Matthew Boenisch's Trucking Tournament Ascension
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The National Truck Driving Championships has long seesawed between two distinct demographics, both with the determination to win it all at the prestigious event.
The newcomers to the “Super Bowl of Safety,” now in its 87th year, arrive poised to lead a youth movement and chart a fresh narrative. While oftentimes the national tournament’s old guard relies on experience to easily eclipse rookies’ performances, those lessons forge in the younger set a will to try anew the following year.
Wisconsin’s Matthew Boenisch, an affable thirty-something enjoying somewhat of a meteoric rise in the precision-driving arena, has qualified for his second trip to the summer classic after surpassing a field of mostly veterans in his state. He is this year’s Badger State grand champion, a distinction well-deserved considering his after-hours toil to improve his command of the craft.
Aware of his fellow flatbed folks’ fight to win, Boenisch is counting on his young man’s determination to amass requisite momentum at this month’s national competition.
2024 National Truck Driving Championships
Who: Winners from nine categories at the state level who have advanced to the national competition, where a Grand Champion will be crowned
What: Contestants are judged on a written exam, pre-trip inspection and driving skills
When: Aug. 21-24
Where: Indianapolis
Reflecting on his state win in mid-May that advanced him to the industry’s summer showcase at the Indiana Convention Center, the FedEx Freight driver told Transport Topics: “I knew I could win again — but to win grand champion, that was not even on my radar. So I guess I’m going to try to ride this wave all the way to Indianapolis and we’ll see where the cards fall.”
NTDC’s three assignments are a test of federal regulations, a pre-trip vehicle inspection and a precision drive through a course. Top five scorers from nine vehicle classes advance to the final round of action.
“We all know everybody can drive,” he said, “but the winnings I think come from the written test and the pre-trip. So that’s what I really have been focusing on. Because if you don’t have your best run on the course, you can at least have a chance with the stuff that you do behind the scenes. So, that’s where I’m putting most of my focus right now.”
Getting to Know You
Name: Matthew Boenisch
Age: 39
From: Howards Grove, Wis.
Vehicle: flatbed
Music: Chicago (soft rock)
Hobby: Boating and tubing
Food: Deep dish pizza
Movie: “Twister” (1996)
Most memorable moment at NTDC: Walking across the stage and hearing our name called.
The last word: “Keep doing what got you where you are. Don’t change. And just prepare.”
On Aug. 21, NTDC competition commences. His family, he explained, is expecting wonderful things from their patriarch. Wife Kayla Boenisch as well as 10-year-old daughter Hailey and 8-year-old son Nathan have raised the stakes.
“My whole family is very excited because they got to experience nationals,” Boenisch said. “And now I have a little pressure from them that I have to do this every year.” He quickly noted that the sentiment is mutual: “Once I got that taste, I think you want to go back for more.”
On the final day of competition, scheduled for Aug. 24, Boenisch hopes to take part in the last drive reserved for the top five competitors from each class. But beyond the competition, Boenisch places value on the meaningful opportunities to create an NTDC family and enrich the spirit.
“It’s just an awesome group of safe drivers, and just the camaraderie that you get,” he observed. “You don’t know most of these people when you come [here]… I just think it’s neat that all these people have had to be safe for at least a year just to make it to the nationals. In today’s society that’s a very big accomplishment.” He continued, “Some people make it [look] easy, but just being there is a big deal.”
Other Wisconsin winners:
3-Axle: Jacob Moore, Old Dominion Freight Line
4-Axle: Paul Smith, FedEx Freight
5-Axle: Matthew Myer, Old Dominion Freight Line
Sleeper Berth: William Minor, Walmart Beaver Dam
Step Van: Matthew Callis, Old Dominion Freight Line
Straight Truck: Nicholas Jamtowski, Old Dominion Freight Line
Tank Truck: Shawn Modaff, FedEx Freight
Twins: Connor Dent, FedEx Freight
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