Voting for the 2022 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award finalists fittingly runs through Veterans Day, and supporters can cast their ballots early and often. Through Friday, Nov. 11, everyday people can visit the Transition Trucking platform and vote once per day, without committing an election integrity faux pas.
The program promotes access to good-paying truck driving jobs as members of the military return to civilian life. Former soldiers are widely considered excellent CDL candidates because they learn self-discipline and integrity while selflessly serving the nation. The Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award program fields nominations of the top rookies, who recently completed their service and joined the ranks of trucking professionals.
A group of deserving veterans has been slimmed down to the finalists and the winner is expected to receive a fully-loaded Kenworth T680 Next Generation through the generosity of Kenworth, Fastport, and the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Program. This year’s finalists include the following, according to Transition Trucking.
Sean Adams: U.S. Navy, McElroy Truck Lines
Sean served 22 years in the Navy as Aircrew Survival Equipmentman. After retiring as an E-6, he attended truck driving training school at Truck Driving Institute in Milton, FL. TDI has been a strong supporter of military veterans and is proud to have another graduate become a finalist for the award. Sean is currently a company driver who is also a driver mentor/trainer and winning the award would help foster his dream of owning his own trucking company.
Jason Van Boxtel: U.S. Marines, Veriha Trucking, Inc
Jason grew up in northeast Wisconsin and joined the Marine Corps after graduating from high school. He served as a Motor Transport Mechanic and reached the rank of Corporal before leaving the service and beginning his second career in law enforcement. After several years, he decided he was ready for a change and began looking into company-sponsored training programs. As Jason progresses in his career, he envisions himself becoming a trainer next and then getting involved with the training, safety, and compliance department.
Paul Gouker, U.S. Army & Army National Guard, Stevens Transport
Paul answered the call to serve our country at 18 years old. He enlisted and served our country for eight years in the National Guard before transitioning to active duty in April 2000. Paul deployed multiple times in support of the war on Terrorism, serving both in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Combat Scout. Paul did his CDL training at Georgia Driving Academy and is now joining a list of Stevens Transport drivers who have been recognized as finalists for this award.
Cale Jensen: U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, G. Dubbels Farms Trucking
Cale began his military career immediately after high school when he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1998. After serving ten years, he was nominated for Officer Candidate School, and upon completion served ten more years and was deployed to both Iraq and Djibouti Africa. Cale attended Riverland Community College and he and his wife Kia have eight children. His dream has always been to have his own trucking company, and winning would get him one step closer.
Ashley Leiva: U.S. Army, Noemi Trucking
Ashley served her country for 15 years as an Army combat veteran and retired in 2021 to return to her hometown in Texas, where she and her brother took over her recently deceased mother’s trucking business. She attended Del Mar Transportation, where she received excellent training and learned a good deal about the trucking industry in general. She and her brother haul crude oil in South Texas for Draco Energy. Her mother inspired her to go into driving because it made her feel like she “was on top of the world”. Ashley continues to be a high achiever. She loves driving, is actively pursuing her BA in Business Management, and is raising her beautiful five-year-old daughter.
Dave Marihugh: U.S. Navy, Roehl Transport
After 25 years of service in the Navy, Dave retired and became a Florida Highway Patrolman for several years, before deciding his next adventure would be as a professional truck driver. He chose to do his CDL training with Roehl Transport and believes he made a great decision. Trucking gives him a way to continue serving his community, and he can already see himself becoming a trainer, and eventually moving into planning or logistics.
Chris McDowell: U.S. Army, Epes Transport System, LLC
Chris joined the military in 2002 and is still an active member of the National Guard. He earned his Class A CDL while taking advantage of the Troops into Transportation training program. Trucking feels natural to him because he feels that each load represents a mission to be accomplished. He and his wife Michelle have a 15-year-old daughter, as well as their dogs Fred and Roxie.
Joe K. Nyenatee: U.S. Army, Melton Truck Lines
Joe was born in Yekepa, Liberia in the middle of their long civil war. In 2003 at the age of ten, he moved to the United States. After attending a couple of semesters of college, he decided that he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself and enlisted in the military. The Army prepared him to be patient, disciplined, calm, and resilient, and these traits have served him well as a professional truck driver. He attended Phoenix Truck Driving school at Fort Bliss and now works for Melton Truck Lines, where he is already moving toward his goal of becoming an owner-operator.
Talon Rogers: U.S. Army, CRST
Talon and his wife live in Spokane, WA, and have two children. Talon joined the military because he wanted to serve his country, just like both of his grandfathers. He enjoyed his time in the service but retired after suffering an injury. He attended truck driving school through Troops into Transportation and is now driving for CRST on a dedicated route. In just a short time as a driver, he realized that this is a great career opportunity that provides a stable income to provide for his family.
Justin Silk: U.S. Army, Paschall Truck Lines
Born in California and moving to Texas when he was five, Justin was exposed to trucking at an early age by his cousin and uncles. In the Army, Justin was a 13 Papa, serving as a multiple-launch rocket operator. He attended Hawkeye Community College where he obtained his Class A CDL license. Driving for Paschall Truck Lines has allowed him to travel the country, save a good deal of money, and he eventually wants to own his own rig, land, and home.
Mike Thomas: U.S. Marines, Prime, Inc.
Mike served his country in the Marines for more than 19 years and an additional five years as a Contractor. Mike reached the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, and is highly decorated, with multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military taught him the importance of mission accomplishment, and this has also served him well in the trucking industry. Mike did his CDL training with Prime, Inc. and is proud to work for a company that respects and honors Veterans each day.
The Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence will reportedly be announced on Dec. 16 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
Source: transitiontrucking.org
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