This offering from PodWheels is designed to take us to interesting destinations, providing our team the opportunity to share short stories from inside and around the trucking industry.
Driving For Excellence Award’s Final Five: A Grateful Group Humbled By Time Together
In our first episode following the announcement of the finalists for the 2026 Transition Trucking Driving For Excellence Award, our special series brings you the immediate thoughts of the five professionals behind the wheel who advanced in the search for America’s top rookie military veteran driver.
Recorded within the first 30 minutes following the announcement that, for the first time in the program’s history, five of the semifinalists would be moving forward (due to ties in the scoring), Destinations talks with Monica Brooks Buck and Brandon Ward from Werner Enterprises. We’ll also be joined by Daniel Doss of Melton Truck Lines and Gary Williams of Stevens Transport. Mo Arzola with Patriot Group International caps off our conversations that capture each of the finalists’ immediate reaction that they are moving forward in this year’s edition of the program. The winner of the Driving For Excellence Award will receive a new Kenworth T680 truck.
As you’ll hear, a great sense of humility is the theme running throughout this series of brief interviews. Each of the finalists noted that they were surprised to hear their names called, especially after having the opportunity to meet and spend time with the fellow members of the Elite 11. This year’s semifinalists had the opportunity to spend parts of two days together during their time onsite at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, and during the tour of the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe. To read more about the events in Columbus and Chillicothe as well as the view from the ground during the finalists’ announcement, we invite you to read the story by PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson in TheTrucker.com (https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/truck-driving-jobs-news/introducing-the-final-5-transition-trucking-announces-record-number-of-finalists-for-2026-driving-for-excellence-award) by clicking here (https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/truck-driving-jobs-news/introducing-the-final-5-transition-trucking-announces-record-number-of-finalists-for-2026-driving-for-excellence-award).
The post Driving For Excellence Award’s Final Five: A Grateful Group Humbled By Time Together (https://podwheels.com/driving-for-excellence-awards-final-five-a-grateful-group-humbled-by-time-together/) appeared first on PodWheels (https://podwheels.com).
21 Sept 2026
Elite 11’s Daryus Jones Makes The Most Of Every Day As A Local Driver
Daryus Jones is the lone local driver to be selected for the Elite 11 in the 2026 Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award program. DJ also has the honor of being the final member of the Elite 11 to be featured as part of our special Destinations series that is continuing to cover this year’s Driving For Excellence Award.
As you will hear in this episode, DJ’s transition to trucking actually began during his four years of military service in the Army, where he worked in logistics handling recovery missions and moving supplies in the field. It was in the Army that DJ developed a passion for trucking while working in Poland and traveling on the road through Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Germany, and other countries.
When considering his options with trucking after the military, DJ wanted to stay close to home. DJ and his wife, Vanessa, have four children who range in age from 11 through two years ago. DJ has also serves as the head coach for the youth football team, and his oldest son, Aiden, is a standout offensive lineman on the team.
Securing his CDL through Tulsa Tech’s Driver Professional Driver Program, DJ landed a local job with Anheuser-Busch, running routes throughout the Tulsa and Broken Arrow area of Oklahoma. As he shares with us, DJ’s days start well before dawn, arriving at the distribution center most days between 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. The early start allows him to be ready to lead football practice in the afternoons during the Fall.
The post Elite 11’s Daryus Jones Makes The Most Of Every Day As A Local Driver (https://podwheels.com/elite-11s-daryus-jones-makes-the-most-of-every-day-as-a-local-driver/) appeared first on PodWheels (https://podwheels.com).
20 Sept 2026
Elite 11 Honoree Michael Bivens’ Transition To Trucking A Full-Circle Moment
Michael Bivens from Stevens Transport is our featured guest as we continue our special series sharing the personal stories of the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award. Our conversation looks back at Michael’s life, including his 13 years of military service in the Marine Corps and the career turn that brought him into the trucking industry.
As you’ll hear, Michael shares how his years as a Marine shaped his sense of discipline and how his family, especially his wife, children, grandson, and late father, continue to inspire his path in life. One of the highlights of the conversation takes place when Michael tells us about his time at the Tennessee Truck Driving School in Knoxville, where he secured his CDL.
Michael notes that the instructors were highly impressed with his backing skills and asked him if he had previous driving experience. As you’ll hear, Michael credits his father for teaching how to properly back vehicles, even those attached to trailers, when he was younger. Entering the trucking industry has become a bit of a full-circle moment for Michael, whose father drove professionally for a brief time before focusing on farming and a career in telecommunications.
The post Elite 11 Honoree Michael Bivens’ Transition To Trucking A Full-Circle Moment (https://podwheels.com/elite-11-honoree-michael-bivens-transition-to-trucking-a-full-circle-moment/) appeared first on PodWheels (https://podwheels.com).
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