Five veteran drivers named finalists for 2026 Transition Trucking award

Five rookie military-veteran drivers are finalists for the 11th annual "Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence" award — and the winner drives home in a brand-new Kenworth T680. Kenworth Truck Company, Fastport, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program announced the finalists September 28 in Chillicothe, Ohio.

This year's class is the most senior in the program's history: six of the 11 semifinalists left service at E-7 or above, including two Sergeants Major, and 60% of the nominations came from drivers in a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship program. The five finalists: Sergeant Major Mohammad Arzola, U.S. Marine Corps (E-9), now with Patriot Group International; Monica Brooks-Buck, U.S. Army (E-7), Werner Enterprises; Staff Sergeant Daniel Doss, U.S. Air Force (E-5), Melton Truck Lines; Senior Chief Petty Officer Brandon Ward, U.S. Navy (E-8), Werner Enterprises; and Command Sergeant Major Gary W. Williams, U.S. Army (E-9), Stevens Transport.

The grand prize is a Kenworth T680 with a 76-inch sleeper, PACCAR MX-13 engine, TX-12 automated transmission, DX-40 tandem rear axles, DigitalVision mirrors, Bendix Fusion adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist — plus heated and cooled leather seats and a factory-installed refrigerator. The runner-up gets $10,000, the other finalists $5,000 each, and all five receive prize packs from Road Dog Care Co., OOIDA, and Truck Parking Club. Public voting runs November 1 through Veterans Day, November 11, and the winner is revealed December 15 at the Veteran Ready Summit at West Point.

Why it matters

If you're a veteran thinking about the driver's seat, this is the pipeline working as designed: registered apprenticeships are producing a growing share of the industry's top rookie drivers, and carriers like Werner, Melton, and Stevens are hiring them. Veterans: the public vote opens November 1 — go back your branch.