2024 TDC Accident Eligibility Criteria

An eligible driver entering the National Truck Driving Championships shall have a preventable accident-free record from the day immediately following the previous National Truck Driving Championships until and including the date of the current year’s National Truck Driving Championships. To compete at state Truck Driving Championships, an eligible driver shall have a preventable accident-free record from the day immediately following the previous state or National Truck Driving Championships until and including the date of the current year’s state Truck Driving Championships, the choice of which shall be determined by the state Truck Driving Championships Committee in its sole direction.

The entering carrier is responsible for reviewing all collisions for any potential contestant using ATA’s Trucking Industry Guidelines for Recording Fleet Motor Vehicle Accidents and Determining Preventability.  The only accidents which need not be counted against the contestant’s records for eligibility are occurrences determined to be non-preventable using ATA’s Trucking Industry Guidelines for Recording Fleet Motor Vehicle Accidents and Determining Preventability. Any accident deemed non-preventable by the entering carrier must be submitted for further review to the ATA National Truck Driving Championships Eligibility Review Committee.

Disqualifying Fleet Motor Vehicle Accidents:

Motor Carrier Driver involved in any preventable occurrence involving a fleet motor vehicle while engaged at the time in commerce or personal use that results in death, injury or property damage. Who was injured, what property was damaged or to what extent, where the accident occurred, or who was responsible is not a factor.

Non-Disqualifying Fleet Motor Vehicle Accidents:

1. Properly Parked Fleet Motor Vehicle: To be properly parked, a vehicle should be stopped in a designated safe legal space, with brakes set, wheels chocked (if needed) and doors closed or open and secured.

2. Stopped in Response to a Traffic Control Device or Law Enforcement: A vehicle standing in a line of traffic in response to an officer, signal, stop sign or to traffic conditions.

3. Animals: Occurrences that result in death, injury or property damage caused by collisions with animals so long as the death and injury is confined to the animal and the property damage is due to the initial impact with the animal.

Typical non-preventable occurrences:

• A fleet motor vehicle was legally parked entirely within a designated lane or parking space, with the proper vehicle or combination brakes set and wheels chocked as needed or required. In addition, the fleet motor vehicle was not double parked.
• Due to mechanical failure or existing conditions, the fleet motor vehicle was stopped and using emergency warning devices as required by federal, state and local regulations (also applicable if the driver was in the process of setting out or retrieving warning devices). Emergency flashers must also be in use as required by DOT regulations.
• A collision with an animal when circumstances indicated there was no way for the driver to have avoided the collision without causing subsequent damage or another accident.
• A driver did everything possible to avoid involvement in an accident in which the opposing party had an established intent to commit suicide.
• When cargo damage is sustained due to the improper securement of the load by the shipper, and the driver was prevented from inspecting and properly securing the load because the trailer was sealed/locked.
• The contestant’s vehicle was stopped in traffic in compliance with a traffic sign or signal, or at the direction of a police officer.
• Waived by the ATA National Truck Driving Championships Committee in accordance with appendix I-A, or otherwise provided herein.

The exceptions specified above shall not be construed to apply to the action of the contestant in stopping or parking in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid involvement in an accident.

Nothing in the rules shall be constructed as to allow a state trucking association or state Truck Driving Championships Committee to allow eligibility and participation that is contrary to these rules, and the National Truck Driving Championships Committee reserves the right to disqualify any such participant.

Eligibility Review Process

If an entering driver had an accident in the 12 months prior to the state and/or national competition and believes it was non-preventable, they must complete the following process to determine eligibility to compete.

1. Entering driver’s accident is reviewed by employer safety department to determine preventability based on the ATA Guidelines for Recording Fleet Vehicle Accidents and Determining Preventability
2. If the entering drivers’ safety department determines accident was preventable, driver is disqualified.
3. If the entering drivers’ safety department determines accident was non-preventable, company must complete and submit the TDC Accident Eligibility Review Form to the American Trucking Associations Safety Management Council to be reviewed by the NTDC Eligibility Review Committee for final approval. Forms can be emailed to SMC@trucking.org or mailed to ATA SMC, 80 M Street SE, Suite 800, Washington DC, 20003. The form can be found here.