ABF drivers raise the bar at state competitions
During the 2025 state truck driving championship (TDC) season, 42 ABF Freight® drivers earned top honors across North America, demonstrating their elite skills, deep industry knowledge and unwavering commitment to safety.
Hosted by state trucking associations, TDCs challenge drivers through a written exam, pre-trip inspection and a driving skills course in one of several vehicle classes, including straight truck, 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, tank, flatbed, sleeper cab and twin trailers.
To qualify, drivers must meet strict criteria: they must be continuously employed with a motor carrier for at least one year, remain accident-free during that time, and have no more than 30 days away from their regular duties.
This year, 12 ABF drivers advanced to the national stage — the 2025 American Trucking Associations National Truck Driving Championships — after earning first-place titles at the state level. This year’s national event will be held August 20-23, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
ABF teams also brought home team trophies in Tennessee, Michigan (small team) and Arkansas (small team), and received the Plaque of Achievement for the West Virginia Fleet Safety Contest (0-1,000,000 miles category). A special congratulations goes to America’s Road Team Captain Terry Bennett, who was inducted into the Florida Trucking Association Hall of Fame during the Florida TDC.
To all our 2025 state champs — thank you for representing ABF with pride, professionalism and unmatched skill. Whether you’re delivering for our customers or competing on the course, you continue to set the standard for excellence in our industry. Best of luck to the 12 drivers advancing to Nationals. We're proud to have you represent ABF among the finest professionals in trucking.
First-place winners
Alan Levy City driver, Brattleboro, VT Vermont TDC — 3-axle Highest Written Test Score | Dave Hall Road driver, Little Rock AR Arkansas TDC — twin trailers
| Shawn Hale Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — 5-axle
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Bob Bramwell City driver, Sedalia, MO Missouri TDC — sleeper | Jami Draft City driver, New Walker, MI Michigan TDC — 4-axle | Steve Looney City driver, Charleston, WV West Virginia TDC — 5-axle |
Brendan Hennessy City driver, Stratford, CT Connecticut, TDC — flatbed | Kraig Keller City driver, Camp Hill, PA Pennsylvania TDC — 3-axle | Steven Holewinski City driver, Elkridge, MD Maryland TDC — flatbed |
Bryan Holewinski City driver, Elkridge, MD Maryland TDC — sleeper | Robert Zamora Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — tank | William West Road driver, Atlanta, GA Georgia TDC — flatbed |
Second-place winners
Allen McNeely City driver, Belmont, NC North Carolina TDC — tank | Allen Morrison City driver, Durham, NC North Carolina TDC — 5-axle | Andrew Kelly Road driver, Denver, CO Wyoming TDC — twin trailers |
Andrew ‘AJ’ Kelly Road driver, Cheyenne, WY Wyoming TDC — 3-axle | Darrin Kirby City driver, Tulsa, OK Oklahoma TDC — straight truck | Kirk Weis Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — flatbed |
Ben Atkinson City driver, Jacksonville, FL Florida TDC — twin trailers Driver of the Month | Frankie Leyba Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — 4-axle
| Kirk Haggard Road driver, Little Rock, AR Arkansas TDC — twin trailers
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Christopher Massingill City driver, Chattanooga, TN Tennessee TDC — straight truck | Gerald Benavidez Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — sleeper | Ralph Garcia Road driver, Albuquerque, NM New Mexico TDC — tank |
Clint Rast Road driver, Omaha, NE Nebraska TDC — straight truck Highest Pre-Trip Score | Joe Busch City driver, Omaha, NE Nebraska TDC — 3-axle
| Rudy Salgado City driver, Phoenix, AZ Arizona TDC — 3-axle
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Clint Rast Road driver, Omaha, NE Nebraska TDC — straight truck Highest Pre-Trip Score | John ‘Travis’ Gibson City driver, Charleston, WV West Virginia TDC — flatbed
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Third-place winners
Chuck Smetzer City driver, Hagerstown, MD Maryland TDC — 3-axle
| John Hemmingson City driver, Minneapolis, MN Minnesota TDC — 3-axle Highest Test Score | Nick Williams City driver, Little Rock, AR North Carolina TDC — 4-axle
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Dave Bond City driver, Phoenix, AZ Arizona TDC — flatbed | John R Gibson City driver, Charleston, WV West Virginia TDC — tank | Paul Smith Road driver, Omaha, NE Nebraska TDC — twin trailers |
David Molnar Road driver, Portland, OR Oregon TDC — twin trailers | Mario Amatisto City driver, Eugene, OR Oregon TDC — straight truck | Scott Anderson Road driver, Wichita, KS Kansas TDC — tank |
Dean Geier City driver, Effingham, IL Illinois TDC — 4-axle | Mike Zorich Road driver, St. Louis, MO Missouri TDC — tank | Tim Miller Road driver, Cheyenne, WY Wyoming TDC — tank |
Jeffery Whitaker City driver, Wilmington, NC North Carolina TDC — 3-axle | Nick Saverino City driver, Manassas, VA Virginia TDC — straight truck |
