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Jeffrey Langenhahn displays his trophy haul after being named NTDC grand champion in Pittsburgh in 2014. Ten years later, Jackie Reed was at the podium celebrating his win in Indianapolis. (Photos by John Sommers II for Transport Topics)

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MINNEAPOLIS — Six former grand champions competing in the 88th annual Super Bowl of trucking safety are among the 425 competitors this week.

�ݱʰ�’s Jeffrey Langenhahn, 2014’s top winner, as well as reigning champion Jackie Reed with FedEx competed in the tanker division during the first day of competition Aug. 21 at the National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championship.

After maneuvering their vehicles through an intricate course, the two standouts indicated they had performed well in the skills category, as well as the pre-trip vehicle inspection exercise.

“You had to think your way through. You have some choices whether you go left or right on the first problem with going around the duck,” the XPO driver told Transport Topics “And I thought this would set me up good for going this way.” Rubber ducks are placed on the course as obstacles.

Reed shared a similar sentiment specific to the course’s obstacles.

“It was good. It was very challenging, you know,” the Mississippi driver said, “but it was a good course. It had a good flow to it. Not really sure how many green flags I got, but I got my fingers crossed.”

Judges note a green flag when points are scored on the course; a red flag means no points scored.

For both drivers, the written exam of rules and regulations was admittedly challenging. The field is tested on rules of the road from a manual titled, “Facts for Drivers.”

“It makes you have to think a lot of, I guess you would say, critical thinking, you know, and not just straight, clear answer. You had to actually think about [the answer],” Reed said.

“To be honest with you, it was probably the hardest exam that I’ve taken in many years,” Langenhahn explained. “It was just, you really had to think through a lot of the questions. It wasn’t as straightforward. It made you think to try to put things together.”��

is in full swing in Minneapolis! Today, the skills tests challenged the nation’s best drivers as they compete for the prestigious Bendix Grand Champion title. 425 drivers from across the country bring 756 million accident-free miles to the course — let’s see who rises to… — American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG)

UPS’ Gragg Wilson from Nevada also competed in the tanker division. Wilson’s NTDC record includes the vehicle inspection award in 2000, taking part in Nevada’s blue-ribbon performance in the state team category in 2018 and earning the tanker class title en route to the grand champion trophy two years ago.

Scott Woodrome, with FedEx and from Ohio, competed in the 3-axle class. He was NTDC’s grand champion in 2018 and 2019.

Welcome to the 2025 National Truck Driving & Step Van Driving Championships in Minneapolis! Good luck to all the drivers competing at this year’s event. Relive the thrills with our Day 1 recap video and gear up for even more excitement ahead. — American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG)

On Aug. 22, the third day of competition, two-time grand champions Dale Duncan (2006, 2009) and Roland Bolduc (2017, 2022) will face off in 5-axle.

For the14th consecutive year, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems will sponsor NTDC’s grand champion prize — the tournament’s crowning achievement after four days of competition. State title winners in nine vehicle classes qualify for NTDC.

The grand champion prize debuted in 1987, and 29 men have earned best-in-show distinction.

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