IFDA crowns top professional truck drivers and warehouse associates at National Championship
Key takeaways
- IFDA National Championship highlights top truck drivers and warehouse operators excelling in safety and precision.
- Real-world skills competitions showcase operational excellence and set industry standards for foodservice distribution.
- Rookie awards and team honors emphasize talent development and collaboration within trucking and warehouse operations.
The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) recently announced the winners of its annual IFDA National Championship, held October 23-25 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida. The company, which organizes the skills and safety competition for the foodservice distribution industry, hosted 182 professional truck drivers and 102 warehouse equipment operators competing across five categories.
2025 Championship results:
- Double Pallet Jack
- First Place: Chris Mann, US Foods
- Second Place: Tyler Sibenaller, Performance Food Group
- Third Place: Freddy Vega, US Foods
- Reach Truck
- First Place: Josh Goddard, McLane Foodservice
- Second Place: Jonah Seppala, Performance Food Group
- Third Place: Jesse Lewin, Dennis Food Service
- Straight Truck
- First Place: Justin Calloway, Ben E. Keith Co.
- Second Place: Rob Cummings, Sysco
- Third Place: Michael Jackson, Ben E. Keith Foods
- 3-Axle
- First Place: Cristhian Gonzalez, Performance Food Group
- Second Place: Travon Ellis, Performance Food Group
- Third Place: Nicholas Aragon, US Foods
- 5-Axle
- First Place: Seth Burnett, Capitol Distributing Inc.
- Second Place: Rhett Kraft, Sysco
- Third Place: Mark Ditscheit, Performance Food Group
- Special Recognitions
- Warehouse Rookie of the Year: Chris Mann, US Foods (Double Pallet Jack)
- Transportation Rookie of the Year: Seth Burnett, Capitol Distributing Inc. (5-Axle)
- Perfect Skills Course: Freddy Vega, US Foods, 300-point flawless performance
- Top Written Exam Scores:
- Warehouse: Eugene Hoffman, Performance Food Group – 96
- Transportation: Manuel Martinez, Gordon Food Service – 84
- Team Awards:
- Warehouse Team Award: US Foods
- Transportation Team Award: Performance Food Group
“This year, 182 professional truck drivers and 102 warehouse equipment operators showcased their skills, with an impressive 66% competing for the first time,” said Mark S. Allen, president and CEO of IFDA. “These professionals represent the backbone of our industry, ensuring safe and efficient delivery of food to communities across America. Their dedication to excellence and safety sets the standard for the entire foodservice distribution industry. Congratulations to all competitors and winners!”
The 2026 IFDA National Championship will be held October 22-24, 2026, in Orlando, Florida, with field courses at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee and all other events at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.