Kenworth, Fastport and Hiring Our Heroes Name Five Finalists for 2026 Transition Trucking Award
Five veteran rookie truck drivers are finalists for the 11th annual Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award, with the winner driving away in a Kenworth T680.
- 11th
- 11
- $10,000
- $5,000
What Happened
Finalists for the 11th annual "Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence" award were announced by Kenworth Truck Company, Fastport, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program. The award celebrates military veterans who have successfully transitioned into professional truck driving careers. After a nomination and review process, a final public vote helps the Selection Committee pick the winner from a group of America's top rookie military veteran drivers.
In Ohio, 11 semi-finalists known as the "Elite 11" were honored at a recognition dinner at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus. The next day, the Kenworth truck manufacturing plant in Chillicothe hosted the event where the finalists were announced, along with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Kenworth's flagship manufacturing facility. While in Columbus, the drivers sat for interviews with the award program and recorded their stories for the museum's StoryCorps archive.
6of 11
The most senior class in the program's history, including two Sergeants Major.
60%
Five of the Elite 11 are apprentices today.
- Mohammad "Mo" Arzola, U.S. Marine Corps (E-9), Patriot Group International
- Monica Brooks-Buck, U.S. Army (E-7), Werner Enterprises
- Daniel Doss, U.S. Air Force (E-5), Melton Truck Lines
- Brandon Ward, U.S. Navy (E-8), Werner Enterprises
- Gary W. Williams, U.S. Army (E-9), Stevens Transport
- $10,000
- $5,000
“These five finalists carry the leadership and judgment that define a military career into the driver's seat, and they have done it in their first year on the road. Celebrating the accomplishments of this elite group is a special honor each year, and we look forward to awarding the keys to the grand prize Kenworth T680 truck to this year's winner at West Point.”
Previously from Kenworth Truck Company
Kenworth, Fastport and Hiring Our Heroes previously named the 11 veteran semi-finalists for the 2026 Transition Trucking award, a group now narrowed to five finalists. Kenworth also has recent ties to its Chillicothe, Ohio, plant, which hosted its fifth annual truck parade in June 2026 under an 'American Owned, American Made' theme.
- Kenworth and Partners Reveal Elite 11 for 2026 Transition Trucking Award
- Kenworth Chillicothe Plant Hosts Fifth Annual Truck Parade with 'American Owned, American Made' Theme
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Kenworth Truck Company's official releases.
Why this matters
The award spotlights military veterans moving into professional trucking careers, a pipeline the program says is increasingly fed by Registered Apprenticeship. It matters to veterans weighing a driving career, to carriers hiring them, and to Kenworth, which supplies the grand-prize truck and gains visibility with new drivers.
Terms in This Story
- Registered Apprenticeship
- A U.S. Department of Labor program that combines paid on-the-job training with related instruction, often used to train new truck drivers.
- Class 8 truck
- The heaviest class of commercial truck, typically a tractor-trailer used for long-haul freight.
- E-7, E-8, E-9
- Enlisted pay grades in the U.S. military; higher numbers indicate more senior enlisted ranks.
- PACCAR Powertrain
- An integrated truck powertrain from PACCAR, Kenworth's parent company, combining engine, transmission and axles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.