David Comings of FedEx Freight earned the 2025 Bendix Grand Champion title at the ATA National Truck Driving Championships, highlighting safety and skill across 3.1 million accident-free miles.
David Comings, winner of the ATA’s 2025 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion Award.
Photo: ATA
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The 88th American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) National Truck Driving & Step Van Championships (NTDC) concluded Aug. 20–23 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with David Comings, a FedEx Freight driver from North Dakota, earning the 2025 Bendix Grand Champion title.
A Career Built on Safety
Comings has been a professional driver for nearly 30 years, logging more than 3.1 million safe miles. He has competed three times in the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association state championships and three times at NTDC, previously winning state-level titles in both the 4-axle and 5-axle categories. This year, he also placed first in the 5-axle class at the national event.
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Competition Overview
The NTDC brought together 425 drivers representing 56 companies across 49 states. Collectively, participants have logged nearly 756 million accident-free miles. Drivers competed in three phases: a written knowledge exam, a detailed pre-trip inspection, and a driving skills course designed to test precision in navigating tight turns, reversing, scaling, and maneuvering around obstacles.
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems sponsored the Grand Champion Award for the 14th consecutive year. “We congratulate David Comings and all the drivers who competed this year,” said Nicole Oreskovic, vice president of sales and marketing at Bendix. “Their skill and dedication to safety are vital to the industry.”
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said Comings’ record shows his “driving skill and commitment to safety,” adding that all competitors demonstrated the professionalism of the trucking industry. ATA Chairman Dennis Dellinger also recognized the efforts of volunteers who make the championships possible.
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Grand Champion David Comings of FedEx Freight celebrates his win with his family at the ATA National Truck Driving Championships.
Photo: ATA
Additional Awards
Rookie of the Year: Jeffrey Reed, UPS, New Mexico
State Team Champion: Colorado
Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award: Leroy Williams, Sr., XPO
Sam Gillette Lifetime Volunteer Award: Linda Nodland
Class Winners
Step Van: Logan Montandon, FedEx (Texas)
Straight Truck: Mark Carver, FedEx Freight (Missouri)
3-Axle: Daniel Shamrell, FedEx Freight (Oregon)
4-Axle: Stephen Johnson, FedEx Freight (Mississippi)
5-Axle: David Comings, FedEx Freight (North Dakota)
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