Road to NTDC Spotlight: Raymond Simon

Ray Simon (right) stands with his former colleague Charles Smith. (Photo courtesy of Ray Simon)

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Precision-driving contests for the commercial transportation sector were a new concept nearly a century ago. In the early days, its technicality was comparable to spectacular displays in the industrial arts or revolutionary achievements in technology. Over time, advancements in trucking equipment transformed the way that populations began to think about economies.

The truck proved its reliability in commerce, enhancing the viability of urban and rural communities. Myriad industries, by demonstrating the benefits of progress, established themselves as singular forces capable of driving economic prosperity.

Around the time of World War II, American Trucking Associations’ precision-driving contest offered a venue to showcase commercial vehicles’ safety potential, succeeding on many fronts. The events, rooted in the industry’s goal of improving people’s quality of life, elevated drivers’ status. It is primarily for this reason that these roadeos demonstrated longevity.

What began in 1937 as the National Truck Roadeo transfigured into the radiant, family-friendly “Super Bowl of Safety.” In the 1980s, its official moniker became the National Truck Driving Championships. It was during this era that organizers introduced the concept of an NTDC grand champion.

This prestigious prize would be awarded to the individual worthy of best-in-show recognition based on their competition results. Twenty-eight drivers have won the blue ribbon. From that group, five drivers are repeat grand champions. Just one driver — Minnesota’s Raymond Simon, competing for Yellow Freight System — took home top honors a record three times (1992, 1997, 2001). Fun fact: He qualified for NTDC just thrice.

Simon’s superior accomplishment put a stamp on the illustrious trophy. Viewed as a novelty when it debuted in 1987, the trophy is now recognized as NTDC’s highest honor. Simon was there for its evolution. Like his former Minnesota teammate Richard Gillespie, a two-time grand champion winner (1988, 1991) — to whom he has often been compared — Simon consistently challenged colleagues and peers. He also embodied the tournament’s professionalism.

Based on his resume, it’s logical to conclude that Simon is the modern era’s greatest of all time, or GOAT. To the point, it is Simon’s record that the finest competitors continue to pursue. He himself dismisses the honorific, but his contributions are undeniable.

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 Smith and Simon pose for a photo. (Photo courtesy of Ray Simon)

NTDC’s reluctant GOAT recently reflected on his career and the event’s contributions to safety and the industry during a recent wide-ranging conversation with Transport Topics. “Somebody once said,” the septuagenarian explained, that “if you don’t have time to do something right the first time, when are you gonna have time to do it over? And so I guess I kind of approached it in that way.”

A key reason for his success came down to the basics. He, Gillespie and the Minnesota crew just put in the requisite work to compete at nationals. “I think it just had a lot to do with the practice and practicing with drivers who had already been to the nationals. I think that had a lot to do with that. I do not know how else I can explain it,” he said, adding, “I just left it up to the good Lord to do whatever. And that was it.”

Simon, who boasts of his North Star State roots and competing in a precision-driving contest that skews urban and suburban, developed a reputation for being folksy. Above all, his agenda was simple: Respect the equipment, the competition, the drivers and the craft.

“I think part of it was, again, my desire to go out and be able to do it to the best of my ability. I don’t know what else to say other than that,” he said. “I was blessed. ... I can’t put it any other way.”

Simon’s passion for the industry transcended the national competition. For a long time, he has viewed trucking as central to the fabric of a community. The truck driver, he emphasized, is indispensable — “the backbone of our economy.”

“If trucking stopped tomorrow, where would we be … if the economy quit tomorrow or if trucking quit tomorrow, imagine what it would be like going to the local grocery store to get something to eat. And now you don’t have that in the grocery store. So now what are you going to do? That’s when things are going to go really sideways.”

Simon is featured in “From Roadeo to TDC: A History of the National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships (First Edition).” An in-depth examination of Simon’s origin story and his career highlights will be chronicled in the book’s upcoming second edition, authored by NTDC Executive Director Jacob Pierce and this writer.