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Over the summer, military service members in the process of transitioning into the trucking industry were nominated for the “Driving for Excellence Award,” and the Top 10 Finalists were honored in Dallas. Now, the four rookie driver finalists are heading to Washington D.C. to find out who will be given the award, which includes a Kenworth T680. 

The Driving for Excellence ceremony will be held on Friday, December 6th at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Washington, D.C.

The award was founded in 2016 as a way to create jobs for transitioning military service members and as part of a solution to the driver shortage. Drivers are nominated by trucking-companies that participate in various veteran-hiring organizations. 

“This year’s [four] finalists had significant accomplishments in their military careers, and now are making excellent achievements as professional truck drivers,” explained Brad Bentley, President of FASTPORT, an organization dedicated to helping veterans pursue meaningful careers outside of the military. 

“We urge the trucking industry and organizations across the United States to especially reach out to our veterans and help them make a smooth transition back into civilian life.”

This year’s Top Four finalists are

  1. Christopher Bacon, TMC Transportation, US Marines
  2. Wade Bumgarner, Veriha, US Navy
  3. Joseph Campbell, Roehl Transport, US Marines & US Army
  4. Steve Harris, Stevens Transport, US Marines

You can learn more about their backstories here

“Congratulations to finalists Christopher, Wade, Joseph, and Steven—and to the other seven successful drivers who achieved Top 10 status in this year’s Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence recognition program,” said Kenworth marketing director, Kurt Swihart. 

“We once again are providing a Kenworth T680 as the program’s top award in appreciation to our military veterans for their service. It is important for the trucking industry to continue its efforts to offer support and career opportunities to our veterans.”

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