WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, in partnership with Kenworth Truck Company and Fastport, has opened public voting for the 2024 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award. This annual program honors exceptional military veterans who have successfully pivoted from active service to careers as professional truck drivers, highlighting the discipline and safety focus veterans bring to commercial fleets nationwide.
The selection process evaluates nominees through rigorous professional reviews and public voting to identify the country's top rookie military driver. This year's grand prize is a fully loaded Kenworth T680 featuring a 76-inch sleeper and a PACCAR Powertrain. The runner-up receives $10,000, while the remaining finalists take home $5,000 each. Voting remains open through Veterans Day on November 11, with the official winner scheduled to be announced during a special ceremony on December 13 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The 2024 finalists represent multiple branches of the armed forces and different sectors of the trucking industry. Douglas Couch, a U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Culinary Specialist 2nd Class on the USS Nimitz, now drives for Roehl Transport and has accumulated over 150,000 accident-free miles. Shawn Haley, a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who provided presidential security under Reagan and Bush, operates as a regional driver for Veriha Trucking LLC. Billy Taylor spent two decades in the U.S. Coast Guard handling port security and drug interdiction before taking a wheel with Werner Enterprises on the Anheuser-Busch account in Ohio. Cory Troxell, a U.S. Army veteran severely injured in 2009, completed a 20-year military career before joining Stevens Transport as a commercial driver.
What This Means for Drivers
Programs like Transition Trucking underscore the vital pipeline connecting military veterans to stable commercial driving careers. For CDL-A holders and owner-operators entering the civilian workforce, carriers increasingly recognize that military training translates directly into superior safety records and equipment handling. Trucking companies hiring former service members gain disciplined operators who are accustomed to strict compliance standards and long hours on the road.
Industry Reaction
Major carriers and logistics providers continually seek out structured paths to recruit disciplined talent as driver retention remains a top priority across the freight sector. Industry advocates point out that veterans possess the exact logistical problem-solving abilities and resilience required for long-haul and regional freight operations. By highlighting rookie drivers who excel immediately after transitioning out of uniform, the award encourages more fleets to establish dedicated military hiring initiatives.
Key Points
- Public voting for the 2024 Transition Trucking Award runs through Veterans Day, November 11.
- The grand prize is a Kenworth T680 with a 76-inch sleeper and PACCAR Powertrain.
- Finalists represent the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Army, driving for carriers such as Roehl, Veriha, Werner, and Stevens.
- The winner will be revealed on December 13 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
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