At the ‘Super Bowl of trucking,’ a driver who trained 14 years wins the golden belt buckle

This summer has been full of competition: from Spain winning the World Cup , to the NBA finals where the Knicks saw a historic comeback, to now, where an event in which drivers across the country are putting pedal to the metal and competing in the National Truck Driving Championships, colloquially known as the “Super Bowl of trucking.” This year’s competition saw 429 drivers from 49 states who have logged a combined total of nearly 775 million safe driving miles throughout their careers, which is over 31,000 circles around the earth.

Drivers from 55 companies, ranging from small mom-and-pop companies to Fortune 500 giants like Walmart , FedEx , XPO , and UPS, all vied in tests showcasing their driving, turning and parking skills as they [safely] raced for glory in Pittsburgh earlier this month.

“The entire motivation of this program is to make them better on the road and to continue to drive safe,” said Jacob Pierce, executive director of the American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council.

“It creates a company culture where everybody buys into ‘every day is a safe day.’” American Trucking Associations.

Why safety, not speed, wins In 2024, large trucks accounted for nearly one in ten (9%) of all vehicles involved in a fatal crash, according to a National Safety Council study .

And with 11 billion tons of freight moved by truck in 2024, the stakes of getting safety right extend far beyond the competition floor.

Maneuvering a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds needs extra caution when it comes to maintaining safe roads.

For example, a loaded tractor trailer requires 20% to 40% more distance than cars to stop, according to data analyzed by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Large trucks were involved in 5,218 fatal crashes in 2024, up 30% over the past decade, according to National Safety Council data .

Eric Ramsdell—a Walmart tank trunk driver who took first place in his division—said the championship reflects a responsibility that follows drivers on the road.

“Every day we have to understand we have people’s lives at stake, equipment, our safe mileage record,” he told Fortune .

The skills course, he added, puts competitors under pressure much like real-world driving does but requires them to “focus and maneuver safely around and do the pre-trip in a safe manner.” But for companies eager to participate in the “Super Bowl of trucking,” as the competition is known as in the industry, they have to prove their drivers have what it takes to take on the open road—and aren’t afraid to hit the brakes when needed.

To qualify, drivers must win a top placement at their state competition, sport a clean, preventable accident-free safety record for the previous year, and meet full-time driving requirements with their company.