June 25th Nomination Deadline Approaching For Transition Trucking: Drive For Excellence Award, Top Prize Is A Kenworth T680

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The winner of the 2019 Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence award will receive a Kenworth T680 with 76-inch sleeper cab and PACCAR integrated powertrain. (Photo courtesy of Kenworth.)

Fewer than two full weeks remain until the June 25th deadline to nominate United States military veterans turned rookie commercial truck drivers for the fourth annual Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence award. The winner, who will be decided by Kenworth, FASTPORT, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundations Hiring Our Heroes program, will receive a brand-new Kenworth T680 Advantage with a 76-inch sleeper cab and PACCAR integrated powertrain. The powertrain consists of a PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission, and PACCAR 40K tandem rear axles.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for fleets to recognize and nominate veterans that have excelled in their transition to working in the trucking industry,” says Kurt Swihart, marketing director for Kenworth. “A well-deserving veteran will receive the keys to a Kenworth T680 – courtesy of Kenworth – as America’s top rookie military veteran in the industry.”

Candidate Criteria

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates need to meet a set list of criteria. The candidate must be a legal resident of the continental United States and be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or be a former or current member of the National Guard or Reserves. Nominees must also be graduates of a PTDI-certified, NAPFTDS, or CVTA member driving training school and have a current CDL (commercial driver’s license). Finally, Kenworth says the candidate must currently work for a company “that has pledged to hire veterans through the Trucking Track Mentoring Program, and have been “first employed as a CDL driver in trucking between January 1, 2018 and June 25, 2019.”

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“Winning this truck has given me the opportunity to become more financially secure and grow within the industry at lightning speed,” says Quinton Ward, winner of the 2018 Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence award. “My goal is to build a future within this industry, which is the backbone of the economy.” (Photo courtesy of Kenworth.)

Catching Up With Past Winners

Kenworth also recently took the opportunity to check in with past winners of the award, including Troy Davidson, who was the inaugural winner in 2016. Since receiving his T680, Davidson has driven 350,000 miles and says the truck “is running as strong as the day he received it.” He plans to take his experience, save some money, and start managing his own small fleet. Gregg Softy, the 2017 winner, still works for Stevens Transport, which nominated him for the award. Today, he travels between 10,000 and 12,000 per month working for the company as an owner-operator.

Last year’s winner, Quinton Ward, has already put more than 47,000 miles on his Kenworth T680 since receiving it in December 2018. He currently works for Werner Enterprises as a member of the Operation Freedom fleet, which Kenworth says “consists of nine military-themed trucks, piloted by veterans, used to honor and recruit military members.” Ward’s truck is particularly meaningful to him, because it sports a special vehicle wrap designed to honor military service dogs.

“My service dog Kirra really helped me in my recovery process after medically retiring from the military due to injury,” says Ward. “The truck is a big hit on the road. The Kenworth T680 garners a lot of attention from drivers at truck stops who like to take photos and chat about the meaning behind the service dog wrap.”

Source: Kenworth

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