UPS drivers shine at 2025 National Truck Driving Championships

UPS drivers from around the U.S. were put to the test at the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), where competitors navigated challenging courses and showcased some truly impressive driving skills. They faced tight turns, tricky stops – and even had to inch their big trucks as close as possible to the event’s iconic rubber ducks. It was all about precision, control and a little bit of fun.

The 2025 UPS team had 30 drivers from 12 states qualify for the championships – including Danielle Casilac from Washington, the first woman to represent UPS at the prestigious competition.

“I didn’t know what to expect and was blown away by how many other professional drivers compete at this level,” Danielle said. “I felt like the UPSers were a closer group compared to drivers from other companies, and I even got to train with some of them before the championships. We were like a family – it was great.”

Our team showed off UPS’s world-class safety culture, and three drivers earned top honors at this year’s competition. Congratulations to team UPS!

🥇 Miguel Sanchez (Florida) – 1st Place, Twins Class

🆕 Jeffrey Reed (New Mexico) – 2025 Rookie of the Year

🥉 Connor Christensen (Illinois) – 3rd Place, Step Van Category

Dive deeper: The NTDC is an annual competition held by the American Trucking Associations to recognize and promote safety and skill among the nation's top professional drivers. Drivers qualify by competing in state and regional competitions.

This year’s best-of-the-best met in Minneapolis, MN, to participate in a written test, pre-trip inspection and skills course, culminating in the selection of champions for various categories.

“Hundreds of the safest drivers compete at nationals each year. I was fortunate to score well enough to take home a trophy, which means a lot,” said 2025 Team UPS driver Connor Christensen. “My dream is to one day compete against my dad at nationals and show him he was a great mentor.”

Did you know? When it comes to safety, teaching and training are always on at UPS. We provide employees with industry-leading training to keep them and other drivers safe.

• We’ve invested more than 33 million hours and nearly $2 billion on safety training over the past five years to help prepare UPSers to work safely year-round.
• UPS collaborated with MIT, Virginia Tech and the Institute for the Future to build a high-tech, next-generation training program called UPS Integrad. The program features technology-rich training facilities, virtual reality driving experiences, traditional classroom instruction, and a replica city – all designed to train drivers on making safe decisions in real-life situations.
• Across the U.S., we have more than 2,500 Comprehensive Health & Safety Process (CHSP) committees in UPS facilities. CHSP committees consist of hourly employees and management who perform facility and equipment audits, recommend work process changes and provide safety compliance training