INDIANAPOLIS – Roland Bolduc knows his way on the road and his way to the winner’s circle.

Bolduc, a professional driver with FedEx Express, was named Bendix Grand Champion in the 85th National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships for the second time in his career.

Competing in the sleeper berth division, bested a field of 408 drivers with nearly 730 million combined accident-free miles to claim the coveted title of Grand Champion at this year’s Super Bowl of Safety. He also won it in 2017.

A resident of East Longmeadow, Mass., Bolduc has more than 2.5 million safe driving miles in his more than 40-year-long career. He was named an America’s Road Team Captain in 2000.

In addition, the American Trucking Associations crowned FedEx Freight driver Tyler Tollefson as 2022 Rookie of the Year. To compete as an NTDC rookie, a driver must be a first-time competitor at their state competition who advanced to nationals. This year, there were 22 rookies competing.

ATA also recognized the state of North Carolina with the NTDC Team Championship, placing five drivers into the finals. New York finished second in the team competition and Connecticut finished third.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wells of the South Dakota Trucking Association was given the Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award and Anthony Spero, a professional driver with ABF Freight System Inc., was recognized with the Neil Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award as the competitor “who most exemplifies all the best attributes of a professional truck driver.”

“NTDC was a tremendous success thanks to all the drivers, staff and volunteers who made it happen,” said ATA Chairman Harold Sumerford Jr., president of J&M Tank Lines Inc. “After two long years, it was great to be back and see this competition in person, getting to observe the professionalism and dedication to safety of these drivers was a great privilege.”

Here are the top three finishers in each vehicle class:

Three-Axle Division  
Wilbert Vano, XPO Logistics Inc. (New Jersey)
Chris Poynor, XPO Logistics Inc. (Washington)
Brian Walker, TForce Freight (North Carolina)

                                               
Four-Axle Division 
Martin McMahon, RIST Transport (New York)
Miguel Corral, UPS (Illinois)
David Rohman, FedEx Express (North Carolina)

                                               
Five-Axle Division 
David Guinn, Publix Super Markets Inc. (Florida)
Timothy Banasiak, UPS (Illinois)
Alphonso Lewis, Yellow (Alabama)

                                               
Flatbed Division 
Eric Ramsdell, Walmart Transportation LLC (Arizona)
Raymond Waage, FedEx Freight (New York)
Kenneth Rageth, FedEx Freight (Wyoming)

                                               
Sleeper Berth Division                                              
x-Roland Bolduc, FedEx Express (Connecticut)
Eric Courville, FedEx Freight (Louisiana)
Charles White, Walmart Transportation LLC (Indiana)

                                               
Straight Truck Division                   
Christopher Shaw, FedEx Express (New Mexico)
Michael Bills, FedEx Express (North Carolina)
Jesse Benkert, FedEx Ground (Kentucky)

                                               
Tank Truck Division                        
Michael Flippin, FedEx Freight (Colorado)
Heladio Fernandez, FedEx Freight (Oregon)
Dennis Shirar, Walmart Transportation LLC (Indiana)

                                               
Twins Division                                               
Damien Hebert, XPO Logistics Inc. (Louisiana)
Leslie Smyth, FedEx Freight (Florida)
Jeffrey Langenhahn, XPO Logistics Inc. (Wisconsin)

                                              
Step Van Division
Gregory Long, FedEx Express (Maryland)
Ceth Christensen, UPS (Illinois)
Jerome De La Cruz, FedEx Express (Alaska)

x-Grand champion