NC Army veteran-turned-trucker wins national award, new Kenworth rig

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Sandhills driver will be trucking in style after being recognized for his excellent work.

Brandon Meredith received the annual Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award.

It recognizes the trucking industry's best veterans-turned-drivers who are in the first year of their careers.

It's more than just an honor -- it comes with a new, fully loaded Kenworth T-680 Next Generation truck valued at around $150,000.

"It's unbelievable, we're, me and my family are like still floating on cloud nine," Meredith said. "It's beyond words how much this has jump-started my owner-operator career."

Meredith spent 20 years in the US Army then earned his commercial driver's license program at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

"I'm a third-generation truck driver now, my grandfather, my father, they all drove trucks," Meredith said. "I just had a 20-year detour through the military."

He beat out more than 90 semifinalists nationwide to win the award and the new truck.