The 2025 Kentucky Trucking Association Truck Driving Championship was one for the books. The weather was perfect, and we had a very solid turnout of some of the state’s most distinguished drivers. 93 drivers from six companies joined us at FedEx Freight in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 9-10 for the annual rodeo. The venue was hospitable, the accommodations were great, and the camaraderie was second to none. Friday brought the fun of registration and the written test, which drivers prepare for months in advance out of the Facts for Drivers Handbook. We like to prepare drivers for the National TDC as much as possible, so we had Stewart Easter dig deep to create a very challenging test for the drivers. Scores overall were very good, with one driver even managing a perfect score on the exam.

Saturday morning brought the road course and a very early start for volunteers and spectators. Walmart, UPS and FedEx all contributed to cooking breakfast and lunch for attendees, and we had a great crowd of volunteers. We want to extend our thanks to all those from KSP who showed up to run the rollover simulator, as well as help with scoring and maintaining the driving course. We would also like to thank all the other volunteers, from the KTA members present to the family members who sacrificed their time to fill gaps. This year’s competition went flawlessly and very efficiently, and we appreciate all the hands involved. Saturday night brought the banquet and awards ceremony, which is a great celebration of the safety standards set by the companies and their drivers. We had over 350 attendees at this year’s banquet, from drivers and their families to safety directors, managers and company owners.

Along with the banquet, the Kentucky Trucking Association gets to present the top performers with trophies and honors, as well as give the first-place driver in each class a bid to the National Truck Driving Championship, which was hosted in Minneapolis Aug. 20-23, 2025.

Thank you to all the volunteers and companies who contribute to making the TDC possible. We couldn’t do it without you. Congratulations to all of the Kentucky team members. We are proud of each of you. Thank you for representing your companies and your state so well, and we can’t wait to see how great next year is going to be!