FASTPORT

09/07/2026

Meet Kishawn Forbes, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking semi-finalists!

Senior Chief Kishawn Forbes served more than 25 years in the U.S. Navy as a Machinist's Mate, earning two Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals. Raised on the island of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, he trained at Florida State College at Jacksonville and now drives flatbed for Melton Truck Lines, Inc. Kishawn is working toward becoming a heavy-haul and oversized-load specialist, with a long-term goal of opening an FMCSA-recognized driving school.

Get to know the rest of this year's semi-finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/.

09/04/2026

Meet Daniel Doss, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking semi-finalists!

Daniel Doss served 10 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Fuels Specialist, supporting Hurricane Michael relief efforts and leading fuel operations during a deployment to the United Arab Emirates. He trained through Troops Into Transportation at Fort Benning and now drives for Melton Truck Lines, where he is currently an apprentice in the USDOL Apprenticeship - Fastport program. Daniel is open about the mental health challenges he faced after his last deployment, and credits trucking, along with the support of his
family and the VA, with helping him rediscover a sense of purpose.

Get to know the rest of this year's semi-finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/

09/03/2026

Do you know your GI Bill® benefits? If not, you could be missing out.

Join the VA's free live webinar, GI Bill Benefits 101, and learn:
✅ Eligibility requirements for each education benefit
✅ What VA's Education Service does
✅ Recent legislative changes
✅ Live Q&A for your questions

Employers, this one's for you too. Here's why: veterans in a Registered Apprenticeship Program can use their GI Bill to get a Monthly Housing Allowance while they earn and learn on the job. That means a motivated, benefits-supported employee for you, and paid training toward a new career for them.

Want help setting up a VA Approved Program with a proven training model? Fastport can help. Schedule a call: https://scheduler.zoom.us/fastport/discovery-meeting

Register for the webinar: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/webappng/sites/veteransaffairs/meeting/register/ddb2fe567e6948b0a35f0d590b3546c0?ticket=4832534b0000000746eeec19d01c90c365a74012e4fe9e2771c3647cd72f11120b7c476b77eaf4a6×tamp=1788471568484&RGID=r70b8dd4f296cb5fc4f16550885e4802a&isAutoPopRegisterForm=false

Simple, modern video meetings for everyone on the world's most popular and trusted collaboration platform.

08/31/2026

Meet Monica Brooks-Buck, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking semi-finalists!

Monica Brooks-Buck is a retired U.S. Army veteran with nearly 25 years of service and more than two decades of logistics experience as a Supply Specialist and former Army Master Driver. She trained at the Truck Driver Institute, Inc. in Saucier, MS and now drives as a professional team with her husband, Johnny, for Werner Enterprises, where she is currently enrolled in the Werner Enterprises Truck Driver Apprenticeship. A member of Women In Trucking Association, Monica is pursuing a degree in Information Technology while encouraging other veterans, and women, to pursue new beginnings after military service.

Get to know the rest of this year's semi-finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/.

08/26/2026

Did you know? Veterans hired through a Registered Apprenticeship can collect GI Bill housing benefits ON TOP of their paycheck.

More money for the driver. Zero added cost for the employer. Stronger offers, better retention.

As the DOL's Industry Intermediary for Transportation, you get a registration-ready apprenticeship program, administrative support, and we walk you through the entire GI Bill process.

Curious what this looks like for your company? Schedule a discovery meeting at https://scheduler.zoom.us/fastport/discovery-meeting.

08/24/2026

Meet Michael R. Bivens, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking semi-finalists!

Michael R. Bivens is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former Electronic Maintenance Technician who followed his father's path into trucking. He trained at Tennessee Truck Driving School and now drives for Stevens Transport, where he is currently an apprentice in the company's Registered Apprenticeship Program. Based in Lewisburg, Tennessee, Michael is working toward a goal of one million accident-free miles and eventual fleet ownership, while staying closely connected to his children and grandchildren between hauls.

Get to know the rest of this year's semi-finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/.

08/19/2026

Meet Jeffrey Barber, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking semi-finalists!

Jeffrey Barber is a U.S. Army veteran who served 19 years, including as a Tank Commander. He trained through Prime Inc.'s CDL program and now drives professionally for the company. Based in Hillsboro, Kentucky, Jeffrey is using his trucking career to help fund his grandchildren's college educations, and his youngest son is completing Army basic training this summer, continuing a family legacy of service. He brings discipline and a lifelong commitment to serving others to every mile he drives.

Get to know the rest of this year's semi-finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/.

08/19/2026

Ever wonder what actually makes a Registered Apprenticeship work? This new video from the U.S. Department of Labor breaks it down into five key elements. 🎥

Thinking about building a program for your team? Let's talk!

Schedule a discovery meeting with Fastport: scheduler.zoom.us/fastport/discovery-meeting

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBvwXhRDAIM

This video highlights the five key elements of Registered Apprentic...

08/14/2026

Meet Mohammad Arzola, one of our Elite 11 Transition Trucking finalists!

Sergeant Major Mohammad Arzola served 27 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti, and Somalia, and is a recipient of the Purple Heart. He trained at California Career Schools and now drives for HEB, where he has logged more than 100,000 safety miles and earned the company's “Spirit of HEB” award. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Mohammad mentors newer drivers and volunteers with VFW Post 76, and is working toward becoming an owner-operator with HEB's sister company, Parkway.

Get to know the rest of this year's finalists in the race for the keys to a brand new Kenworth T680: https://transitiontrucking.org/elite-11/

08/13/2026

Congratulations to our partners J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., Werner Enterprises, Drive4Covenant, and Troops Into Transportation on being named by Freedom Haulers!

Recognition like this doesn't happen by accident. It happens when employers commit to building real pathways for military talent, and we're proud to have supported employers in creating pathways into transportation for freedom haulers through Registered Apprenticeship training programs for over a decade.

As the U.S. Department of Labor's Industry Intermediary for Transportation, Fastport has accounted for more than 29,000 apprentices in this industry since 2017. And through our Veteran Ready Summit, we bring employers together to become truly veteran-ready from recruiting to retention.

Here's what every transportation employer should know: we are a FREE resource for companies looking to establish programs like these. Our team reduces your administrative burden by 90%, and we'll walk you through pairing Registered Apprenticeship with a VA-approved monthly housing allowance program, so your freedom haulers can access the GI educational benefits they earned as a monthly housing allowance, on top of their paycheck.

To our partners: congratulations. To every employer wondering how they did it: let's talk. https://scheduler.zoom.us/fastport/discovery-meeting