FedEx Chairman's Challenge

Conceived by FedEx Chairman of the Board Frederick W. Smith, the Chairman’s Challenge is a call to drivers from all operating companies to represent FedEx in the annual American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC). In 2025, the event will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 20-23.

The key purpose of this corporate-wide initiative is to reinforce the FedEx commitment to the safety of its drivers, contracted service providers and couriers – and the motoring public. In addition, NTDC offers an excellent opportunity for our drivers to demonstrate their skills and professionalism while promoting the importance of safe driving at all FedEx companies.

With eight National Grand Champion, 76 National Champion and 11 National Rookie of the Year titles in the past 20 years, Team FedEx has established a reputation for excellence at the NTDC.

In 2003, the first year for the Chairman's Challenge, 902 drivers and contractors from FedEx operating companies competed in state-level competitions from which FedEx registered 58 state champions. In 2024, more than 150 professional drivers represented FedEx at the NTDC for the eighth consecutive year the championships have been competed. Each driver qualified by winning their respective state's competition and driving accident-free for at least one year.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) announced six of its drivers earned top honors at the 2025 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) and National Step Van Driving Championships (NSVDC), held August 20-23 in Minneapolis.

Leading the way, FedEx Freight driver David Comings, based in Fargo, North Dakota, claimed first place in the 5-Axle class and captured the Bendix NTDC Grand Champion Award for the best overall performance. Comings also had the highest score on the written exam at this year’s competition.

At the NTDC, drivers completed a written examination that covered material found in the American Trucking Associations’ Facts for Drivers book, were scored on a pre-trip inspection of equipment, and collected points for their skills on a challenging driving course. To be eligible to compete at the state level to qualify and advance to Nationals, competitors had to be accident-free for at least one year prior to the championships.

In addition to winning six National Championships, drivers representing FedEx earned a total of 15 top-three finishes at this year’s championships, accounting for more than half of the driving class awards.

“At FedEx, Safety Above All guides everything we do,” said John A. Smith, chief operating officer, U.S. & Canada. “I’m proud of our team’s outstanding performance at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships. Their dedication to safety and outstanding service is clear in every mile they drive.”

FedEx has established a reputation for excellence at the NTDC and this year had the privilege of sending a total of 174 drivers from across the country to the championships. Collectively, the team represented 674 state titles, more than 4,000 years of professional driving experience, and 296 million safe-driving miles.

Drivers who also won their respective classes include:

• Mark Carver (Kearney, Missouri) won the Straight Truck National Championship. A FedEx Freight Road Team captain, Carver has accumulated more than 3.5 million safe-driving miles during his 27-year driving career. He is based at FedEx Freight’s Kansas City, Kansas, service center.
• Ed Hill (Dover, Delaware) won the Flatbed National Championship. Hill has 19 years of professional driving experience, including six years with FedEx Freight in Federalsburg, Maryland. He has logged more than 1.1 million safe-driving miles without ever having an accident.
• Stephen Johnson (Moselle, Mississippi) won the 4-Axle National Championship. A FedEx Freight team member for more than 15 years based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Johnson has logged more than 2 million accident-free miles.
• Logan Montandon (Overton, Texas) won the Step Van National Championship for the second straight year driving for contracted service provider Grant Leigh Services Inc. Montandon has accumulated over 490,000 safe-driving miles.
• Dan Shamrell (Battle Ground, Washington) won the 3-Axle National Championship. He previously won the 2006 3-Axle National Championship and is a two-time National Vehicle Condition Award winner (1997, 2006), and 2017 recipient of the Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award. Shamrell is a 38-year professional driver with more than 1.75 million accident-free miles.

This was the fourth-straight NTDC appearance for Comings after winning the North Dakota 5-Axle title and the state’s Grand Championship. Comings, a FedEx Freight Road Team captain, has been a professional driver for more than 29 years and has driven 3.1 million accident-free miles. He and his family reside in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

“Over the course of three decades and 3.1 million accident-free miles, David has proven his driving prowess and commitment to safety,” said American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear. “This week, David put on a master class of precision and professionalism that define NTDC, emerging from an elite field of highly skilled competitors.”

In addition to six national champions, nine drivers representing FedEx were top finishers in their respective driving classes at this year’s championships:

• Roland Bolduc, Federal Express Corporation (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts), 2^nd Place, 5-Axle
• Andy Bryant, FedEx Freight (Bristol, Tennessee), 2^nd Place, Straight Truck
• Todd Flippin, FedEx Freight (Lamar, Colorado), 2^nd Place, Sleeper Berth
• Matt Futral, Federal Express Corporation (Ackworth, Georgia), 2^nd Place, Step Van
• Adam Heim, FedEx Freight (Rathdrum, Idaho), 2^nd Place, Flatbed
• Gary Luster, FedEx Freight (Kingsport, Tennessee), 2^nd Place, 3-Axle
• Dave Mogler, FedEx Freight (Brighton, Colorado), 2^nd Place, Twins
• Kenny Rageth Jr., FedEx Freight (Glenrock, Wyoming), 3^rd Place, Flatbed
• John Willinger, FedEx Freight (Bloomfield, Kentucky), 3^rd Place, 5-Axle

Nick Gaudette, FedEx Freight (Berthoud, Colorado), Flatbed, received the Vehicle Condition Award with a perfect score on the pre-trip inspection. He was also among the seven drivers from FedEx who were part of the team from Colorado with the highest collective score. The others were:

• Nik Dodig, Federal Express Corporation (Lakewood), Driver for contracted service provider P&J Routes and competing in Step Van
• Todd Flippin
• Dave Mogler
• Josh Mogler, FedEx Freight (Brighton), Tank Truck
• Tyler Rogers, FedEx Freight (Fruita), 5-Axle
• Paul Swan, FedEx Freight (Mead), 4-Axle