NEWS RELEASE
2025 Nebraska Truck Driving Championships
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kent Grisham
(402) 650-3859
June 10, 2025
GRAND ISLAND – Fans cheered on Nebraska’s best professional truck drivers at the 2025 Nebraska Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) over the weekend. The drivers represented every type and size of trucking company, and ranged from competitors with decades of experience at NTDC to brand new “rookies.” Like recent years, the competition also saw many women professional drivers. All in all, there were 10 classifications of trucks being maneuvered through difficult driving simulations, with winning drivers literally inching-out their closest competitor.
The Nebraska Trucking Association (NTA) organized the June 6-7 event at Fonner Park to highlight the industry’s commitment to skill and safety in Nebraska. Competitors demonstrated knowledge, talent, and skills, focusing on what it takes to be a safe driver on our streets and highways.
Along with the demanding driving course, the drivers competed in pre-trip inspections, written exams, and oral interviews with the Nebraska State Patrol. The competitors faced six problems on the course designed to challenge the skills they use as part of the industry that delivers 72% of the nation’s goods.
In cooperation with the Nebraska Concrete & Aggregates Association, drivers of mixer trucks faced two problems unique to the class. Fans excitedly cheered on drivers as they used their chutes to drain a putt and make a basket with precision.
Awards were presented based on scores in the four test areas: written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection, and driving test. Companies with three or more drivers competed for team awards, given to the company whose drivers scored the highest overall average.
The 2025 grand champion was Mark Cole of Old Dominion Freight Line. Joe McDonnell of XPO Logistics and Garrett Campbell of FedEx both earned the Rookie of the Year Award (first-time participants with the highest overall score in all four parts of the competition). The Professional Excellence Award, given to the driver with the highest written test, went to Todd Gimpel with FedEx Freight.
NTDC closely works with the Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement troopers. The Bucky Buchholtz Top Driver Award, named in honor of Buchholtz, a former Trooper and long-time championship committee member, goes to the driver with the highest score on the driving course. This year’s honoree was Jacob Friederich of Lyman-Richey Corporation.
Clinton Rast brought home the honor for ABF Freight System, Inc. when he earned the Kurt Everett Vehicle Condition Award. The award, named in honor of a long-time Championships committee member, goes to the driver with the highest score on the pre-trip inspection.
The Jerry Wessel Award, named in honor of a long-time NTDC committee member, is awarded to drivers who have competed or volunteered at the Championships for at least five years and receive the highest rating for professionalism, industry knowledge, and attitude. This year’s winner was Thomas Canning from Bellevue, NE, representing Old Dominion Freight Line.
The first-place winner in each class advances to a national competition. Nine class winners will attend the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championships in Minneapolis, August 20-23. The mixer truck class first-place winner advances to the National Mixer Driver Championship in Orlando, FL, on October 11.
The Nebraska State Patrol Inspector Championships are held alongside the NTDC competition each year and include a personal interview, a tabletop hazardous materials exercise, and various hands-on inspections. Sergeant Matt Ramsey from Omaha, NE, earned first-place honors, while Investigator Kris Hunzeker from Nebraska City, NE, received runner-up honors. Sergeant Ramsey will now represent Nebraska in the North American Inspector Championships held in conjunction with the ATA’s National Truck Driving Championships.
2025 NTDC class winners:
Straight class:
Sam Wilson, Grand Island, NE XPO Logistics
Clinton Rast, Omaha, NE ABF Freight System, Inc.
Michael Lemay, Ralston, NE Greater Omaha Express
Three-axle class:
Mark Cole, Lincoln, NE Old Dominion Freight Line
Joseph Busch, Neola, IA ABF Freight System, Inc.
Tim Hallsted, North Platte, NE Walmart Transportation, LLC
Four-axle class:
Paul Badgett, Aurora, NE FedEx Freight, Inc.
James Dotson, North Platte, NE FedEx Freight, Inc.
Derek Ward, Sutton, NE XPO Logistics
Five-axle class:
Carolina Gallegos, Omaha, NE Hill Brothers Transportation
Joe McDonnell, Hastings, NE XPO Logistics
Thomas Rott, Hastings, NE Grand Island Express, Inc.
Five-axle sleeper class:
Blair Smith, Comstock, NE Walmart Transportation, LLC
John Putney, Council Bluffs, IA Greater Omaha Express
Robert Elder, Ulysses, NE Schulz Transportation
Tank truck class:
Pat Crumb, Lincoln, NE Fremont Contract Carriers, Inc.
Cassandra Wright, Omaha, NE Wynne Transportation Services
Craig Daniels, Columbus, GA Crete Carrier Corporation
Flatbed class:
George Chaney, Aurora, NE FedEx Freight, Inc.
Christopher Corbett, Plattsmouth, NE Old Dominion Freight Line
Scott Deering, Lenoir City, TN Chief Carriers, Inc.
Twin-trailer class:
Todd Gimpel, Aurora, NE FedEx Freight, Inc.
Richard Boyd, Papillion, NE Crete Carrier Corporation
Paul Smith, Omaha, NE ABF Freight System, Inc.
Mixer truck class:
Jacob Friederich, Carter Lake, IA Lyman-Richey Corporation
Gregory Burroughs, Lincoln, NE Husker Ready Mixed Concrete
Randy Walters, Omaha, NE Lyman-Richey Corporation
Step van class:
Garrett Campbell, Grand Island, NE FedEx
Korey Clifton, Plattsmouth, NE FedEx
Charles Tockey, Hastings, NE Grand Island Express, Inc.
Team winners:
XPO Logistics
FedEx Freight
Walmart Transportation, LLC
The Nebraska Trucking Association (NTA) is the statewide trade association for commercial trucks and affiliated businesses. NTA delivers the essential knowledge, contacts, services, political representation, and partnerships that help our members continue to deliver the goods to Nebraska communities and throughout North America.
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