Road to NTDC Spotlight: Old Dominion Coming In Strong

From left: ODFL Virginia winners Robert Crowder (4-axle), Michael Wagner (flatbed) and Russell Beatty (5-axle) are joined by Regional Safety Director J.R. Houchins at the state truck driving championships in May. (Eugene Mulero/Transport Topics)

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PETERSBURG, Va. — In May, Michael Wagner and Russell Beatty, drivers with Old Dominion Freight Line, competed at their state tournament at a college campus parking lot just south of Richmond.

The two trucking standouts, testing their skills alongside colleagues and peers, said they gave it their best at Virginia’s precision-driving contest. At the end of the competition, their performances proved triumphant as they joined seven other drivers in qualifying for this month’s 87th annual National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.

For the Old Dominion pair, the event marked their first time qualifying for the country’s supreme safety showcase for commercial drivers. Upon learning what had happened to them, Wagner and Beatty seemed speechless.

“It’s unbelievable right now,” Wagner told Transport Topics shortly after qualifying in the flatbed class on May 18.

Beatty credited his high scores in the back room — the written exam and pre-trip vehicle inspection — for advancing to NTDC in the 5-axle vehicle class. He said he expects to feel somewhat nervous when he competes on the national stage.

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

Old Dominion’s Robert Crowder, competing in the 4-axle division, also qualified and will be making his fifth trip to trucking’s “Super Bowl of Safety.” Reflecting on the team’s performance, Crowder said: “Incredible … a lot of stress has been taken off. Now we look forward to the next level.”

Crowder was emphatic about Virginia’s chances in Indianapolis.

“We’re going to do very good,” he said. “We’ll go practice together. We’re going to come out and represent.”

Teamwork will be the key to success.

“It’s going to take all of us to work together, helping each other get over any problems that we may have. … If we feel down about anything, we’ve got to help each other out.”

His advice to the rookies was simple.

“Relax, calm down, enjoy it.” Crowder said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It is stressful, but it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

J.R. Houchins, regional safety manager with Old Dominion, has helped recruit and retain competitors for state contests. In May, he praised the Virginia team for advancing.

“To be able to win on the state level and advance to the nationals, and knowing I had just a small part in that — they had the largest part,” he said. “Those are the guys and ladies that put the work into it because they study, they practice, and they deserve all the credit.”

Last month, the state portion of the road to NTDC concluded with Arkansas’ qualifier June 29. The weekend prior, Old Dominion’s Drew Bartelson, competing in tanker, won North Dakota’s grand championship. In June, Donaldo Afonseca, competing in straight truck, took top honors for Rhode Island.

Overall, the Thomasville, N.C.-based carrier is jubilant about having a company-record 41 drivers set to compete. Only FedEx/FedEx Freight (167) and Walmart (61) — will send more drivers to nationals this month.

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Garrish 

Steven Garrish, vice president of safety and compliance at Old Dominion, helps to oversee the development of the NTDC roster. In 2023, ODFL sent 32 drivers to nationals. The prior year, it sent 17. Achieving the current mark is seen as an opportunity for the company to freshly devise a path for winning a national title.

“It’s the largest number in our company’s known history,” Garrish, a member of NTDC’s organizing committee, told TT. “I’m absolutely amazed that large of a number [is] going to the nationals. … I’m humbled to know that our drivers have that big of a number going. And I’m also super excited. I look at it that the larger the number we have going, the larger our chance of having a national winner.”

Old Dominion is well-positioned to make a run at a national title when elite precision drivers gather in Indianapolis Aug. 21-24. With a deep bench of competitors well-connected to the firm’s drive toward excellence, Garrish is encouraging the squad to pursue greatness. 

As he put it, “We’re very excited with the potential of having a statistically higher chance of winning again at the nationals.”

Old Dominion’s elite unit is proud to tell the rest of the field they are obsessed with safety. Many drivers have criss-crossed their states in cars or trucks to prepare for the industry’s top safety forum. A collective objective is to continue to elevate their status among the nation’s best-of-the-best at NTDC.

Garrish emphasized their confidence is one that enhances a culture of solidarity: “Any time our drivers want to participate at state-level competitions we always say ‘yes.’ And we give them everything they need, from the nice tents that we put up, to the registrations and the equipment that they need.

He added, “We talk about the value of participating in competition and the excellence that brings in the area of safety and the inspiration that participating brings to those who watch our drivers participate. I always say that for every driver that participates, I believe personally that we inspire at least 10 other drivers to perform better in safety.”

Although many elite drivers still seem captivated with training for NTDC, that commitment to safety is a favorable aspect for the company as well as the industry. To qualify for nationals, competitors must demonstrate an accident-free year behind the wheel in addition to winning their state vehicle class.

For Old Dominion, the prospect of guiding a roster that routinely adheres to NTDC’s standards is simply phenomenal.

“I think it’s probably one of the most important things that we do in safety: It’s participating in these state and national competitions,” Garrish affirmed. “That’s one more driver in our fleet that was able to successfully go without that preventable accident and be able to participate. So for me, that’s inspirational, but it also makes really good business sense.

“For their personal goal, for the company’s goal, everybody wins when you’re making good decisions for safety. I think excellence and safety breed excellence and safety.

The competitive arena for elevating safety and professionalism gradually has contributed to a tradition of belonging for the company. For individuals engaged in the national contest’s mission, it is harder to find another venue capable of delivering an equal degree of camaraderie.

“It’s worth it. That’s my advice. It’s totally worth it. For those who’ve already decided to come over, continue to participate because the outcomes are worth it,” Garrish said, emphasizing how safety events not only sharpen skills but enhance a safety mindset.

Expressing deep affection for NTDC, he asserted: “It brings a next-level kind of skill set to you — a pride, a joy, a competition that’s very amazing.”