A FedEx freight driver was named the grand champion at the 2025 State Truck Driving Championship and Technician of the Year Contest held in Waco last weekend.
Christopher Flippin, who drives for FedEx Freight, won the top award. He also won the twin trailers class.
Drivers from HEB, the San Antonio-based grocery store chain with 440-plus stores in Texas and Mexico, won six of the driving classes.
Regional winners from Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio competed in the truck driving championships across several vehicle classes. The first-place winner in each class will now advance to represent Texas at the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) National Truck Driving Championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota later this summer.
The Texas Truck Driving Championship class winners include:
State Grand Champion: Christopher Flippin, FedEx Freight
Flatbed: Juan Martinez, HEB
Step Van: Matthew Logan Montandon, FedEx Ground
Sleeper Berth: Robert Svoboda, Walmart Transportation
Straight Truck: Jason Salazar, HEB
Tank Truck: David Sanchez, HEB
Twin Trailers: Christopher Flippin, FedEx Freight
5-Axle Van: Christopher Pieper, HEB
4-Axle Van: Ruben Cortez, HEB
3-Axle Van: David Urrea IV, HEB
The 2025 Technician of the Year Contest winner was also named after a two-day competition evaluating the written and technical skills of truck technicians from across the state. Corey Tegeler, who works for Old Dominion Freight Line, is the first lace winner and will go on to the ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council's National Technician Skills Competition in Raleigh, North Carolina in September.
“These championships highlight the exceptional skill and precision it takes to safely operate and maintain commercial trucks on our roads,” said John D. Esparza, President and CEO of TXTA. “We’re proud to recognize these dedicated professionals who keep our economy moving each and every day.”
Three regional championships are held in the spring. Drivers are tested on their ability to maneuver and control their vehicles under a number of difficult test situations. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from each regional championship advance to the state championship. Drivers that qualify for the National Championship will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota in August.
