Liner Notes

At this year’s South Carolina State TDC, veteran Walmart driver J.B. Quarles cemented his place as a true legend within the NTDC Community. By winning the state title in the Step Van Division, J.B. completed his quest to win South Carolina State Championships in all nine vehicle classifications that make up the NTDC field. J.B.’s run of excellence now includes six straight state titles in a different division each year. As J.B. shares with us in this extended conversation, Step Van was the remaining jewel in an unprecedented TDC crown that shines with the glow of a top professional driver who is always willing to share his knowledge to help others in the NTDC Community. As you’ll hear, J.B. didn’t even know it was possible to win the South Carolina Grand Champion while competing in the Step Van Class. And while J.B.’s performance over TDC Weekend was top flight and represented the realization of a dream years in the making, hearing his name called as the 2026 Grand Champion for South Carolina became the perfect exclamation mark for reaching an incredible milestone. OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org. The post Goal Achieved: J.B. Quarles Step Van Title Makes Him A State Champion In All Nine Divisions appeared first on PodWheels.

Our guest for this edition of Inside The Cab from Caltrux is Sean Duryee, the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol. CTA CEO Eric Sauer caught up with Commissioner Duryee during the first quarter of 2026, and Eric was able to ask questions on some high-profile topics for trucking operations in California. As you will hear, Commissioner Duryee talks to Eric about cargo theft as well as what’s happening with English Language Proficiency enforcement. Commissioner Duryee also discusses the educational opportunities the CHP has developed for California trucking companies to engage, learn and create an ongoing dialogue with law enforcement. For the latest on what’s happening with the California Trucking Association, visit Caltrux.org. The post An Insightful Conversation With CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee appeared first on PodWheels.

Over the past 17 years, Ramon Guzman of FedEx Freight and Mike Middleton of Old Dominion Freight Lines have become the very definition of why the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships stand as the longest running safety program in the history of trucking. While they have each dreamed of competing at the nationals (Ramon earned a spot at NTDC 2025 as California’s Flatbed Champion after 17 years between titles), the most important numbers they have put on the board during their careers are safe miles and the ability to participate in their State TDCs year after year. In this episode of the podcast, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson shares his interviews with Mike and Ramon that were recorded in March onsite during Safety Drive For A Cure 2026 in Atlanta. You’ll have the opportunity to hear the dedication to safety that is held firmly by Mike and Ramon, and they each talk about what brings them back ready to go into TDC Season year after year. A Captain with America’s Road Team, Mike considers it a privilege just to compete each year in Tennessee’s TDC. Ramon, meanwhile, had an opportunity to experience an international truck driving competition when he traveled to an event in Ireland last year. As he looks ahead to the fall, Ramon is exploring another international driving championship in Europe. OUR FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: Founded in 2007, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine and smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and all of the offerings available from SCF, including how you can support their important work to help professional drivers and their families, visit TruckersFund.org. The post Middleton and Guzman: Definitions of TDC Spirit and Dedication To Safety appeared first on PodWheels.

March and April have been a busy time for the SCF Team. We will get caught up on the SCF news, and we’ll also get you ready for SCF’s Heart & Sole Virtual 5K Fundraiser that the organization will be hosting in early May. SCF Executive Director Courtney Niemann joins the show to recap the SCF Team’s success at the Mid-America Trucking Show with over $10,000 in donations coming to SCF during MATS 2026. Courtney also introduces us to Mindy Williams, who recently joined SCF as the organization’s Health & Wellness Manager. When we welcome Mindy into the conversation at the 8:38 mark of the episode, you will hear about her career highlights, which includes earning her CDL and time behind the wheel driving in a team setting with her husband, who is a veteran of the trucking industry. As you will hear, Mindy is looking forward to furthering the strong tradition of health and wellness programs that have been established by SCF. Our April episode closes with some notes on the upcoming Heart & Sole Virtual 5K Fundraiser. The event will be running May 3-9. You can join in by signing up by clicking here. The post SCF Welcomes Mindy Williams To Team; Set For May’s Virtual 5K Fundraiser appeared first on PodWheels.

Through this Safety Matters edition of the podcast, we highlight Haz-Mat Compliance as we continue our series exploring the Seven BASICS that are a part of FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability Enforcement Program. Mark Barlar and Daniel Vega from the Reliance Partners Safety Impact Team return to the podcast to serve as our subject-matter experts. As you will hear, Mark and Daniel will provide insights on what qualifies as a hazardous load and how to properly identify a haz-mat load. They will also tell us about the top violations found during hazardous materials inspections and how to prevent them. In addition, Mark and Daniel have a collection of helpful pointers that they will share on a number of considerations related to haz-mat cargo. Thom Albrecht, the Chief Revenue Officer at Reliance Partners, will serve as the host for this episode of the podcast and he will serve as the moderator of the discussion. This presentation was originally shared on April 14th as part of the Reliance Partners live webinar series on the Seven BASICS.  SIGN UP FOR MAY’S LIVE WEBINAR: Reliance Partners will be closing out our series on the Seven BASICS with a webinar on May 13th at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The next Safety Matters Webinar will feature a series of Case Studies related to the Seven BASICS, and the discussion will highlight specific situations where the Reliance Safety Impact Team has helped clients navigate various challenges related to CSA Scores. You can register for the Reliance Partners’ May 13th webinar by clicking here. The post Understanding The Haz-Mat BASIC: Key Insights for Carriers and Brokers appeared first on PodWheels.

Wendy Greenland, the CEO of Openforce, joins the podcast for a thought-provoking  discussion that explores AI’s growing impact on transportation technology and some of the key challenges trucking and logistics companies face when navigating the complex landscape of independent contractor management. Grawe Group Founder & CEO Doug Grawe leads the conversation that also takes us through Wendy’s career path, which brought her from being a telecommunications entrepreneur to working in transportation, eventually being called to senior leadership positions with Openforce, an industry-leading provider Independent Contractor compliance, insurance and payments. In their discussion of evaluating and implementing technologies within the Age of AI, Wendy notes the value of utilizing Horizon One, Two and Three with strategic decision-making and technology adoption. Wendy talks about the importance of understanding how to leverage what’s happening today while also being able to springboard to the future horizon. While walking listeners through the work that Openforce does with Independent Contractors and companies working with ICs, Wendy and Doug discussed being focused on helping people who want to be independent, keep their independence. Wendy also provides some valuable tips related to building trust and discipline within a leadership team while also establishing clear objectives for your team. In addition, she offers a few best practices for evaluating and selecting long-term technology partners. To learn more about the Grawe Group, visit the firm’s website, TheGraweGroup.com. The post Openforce CEO Wendy Greenland Looks At Technology And Future Of Independent Contractor Management appeared first on PodWheels.