For Brandon Meredith, 2024 continues to be an exciting new chapter in his career, with the transition from company truck driver to a proud owner-operator, thanks to a prestigious industry award and a top-of-the-line Kenworth. Meredith, who retired from the U.S. Army just last year as a Sergeant First Class after 20 years of service, found a new career path in trucking. According to Meredith, becoming a truck driver was a career he always had in the back of his mind.

“My dad and grandfather were truck drivers, so that influenced my passion to become one as well,” said Meredith. “After the military, I knew it was a new career I wanted to pursue.”

After earning his CDL, Meredith got a job with Slay Transportation as a tanker truck driver. Shortly after, he was nominated by his director of the CDL training program at Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina for the 2023 “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award, is an annual award program that recognizes America’s top rookie military veteran that has made the successful transition into a civilian truck driving career. Kenworth, along with Fastport and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes have sponsored the program since its inauguration nine years ago.

In December 2023, Meredith was selected out of a group of four other highly deserving finalists as the program’s top overall program winner. In return, Meredith received the keys to a Kenworth 100^th Anniversary T680 Signature Edition, the program’s top award, which virtually turned Meredith from a company driver to an owner-operator overnight. The truck, which features a 76-inch high-roof sleeper, the complete PACCAR Powertrain with a PACCAR MX-13 engine and TX-12 automated transmission, was the first T680 Signature Edition produced at Kenworth’s Chillicothe plant in Ohio.

“It was such an honor to be nominated for this award and go through the process with other veterans who share the same passion for trucking,” said Meredith. “Slay is a great company to work for, so I appreciate them for all of their support throughout the nomination and selection process. To be handed the keys to my very own truck was such a humbling experience. It’s given me an opportunity to expedite the advancement of my career in trucking that otherwise would’ve taken me a couple more years to reach.”

Since becoming a truck owner, Meredith has continued to work with Slay Transportation as a contractor, where he hauls mostly liquid resin for manufacturers of wood, flooring, and fiberglass products. He’s relied on fellow drivers contracted with Slay Transportation and his own outside research to learn as much as he can about what it takes to be a successful owner-operator in the industry. Since Meredith spent so much time away from his family while serving in the military, driving regionally was a big draw when he went to work with Slay Transportation. Now as an owner-operator, Meredith continues to drive similar routes and has more flexibility with his schedule and more financial freedom.

“I typically work Monday through Friday and I only spend a night or two away from my home in North Carolina when I’m out on the road,” said Meredith. “I have a great work-life balance, which is important for my family and me. I’m also able to generate more income by owning my own truck, which is more financially freeing. When I stay overnight in my truck, the T680 is very comfortable. It’s like a mini luxury apartment. It’s my home away from home.”

According to Meredith, since his T680 is a Special Edition model, he’s received many compliments and interest from fellow drivers and customers about the truck.

“It’s been getting a lot of attention, that’s for sure,” said Meredith. “It’s a unique truck that looks a bit different than other T680s you see. I get compliments and requests from customers and other drivers all the time to check out the truck and that’s been pretty cool.”

On the road, Meredith says the T680 drives like a dream.

“Kenworth is known for being the best-of-the-best,” he said. “The T680 is like the Bentley of semi-trucks. Mine is loaded with all the bells and whistles and it’s a great truck to drive. I get plenty of power with the MX engine and it handles steep grades with ease.”

What’s made trucking such an appealing career path for Meredith is the autonomy drivers have on the open road, traveling through new places, and the interactions he has with customers.

“It’s a great profession,” said Meredith. “Time goes by fast when I drive, and I’m constantly seeing new places and stopping at new customer locations, which keeps things interesting. It never feels like the movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ There’s always something new to learn, see, and do.”

As Meredith continues to learn the ‘ins and outs’ of being an owner-operator, a long-term goal he’s set for himself is to add another truck within a couple of years to begin building a small fleet.

With Truck Driver Appreciation Week upon us, Meredith is a big advocate for the trucking industry and encourages anyone interested in driving heavy equipment to give it a chance.

“I think that after going through the Transition Trucking process, my family learned a lot more about the trucking industry, what I do, and how critical of an industry it is,” said Meredith. “It’s a highly rewarding career that is necessary to keep our economy going. There are a lot of good opportunities in this industry. I think more people should consider it as a career.”