Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence & Sponsers

A Stevens Transport driver and retired 28-year U.S. Army veteran Gregg Softy won the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “Hiring Our Heroes 2017 Transition Trucking Driving for Excellence’’ award.

That means Gregg Softy is now the owner of a new T680 from Kenworth Truck Co. He was recognized in December at a ceremony at the chamber’s Washington, D.C., headquarters as part of the contest supported by Kenworth and FASTPORT.

A Stevens Transport driver and retired 28-year U.S. Army veteran Gregg Softy won the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s award

Softy, a native of Athens, Ala., is a retired lieutenant colonel, and was nominated for the award by Stevens Transport.

The other finalists considered for the Transition Trucking award were: Wayne Roy, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and employee of U.S. Xpress, and Daniel Shonebarger, a U.S. Navy veteran who works for Melton Truck Lines.

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Each of the men received $10,000.

“Following a distinguished military career, Gregg leveraged his skills to successfully launch a second career in the trucking industry,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We are honored to play a role in helping Gregg find a meaningful employment opportunity, and congratulate him for winning this year’s award.’’

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes

Kurt Swihart, marketing manager at Kenworth, said: “Congratulations to Gregg Softy for his selection as the winner of the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award. We are honored with this opportunity to thank him for his years of service as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and his dedication to become an inspiration to other professional drivers in our industry. We are confident that the Kenworth T680 Advantage will help him get on the right road to continue his promising career in trucking.’’

Brad Bentley, president of FASTPORT, said: “The successes displayed by each transition trucking finalist in the trucking industry can be tied some way back to their military training. This gives us even more evidence that the military hard-wires our veterans to excel in trucking, and industry-leading companies are uniting to attract and employ these remarkable candidates. A special congratulations to Gregg, as well as Wayne and Daniel, who have set incredible examples of what veterans can accomplish after they transition from the military into civilian careers.’’

Launched in 2016, the annual Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence campaign is focused on curbing the emerging truck driver shortage and inspiring more companies to hire more veterans, National Guard members, and reservists into the trucking industry.