Destinations From PodWheels

Hosted by PodWheels

Business Entrepreneurship

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Sep 2026

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About the show

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.

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41 recent

October 23, 202627 min

Hear ATA Chairmen Hodgen and Leathers Discuss State Of Trucking Industry at MCE 2026

In this episode, our Destination is Charlotte, NC, for the ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition (MCE 2026). PodWheels had our microphones in record mode during the General Session on October 19th when outgoing ATA Chairman Greg Hodgen and incoming ATA Chairman Derek Leathers led the audience through a discussion in the State of the Trucking Industry and the road ahead. As you will hear, Hodgen describes the current moment as a chance for trucking to move from surviving to shaping the next cycle, with responsible carriers having maintained safety and investment standards through difficult conditions. While freight market recovery feels uneven, Hodgen calls for confidence, discipline, and urgency. Leathers agrees that the future belongs to carriers investing in safety and playing by the rules, with ATA working to raise marketplace standards and distinguish professional carriers from those “color outside the lines.” Hodgen and Leathers also dedicate some time to discussing policy achievements, highlighting unified advocacy advancing priorities including sensible emissions policy, truck parking expansion, CDL integrity, and workforce opportunity. Leathers points out that federal crackdowns removed nearly 10,000 non-compliant CDL schools including 550 fraudulent operations, investigated hundreds of high-risk carriers, and placed thousands of unqualified drivers out of service. Truck parking secured $200 million in federal appropriations for 2026, with $61.7 million now flowing to five states. At the end of their discussion (23:15), Hodgen and Leathers call incoming ATA President and CEO Mark Colson to the stage to address the audience. You’ll hear what Colson shared with the General Session audience, which was expressed with a great deal of humility and gratitude. Colson, who first learned about trucking as a kid in his grandfather’s Alabama-based tire shop, talked about the value he places on listening to ATA’s membership and he also shared his commitment to honor the essential work of America’s professional drivers. The post Hear ATA Chairmen Hodgen and Leathers Discuss State Of Trucking Industry at MCE 2026 appeared first on PodWheels .

October 20, 202648 min

Listen To ATRI’s Big Reveal Panel Discussion At ATA’s MCE 2026

As part of PodWheels’ collaboration with The Trucker Media Group in covering ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition, this episode of Destinations takes us to Charlotte, North Carolina. PodWheels had our recording equipment rolling for the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual unveiling of the survey results listing trucking’s top issues. As she has done now for the past 22 years, ATRI President and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Brewster went through the list of the Top 10 issues in trucking as determined by ATRI’s survey of more than 3,000 respondents representing a cross-section of the trucking industry. As you will hear, Rebecca was joined by a panel that featured fleet executive Ben Banks, who is the President of TCW, Gary Johnson, the Head of Safety and Compliance Strategy at Motive and Jason Damron, an America’s Road Team Captain and veteran driver for Kansas-based Convoy Systems. Earning the title “ATRI’s Big Reveal,” the countdown and discussion of trucking’s Top 10 issues in 2026 also served as a milestone moment for Rebecca, who will be retiring from ATRI in February. The post Listen To ATRI’s Big Reveal Panel Discussion At ATA’s MCE 2026 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 29, 202635 min

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 by clicking here . The post Driving For Excellence Award’s Final Five: A Grateful Group Humbled By Time Together appeared first on PodWheels .

September 21, 202624 min

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 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 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 20, 202629 min

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 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 19, 202621 min

Juan Rosado Lozada Reflects On Marine Experience and His Road To Elite 11

With this episode of our special series featuring the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award, Juan Rosado Lozada reflects on how his service with the Marines paved the way for him to be behind the wheel at Roehl Transport. Juan was seeking to make some positive changes in his life when he enlisted in the Marines after working in a series of unfulfilling jobs after high school. As he shares with us, the Marines not only offered Juan what became the life-changing opportunity to get behind the wheel as a motor transport operator, but the daily structure he embraced while a part of the Corps reshaped his sense of responsibility and time management. The Marines also provided Juan with other skills that have translated quite well and made his transition to trucking a smooth ride. During the conversation, Juan also credits the support he has received from his wife, Mayumi Kawashiro, who he met while he was deployed with the Marines in Japan. The post Juan Rosado Lozada Reflects On Marine Experience and His Road To Elite 11 appeared first on PodWheels .

September 18, 202636 min

Elite 11’s Daniel Doss Learning Lessons, Growing In Confidence With Every Mile

Daniel Doss of Melton Truck Lines is our guest as we continue to feature the members of the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award. Catching up with Daniel just days before his first anniversary on the road with Melton, we look back at his rookie year as a professional driver following his retirement from the Air Force. Getting the call that Melton wanted to nominate Daniel for the Driving For Excellence Award came as a bit of surprise in what has been a seemingly very fast year. Daniel talks to us about how he found his path to service in the Air Force – following in a long family tradition of military service across generations in and multiple branches of the military. One of the highlights of Daniel’s look back at his time in the Air Force is hearing his memories of leading the Honor Guard at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. In discussing his transition to trucking, Daniel places a good deal of credit on the success he has seen in his first year on the road to his wife, Brandy. You’ll hear the role that Brandy has played in being a supportive resource on the phone as well as her efforts on the homefront with their three children. Speaking of family, Daniel’s big blue Melton truck was an instant hit with his seven-year-old son. The post Elite 11’s Daniel Doss Learning Lessons, Growing In Confidence With Every Mile appeared first on PodWheels .

September 16, 202643 min

Elite 11’s Brandon Ward Guided By A Lifetime of Service and Experience

In this episode of our special series, we’ll get to know Brandon Ward, a driver for Werner Enterprises who is a member of the Elite 11 group that is in the running for Transition Trucking’s 2026 Driving for Excellence Award. Our conversation looks back at Brandon’s amazing career path that saw him excel in leadership roles with the Navy, in military law enforcement and in federal law enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We also talk to Brandon about how he found his initial path to trucking with Werner in 1996 before reenlisting in the Navy and continuing to serve his country until his retirement from DHS this past January. As you will hear, it was his year on the road with Werner that kept the flame burning for Brandon’s desire to return to trucking. After securing his CDL earlier this year, Brandon returned to Werner, where he is once again stepping to demonstrate his extensive leadership skills in mentoring drivers in the company’s placement program. The post Elite 11’s Brandon Ward Guided By A Lifetime of Service and Experience appeared first on PodWheels .

September 15, 202628 min

Elite 11 Honoree Jeff Barber Enjoys Giving Back To His Family Through Trucking

In this edition of our special series honoring the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award, you’ll meet Prime Inc. driver Jeff Barber, who entered the industry after 19 years of service in the U.S. Army and subsequent career as a deployed military consultant. Jeff talks to us about what inspired him to enlist in the Army at age 16, and he looks back on the discipline and structure of the military that served as foundational building blocks for his success in life. Jeff tells us that he was drawn to Prime because the company’s terminal structure reminded him of military operations. Entering the trucking industry in his early 60s, Jeff always held a curiosity about getting behind the wheel of a big rig, especially after working in logistics as a tank commander in the Army and then as a consultant during his initial post-military career. As he shares with us, one of the goals that Jeff is seeking to accomplish with every mile that he drives is to put back a portion of his earnings into the college funds of his four grandchildren. The post Elite 11 Honoree Jeff Barber Enjoys Giving Back To His Family Through Trucking appeared first on PodWheels .

September 14, 202647 min

Elite 11’s Mo Arzola On The Life-Saving Power of Trucking

Our Special Series spotlighting each member of the Elite 11 from Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award continues with an in-depth interview featuring HEB Grocery driver Mohammad “Mo” Arzola, a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. Over the course of our conversation, Mo talks to us about his military career, which included multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. It was on the battlefield in Iraq where he was wounded by an IED, suffering a concussion and perforated eardrums, and was awarded the Purple Heart. Mo’s transition out of the military was marked by significant personal challenges. He faced a divorce, a serious knee injury and an initial civilian job that was not a fit for what he needed at the time. Struggling with a collection of stressors, Mo reached out to his brother, Mac, who was an established driver with HEB. Mo then got the opportunity to earn his CDL and join the HEB fleet. As you will hear, Mo credits truck driving as a turning point in his new life as a civilian, describing the open road as a form of therapy that helped him heal and regain a positive outlook on life. Through HEB, Mo notes that he found a workplace culture that reminded him of the brotherhood and high standards of the Marine Corps. The post Elite 11’s Mo Arzola On The Life-Saving Power of Trucking appeared first on PodWheels .