INDIANAPOLIS — After wrapping up the written exam portion of the National Truck Driving & Step Van Driving Championships, several competitors came away impressed with its attention to detail.

INDIANAPOLIS — “I know it feels great to be live again," American Trucking Associations Chairman Harold Sumerford Jr. told those gathered at the National Truck Driving Championships on Aug. 16. The safety event, which runs through Aug. 19, is being held in-person for the first time since 2019 because of the pandemic.

Images from the 2022 National Truck Driving & Step Van Driving Championships in Indianapolis Aug. 16-19, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center.

More than 400 women and men representing carriers such as UPS Inc., FedEx Corp. and Walmart Inc., will test their skills in a trucking tournament referred to as the “Super Bowl of Safety" beginning Tuesday in Indianapolis at the National Truck Driving & Step Van Driving Championships.

At the start of the year, Mark Brundage was tied up with plenty of work obligations and family commitments. But a last-minute opening in his schedule in May made it possible for Brundage to take a shot at Virginia’s trucking competition.

In 2013, Tim Melody won the twin trailers category at the National Truck Driving Championships. The victory paved the way for other accolades, among them a spot as an America’s Road Team Captain in 2017.

Heading into their 85th anniversary after a two-year hiatus, the National Truck Driving Championships return with a high level of excitement and a slate of competitors ready to once again showcase their skills behind the wheel.

In June, Joyce Bain set out to win Maryland’s truck safety tournament. And, by relying on consistency and mental toughness, she did just that. Up next is nationals in Indianapolis.

Brian Walker has spent more than a decade competing at the National Truck Driving Championships. This year, the Tar Heel State’s grand champion with TForce Freight competing in the 3-axle, is trying to prove he finally perfected a winning formula.

As he battled cancer during the pandemic, Alan Paradis' friends and colleagues insisted that he compete in Maine’s truck safety tournament. It proved to be sage advice.