Four finalists named in Transition Trucking contest

Four military veterans have been named finalists in the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” competition.

The Transition Trucking competition is intended to recognize the top drivers who have made the successful transition from active duty to driving for a commercial fleet.

The winner selected from the four finalists will get a new Kenworth T680 with a Paccar powertrain with an MX-13 engine, 12-speed automated transmission, and 40K tandem axles. It also is equipped with a 76-inch sleeper with the Kenworth Driver’s Studio premium package.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Kenworth has partnered with the Fastport Trucking Track Mentoring Program and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Program to sponsor the competition.

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

The top four Transition Trucking drivers, listed with their military branch of service and current truck fleet:

Drivers were nominated by trucking companies that have made a hiring commitment and pledge to hire veterans on TruckingTrack.org, members of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools, and Commercial Vehicle Training Association-member schools.

The four finalists were selected from a field of 10 semifinalists. The other truck drivers who were part of the top 10:

• Patrick Blevins, a U.S. Air Force veteran driving for Catoosa, Okla.-based Melton Truck Lines.
• Matthew Fowler, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran driving for Greensboro, N.C.-based Epes Transportation.
• Marcia Luchenbill, a U.S. Army veteran driving for Phoenix-based Knight Transportation.
• John Shepard, a U.S. Army veteran driving for Marshfield, Wis.-based Roehl Transport.
• Kyle Smith, a U.S. Air Force veteran driving for Cookeville, Tenn.-based Averitt Express.
• Wade Wanner, a U.S. Navy veteran driving for Chattanooga, Tenn.-based U.S. Xpress.

The 2019 Transition Trucking award went to Joseph H. Campbell Jr., a driver for the flatbed division of Roehl Transport, Marshfield, Wis. He is a U.S. Marines and U.S. Army veteran.

The 2018 Transition Trucking award went to Gregg Softy, a driver for Stevens Transport and a veteran of the U.S. Army. LL