Transition Trucking award for top military rookie will get a new Kenworth T680

The top rookie trucker with a military background will once again get a brand-new Kenworth tractor as the grand prize for the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence program.

In its fifth year, the Transition Trucking award seeks to discover America’s top rookie military veteran driver who has made the transition from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces to driving for a commercial fleet.

Under the program, Kenworth will again provide the top award – a T680 equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the Paccar powertrain. Kenworth, Fastport and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes initiative are co-sponsors of the endeavor.

“Kenworth recognizes the importance of supporting our veterans, and the donation of our on-highway flagship Kenworth T680 is one way to express our appreciation,” Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing, said in a news release.

According to Fastport, an estimated 200,000 veterans transition from the military to the private sector each year. The Hiring Our Heroes initiative has helped more than 150,000 service members connect with career opportunities, including jobs in trucking.

“The Transition Trucking award campaign offers a valuable platform to highlight veterans’ positive impact on the transportation industry, and to introduce veterans to the excellent economic opportunities offered by a career in trucking,” Eric Eversole, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes, said in the news release.

The top driver will be determined by an expert panel of judges.

To qualify, drivers must meet four eligibility requirements:

• Must have been active military or member of the National Guard or Reserve.
• Graduated from PTDI-certified, NAPFTDS- or CVTA-member driver training school, with a valid CDL.
• Employed by a trucking company that has made a hiring commitment and pledge to hire veterans on the Trucking Track Mentoring Program website.
• First hired in a trucking position between Jan. 1, 2019, and July 31, of this year.

The nomination deadline is July 31. Full criteria and online nomination forms can be found online here.

The 2019 Transition Trucking award went to Joseph H. Campbell Jr., a driver for the flatbed division of Roehl Transport, Marshfield, Wis. Three others also were honored at a Dec. 9, 2019, Transition Trucking ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Washington, D.C.