“Go when you’re ready.”

Roland Bolduc peered through the windshield of his 18-wheeler across the saturated parking lot.

“It’s not raining hard enough,” Bolduc joked. It was in that moment that the sky really opened up, and the steady drizzle became a torrential downfall. But Bolduc’s resolution did not waver. “Okay, let’s go.”

Over the next several minutes, Bolduc delivered a flawless performance on the course at the 2025 Tristate Truck Driving Championships in Connecticut. With textbook precision, he expertly squeezed his large truck through tight barriers, stopped within inches of the designated targets, executed a perfect backup, and navigated tight turns.

In the end, despite the unfavorable weather conditions, Bolduc once again emerged on top.

A Champion Among Champions

Every year, thousands of truck drivers from coast to coast compete in state divisions with the hopes of earning a berth in the National Truck Driving Championships, often referred to as the “Super Bowl of Safety.” Each truck driving competition consists of a complex driving course, a challenging written exam, and a rigorous pre-trip inspection.

But even among this elite group of professionals, few are like Bolduc. His latest victory marked the 20th time he has won a state championship, making him a quadruple ace. Only one other driver has accomplished this feat in the nearly 90-year history of the event. Bolduc has also won the Grand Champion title twice at the national competitions, an exceedingly rare achievement.

Bolduc’s extraordinary journey from rookie to veteran to champion is the subject of a new docuseries produced by Nothing Without Trucking that features three exceptional truck drivers. It’s a story of perseverance, skill, and a commitment to excellence—qualities that define the trucking industry.

A Legend’s Family Legacy

Bolduc has been immersed in the trucking industry for his entire life. His father worked as a company driver and then started running his own trucking company before Bolduc was born. He put in a tremendous amount of effort to provide a good life for his wife and seven kids.

“He was such a hard worker,” Bolduc recalls. “Just as we were waking up to get ready for school, he was on his way out the door, and then he’d show up just in time for supper. The weekends, too. He never stopped.”

But just because Bolduc’s father was not always at home did not mean he rarely saw him. During his free time, Bolduc could be found at the terminal, watching his dad work and helping out where he could. By age 8, he was washing trucks, and at age 12, he was part of the crew. One particularly memorable experience was delivering furniture and the contents of an entire library to the third floor of a Victorian home.

The Road to Trucking

“August 4, 1984.” Bolduc recalls with perfect clarity the day he earned his CDL.

Given his upbringing and lifelong role model, it is perhaps no surprise that he ended up in the trucking industry.

Bolduc attributes his pinpoint driving accuracy to cutting his teeth earlier in his career making deliveries to New York City.

“Try driving in Harlem [or] in the Bronx. I’ll tell you what, that builds character. That builds precision. You have to know every square inch. When you’re driving down those narrow streets and people’s mirrors are out and you’re missing them by about two inches on each side of the vehicle, you know how wide your vehicle is. And you get used to backing up to these barricades year after year.”

From Rookie to Ace

Bolduc first competed in the truck driving championships in 1996, shortly after he began working for FedEx, and was immediately hooked. He won his first state title in 1997. After a couple of disappointing losses in subsequent years, he vowed to redouble his efforts.

“I was so mad when I got home,” Bolduc said. “I told my wife, ‘I will never lose again. I will practice harder than everyone else. I will read the book more than anyone else. I will practice my pre-trip more than anyone else. I will not lose again.’”

What followed was a nearly unbroken winning streak that has endured to this day.

To turn his resolve into reality, Bolduc assembled a group of committed, likeminded individuals who wanted to hone their skills regularly. He often invites other drivers to join him, lightheartedly referring to it as the “Roadeo Research and Development Facility.”

Bolduc’s evident edge in competitions and rumors of his intense preparations quickly gave his informal practice sessions a life of their own. After one of his triumphs, Bolduc’s friend told him that another driver whispered to him Bolduc’s “secret.”

“He goes to a place called the ‘Roadeo Research and Development Facility,’” conjuring up images of classrooms with formulas on chalkboards, scientists in white lab coats, and professional closed driving tracks.

“In reality, it’s just a parking lot,” Bolduc laughs.

Practice Makes Perfect

Bolduc’s alarm goes off at 1:15AM every Monday morning. Every other day of the week, he can sleep in—until 2:15AM. He reports to work well before dawn to map out the day’s routes and then makes deliveries on his own. Bolduc applies this same clockwork precision to his training regimen as well.

During the heat of the competition season, his group congregates early on Saturday mornings. Although the drivers represent different companies, when they practice, they are all on one team. They spend about five hours designing courses for one another, critiquing each other’s performances, and refining their own skills.

Bolduc’s vigorous practice schedule, coupled with his extensive experience of more than four decades behind the wheel, essentially provides him with a sixth sense when he is navigating the course at truck driving competitions.

That became evident most recently in his competition in Connecticut, where the weather became one more obstacle he needed to overcome. When rain obscures pavement markings and obscures the field of vision, you are virtually flying blind, and even veterans can stumble. When that happens, Bolduc’s training and instinct take over.

The Heart of a Champion

Those operating at the top echelons of their crafts typically have a fair amount of swagger. Not Bolduc. Those meeting him for the first time might be surprised to find that such an exceptional driver is exceptionally humble.

“I never thought in a million years that night I would have taken first place—never mind grand champion,” Bolduc said, referring to his first triumph at the National Truck Driving Championship and often attributing his victory to luck. “So the whole night was a blur, it was a shock.”

Whenever someone asks Bolduc about his own success, he invariably pivots to speak admiringly of his fellow competitors, whose similar interests and ambitions bind them together. Many of the same faces return year after year, becoming almost like family.

“Honestly, I’d like to see everybody finish one point away from each other just because I want them all at the head table,” Bolduc states with sincerity. “I want everybody to do well.”

He also has a much more expansive definition of “champion” that encompasses his peers in the industry.

“A champion is any driver who drives year after year safely,” Bolduc adds.

Bolduc has officially mentored well over 100 drivers, and he has undoubtedly served as a role model to countless more. Anyone who crosses paths with Bolduc instantly becomes a fast friend.

It is these deep relationships he has forged and his love for the industry that he inherited from his father that has sustained him through victory after victory in the competitions and mile after mile delivering for FedEx. Even after so many years, his desire to do his best and be the best has never dimmed.

“That’s probably what I’m going to miss the most when I retire. Getting to know more people and see a lot of people on a daily basis. I guess I’m a people person.”

Bolduc’s Story on the Screen

What does Bolduc hope that viewers of Nothing Without Trucking’s DRIVEN will take away from watching the documentary?

First: “Trucking is a solid profession. It’s a reliable profession…You get the freedom of being on road, the freedom of being in your own cab. My office is windows, lots of windows.”

And second, specifically for fellow truck drivers: “Get involved with the truck driving championships…The earlier you get involved in the truck driving championships in your career, the better.”

Visit DrivenDoc.org to stream the DRIVEN series.