Award aims to honor new drivers with military background

April 19, 2018

Land Line Staff

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By the end of the year, a truck driver who has recently transitioned from the military will be holding the keys of a new Kenworth T680.

Nominations are being sought for the third annual Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award, which goes to the top rookie military veteran driver. Each year, the winner receives a new Kenworth T680 Advantage equipped with a 76-inch sleeper.

The annual award aims to encourage military veterans to make the transition into the trucking industry. About 205,000 service members are estimated to transition out of the military into the private sector this year.

Kenworth, Fastport, and Hiring Our Heroes team up for the award.

“Hiring Our Heroes helped more than 16,000 new veterans make the transition into trucking last year,” said Eric Eversole, U.S Chamber of Commerce vice president and Hiring Our Heroes president. “The 2018 Transition Award campaign is another opportunity to highlight the impact veterans are making in the transportation industry and introduce a new generation of veterans to the real economic opportunity a career in trucking can represent.”

To be nominated, the driver:

  • must be a military veteran or a current or former member of the National Guard or Reserves;
  • must have graduated from a certified driver training school and be a current CDL holder;
  • must have been employed by any for-hire carrier or private fleet that has pledged to hire veterans through TruckingTrack.org; and
  • must have been first employed as a truck driver between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018.

The official rules for the award can be found here.

Nominations will be accepted until June 30. On July 20, the top 10 finalists for the 2018 award will be announced. The top 10 will be narrowed to the final three finalists in August. Then, the public will vote based on a video of each driver.

On Dec. 4, the winner will be announced during a ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Gregg Softy won in 2017, and Troy Davidson won the inaugural award.