Last week, CRST Dedicated CAT driver Jeff Carpenter drove his way onto the national scene as he competed at the 2026 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Jeff competed in the Straight Truck division against 45 of the country’s best, proving his grit in:
- A written exam probing the competitors’ deep safety knowledge
- A pre-trip inspection filled with deviously hidden defects – all as the clock ticked down
- A driving skills course engineered to push drivers’ precision and control to the limit
Jeff turned in a strong performance from start to finish. More than that, he carried himself with the pride, professionalism and commitment to safety we see in our best drivers every day.
How did Jeff get there?
Jeff earned his trip to Nationals thanks to his first-place showing in the Iowa Motor Truck Association’s Truck Driving Championships in Des Moines in June. He was joined for the week by Terry Pump – Director Safety and Risk, Jamie Bateman – CAT Dedicated Senior Manager Operations, Hunter Hartgrave – CAT Dedicated Fleet Manager, and Keith Long – Senior Communications Manager and team coach.
What the NTDC is all about
The NTDC is hosted by the American Trucking Associations, and drivers can’t just sign up. Instead, they have to earn their place through state-level competitions – which means everyone at Nationals has already proven they’re among the best.
This year’s event included:
- 429 professional drivers
- 755 million collective safe-driving miles
- Nine competition classes
That’s a whole lot of careful decisions, day after day, mile after mile.
