode of the show, we open the vault once again to feature the interview that Eugene Mulero had with Carl Krites, the Grand Champion of NTDC 2010. Last year, as Eugene was developing the second edition of the From Roadeo To TDC history book with co-author Jacob Pierce, he caught up with Carl to look back on what even Carl admits was an unexpected run to a national championship in his vehicle class and the Grand Championship.

In the closing portion of this episode (at 32:51), PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson also spends some time discussing the NTDC career of Dan Shamrell, who collected 550 out of a possible 600 points in the two drives he made at NTDC 2025 en route to the 3-Axle National Title. Greg also talks with Eugene about Eugene’s first experience covering an NTDC back in 2017. You’ll hear Eugene look back on how his time on the ground in Orlando nine years ago served as the spark that eventually inspired the development of the NTDC History Book project. To buy a copy of the From Roadeo To TDC history book online, please click here.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Rewinding To 2010: Recalling Carl Krites’ NTDC Grand Champion Run appeared first on PodWheels.

Our NTDC Podcast closes out our series of conversations with the 2025 Vehicle Class National Champions by sharing the inspiring story of Merle Ashbaugh. In winning the Sleeper Class Division at NTDC 2025, Merle not only earned his first National title, but he also wrote his name into the history books at DHL – becoming the carrier’s first-ever National Champion.

As you’ll hear in this episode of the podcast, it was quite poetic that Merle became the first to claim a first-place trophy at NTDC for DHL. Having enjoyed his experience in state TDCs and having qualified for the Nationals in 2017 at his previous company, Merle asked DHL about getting involved in the NTDC program at the state level shortly after joining the company. About a year later, Merle won his vehicle class at the Ohio TDC and went to Columbus for NTDC 2023.

Merle’s success at the state level created momentum, inspiring other drivers at DHL to get involved at the state level. Merle’s lone state and national participation in 2023 opened the door, showing what is possible. By 2025, DHL had 47 drivers enter State TDCs across the country. In addition to Merle qualifying in the Sleeper Class, DHL Team members Wally Mejia, 3-axle, and Ron Zoz, a finalist in 5-axle, were a part of NTDC 2025.

SAFETY DRIVE 2026 VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP: As we noted in the episode, Merle will be one of the 250 professional drivers participating in the 15th Annual Safety Drive For A Cure 2026, the benefit for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation that is coming up on March 14th in Atlanta. The Safety Drive organizers are still looking for volunteers to help onsite March 13-14. You can sign up to become a volunteer by clicking here. There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities to support what will be the largest competitive field in the history of Safety Drive. You can also support the drivers who have entered the competition or the cause in general by making a donation. You can learn more by visiting Safety Drive event page by clicking here. To stay updated on what’s happening with Safety Drive you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Merle Ashbaugh’s First National Title Makes History For DHL appeared first on PodWheels.

To highlight the return of the NTDC to Pittsburgh this year, we continue our look back at NTDC 2019, the first time that PodWheels had the opportunity to cover the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships. This edition of the podcast revisits the 2019 retrospective that we produced from our time at NTDC 2019. The rewind portion of the show opens with PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson recalling the contributions that John Lex made to the coverage by the podcast in Pittsburgh. This section of the show is highlighted by the interview that Greg did with John, a little more than three years before John passed away following his battle with cancer. A Captain with America’s Road Team, John, who had more than three million accident-free miles during his 32-year career, was the recipient of the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award in 2016 and he earned the Trucking Cares Foundation Premier Achievement Award in 2021.

For this return to 2019, Greg is joined once again by Barry Courter, the co-founder and co-host of The What Podcast, which covers Bonnaroo and other music festivals. Along with sharing highlights from Championship Saturday, Greg and Barry share their thoughts about being onsite for the Parade of Champions and the Awards Ceremony. The retrospective also features interviews with back-to-back NTDC Grand Champion Scott Woodrome as well as the family of Nebraska State Patrol Sergeant Benjamin Schropfer, the CVSA’s North America Inspectors Challenge Grand Champion.

SAFETY DRIVE 2026 VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP: As we mentioned in this episode, the 15th Annual Safety Drive For A Cure 2026 is coming up on March 14th in Atlanta. While all 250 spots for competitors are filled for this event that benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Safety Drive organizers are still looking for volunteers to help onsite March 13-14. You can sign up to become a volunteer by clicking here. There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities to support what will be the largest competitive field in the history of Safety Drive. You can also support the drivers who have entered the competition or the cause in general by making a donation. You can learn more by visiting Safety Drive event page by clicking here. To stay updated on what’s happening with Safety Drive you can visit the Safety Drive’s Facebook Page, by clicking here.

OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org.

The post Recalling The Great John Lex and Memories of NTDC 2019 in Pittsburgh appeared first on PodWheels.