Destinations From PodWheels

PodWheels
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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.

  1. 5d ago

    Elite 11 Honoree Jenn Wilken Reflects On Military Career and Her Road To Trucking

    Jenn Wilken joins our Destinations Special Series on Transition Trucking’s Driving For Excellence Award to discuss the honor of being named one of the program’s Elite 11 semifinalists. Jenn also talks to us about her 10-year Army career, the tradition of military service in her family and how she is using her experience in the Army in navigating her transition to get behind the wheel of a big rig. Initially working in a government office setting immediately following her retirement from the Army, Jenn tells us how took her first steps toward a new career as a professional driver at the invitation of her boyfriend Ron Nogal. Part of the fleet at Prime Inc., Ron actually served as Jenn’s trainer after she had earned her CDL. Jenn talks to us about how she and Ron navigated her training in those early days as a team. She also notes the approach she and Ron took in adapting their relationship to include living and working in a small space with your significant other. Jenn looks back at the ways her days in military logistics prepared her for life on the road. She also explains how the mindset she developed in the military – which was rooted in situational awareness, resilience and learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable – has helped with her transition into the trucking industry. To learn more about the Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award, please click here. The post Elite 11 Honoree Jenn Wilken Reflects On Military Career and Her Road To Trucking appeared first on PodWheels.

  2. Sep 2

    Elite 11 Series Spotlights Begin With Gary Williams of Stevens Transport

    In our first PodWheels Destinations episode highlighting a member of the Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award’s Elite 11, Gary Williams of Stevens Transport shares how a 31-year Army career shaped his approach to leadership and service, which ultimately led him on the road to discover trucking. As Gary explains, trucking, especially in his role with Stevens, is a new career that placed him back in a command position – behind the wheel, where he has a sense of autonomy to make decisions and run a day-to-day operation. Gary also tells PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson about  the family support he has received throughout his transition into the trucking industry. Gary highlights the key role his wife, Sherry, has played in getting started on his career behind the wheel and he notes the support his children and grandchildren have provided as he has stepped into his big rig with Stevens. The conversation looks back at a military career that saw Gary rise to the rank of Command Sergeant Major while being called to some of the world’s hotspots, including Iraq as a Chief Medical NCO. Gary’s perspectives on leadership and serving as a mentor to others are truly inspiring. It’s also interesting to hear how Gary has taken his experiences in the Army and successfully applied them to his transition to trucking. To learn more about the Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award, please click here. FEATURE STORY: To read the feature story on Gary Williams in PodWheels’ collaboration with The Trucker Media Group, please click here. The post Elite 11 Series Spotlights Begin With Gary Williams of Stevens Transport appeared first on PodWheels.

  3. Aug 6

    Driving for Excellence Award Coverage Launches With In-Depth Look At The Program

    With this episode of Destinations, PodWheels begins our coverage for the 2026 edition of the Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award. Launched in 2015 as a collaborative initiative from Kenworth, Fastport and the US Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, the Transition Trucking: Driving For Excellence Award recognizes the accomplishments of military Veterans who have entered into careers as professional drivers. To get things started on our journey will eventually bring us to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, we’ll be joined by FASTPORT President Brad Bentley. He will provide a look back at the history of the Driving For Excellence Award. Brad will also share how the Driving For Excellence Award grew out of conversations with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes, spotlighting the need for a pathway that could lead veterans into trucking and, eventually, entrepreneurship. Kenworth, as Brad points out, has helped smooth the road to becoming a trucking entrepreneur. For the 11th straight year, the grand prize for the Driving For Excellence Award winner will be a new Kenworth T680 truck, equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain. This edition of the podcast will also feature interesting perspectives from three of the members of the Driving For Excellence Award Committee involved with the selection process. We will hear from Brad Klepper, President of Drivers Legal Plan, Martin Garsee, the Executive Director of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools and Elisabeth Barna, the Founder of EAB Strategies and a longtime advocate involved with the image of the trucking industry. All of the committee members discuss the Driving For Excellence Award program and what it means to them to be involved in the selection process each year. One of the highlights of the podcast takes place at the 17:11 mark of the episode when Brad Bentley shares the names of the 11 Elite, the semifinalists for Driving For Excellence Award who have been chosen from all the submissions around the country. To learn more about Transition Trucking and the Driving For Excellence Award, please visit TransitionTrucking.org. The post Driving for Excellence Award Coverage Launches With In-Depth Look At The Program appeared first on PodWheels.

  4. May 10

    From Chaos to Calm: Sarah Mosley’s Journey of Resilience and Hope

    In this special episode of our series shared on Mother’s Day, we present the inspiring story of Sarah Mosley, who looks back at her fight to survive a brain cancer ordeal. These days, Sarah is standing up again to do battle with another cancer diagnosis while managing the complexities of daily life and motherhood. With our Destination for this episode being hope, PROJECT 61 Health & Wellness Manager Lindsey Bryan welcomes her friend Sarah to the podcast for an expansive and uplifting conversation.  As you will hear, Sarah continues to find new ways to draw upon her faith and inner strength when faced with the challenges she has encountered in recent years. Sarah’s resilience and positive mindset serve as a beacon of hope for anyone facing a health crisis or even when we are called to navigate one of life’s unexpected turns. About PROJECT 61: Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61keep doing this important work across the industry. The post From Chaos to Calm: Sarah Mosley’s Journey of Resilience and Hope appeared first on PodWheels.

  5. Mar 24

    Long Haul Paul’s Journey To MATS Big Stage Is A 39-Year Run

    This Friday (March 27th), Long Haul Paul Marhoefer will see the fulfillment of a dream that has been 39 years in the making when steps on the Freedom Hall stage at the 2026 Mid-America Truck Show. For this edition of Destinations, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson caught up with Long Haul Paul to discuss the honor of serving as the opening performer on the main stage that will be headlined by Frank Foster on Friday night. Long Haul Paul also takes us inside his journey to reach this special moment in a career that has combined working as a professional driver while continually developing his musical talents and building a loyal group of fans. It’s been almost a decade since Long Haul Paul recorded his first album at the age of 57. During the podcast, we’ll hear 30-Weight Coffee and The Old Cumberland from his early releases. We’ll also hear two songs from his latest live album release, The After Party Sessions. CONNECT WITH LONG HAUL PAUL:  If you would like to learn more about Long Haul Paul, including upcoming tour dates, how you can access his albums and the variety of LHP merchandise that is available for sale, visit LongHaulPaulMusic.com. The post Long Haul Paul’s Journey To MATS Big Stage Is A 39-Year Run appeared first on PodWheels.

  6. 03/03/2025

    Spotlighting Eugene Mulero’s Teaching Work With Students At George Mason University

    In this episode of our Destinations Podcast Series, we will be spotlighting Eugene Mulero, a Senior Reporter from Transport Topics, who you can also hear on the National Truck Driving Championships Podcast from PodWheels. As you will hear through this episode, Eugene is also a part of the faculty at George Mason University. On February 24th, Eugene was a featured guest on the Dave Nemo Radio Show, which is broadcast nationally on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio. As part of his interview with Eugene, veteran broadcaster Dave Nemo took some time to place a spotlight on Eugene’s work with his students at George Mason University who are seeking to become the next generation of journalists and communications professionals. The post Spotlighting Eugene Mulero’s Teaching Work With Students At George Mason University appeared first on PodWheels.

  7. 11/12/2024

    Long Haul Paul Previews His New Floodwaters And Fires Album

    With this musical edition of our Destinations series, veteran professional driver and accomplished musician Long Haul Paul Marhoefer is our featured guest. As you will hear, Long Haul Paul will be previewing the Thanksgiving Day release of his new album, Floodwaters & Fires. During our interview with Long Haul Paul, he recalls the near-death experience he endured while running over the road on Christmas Eve in 2023. As Paul shares, that moment of near tragedy served as the inspiration to record a collection of original works and cover songs, including Adam Carroll’s Highway Prayer and Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire. Floodwaters & Fires, with a tone and overall feel that is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, is a true masterwork from Long Haul Paul, who began his professional recording career in his mid-50s. As you will hear, the podcast conversation takes listeners inside the process of making the album, discussing the songs and much more. This episode also features full-length previews of four original LHP songs that are a part of Floodwaters & Fires, including Four Million Miles Deep, a powerful ode that looks back at the life of a fellow driver. If you are interested in buying a copy of Floodwaters & Fires, we invite you to visit LongHaulPaulMusic.com. The post Long Haul Paul Previews His New Floodwaters And Fires Album appeared first on PodWheels.

  8. 10/07/2024

    Honoring Music Legend Dickey Betts By Revisiting 1983 Interview

    This episode of Destinations is being shared by PodWheels to pay tribute to Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. It’s been almost six months since Betts’ passing at the age of 80 in mid-April. Earlier this year, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson revisited his personal archives and the 1983 interview he had set up with Betts and Chuck Leavell, the one-time keyboard player for the Allman Brothers who has also been a part of the Rolling Stone for 42 years and counting. Thompson was in Minnesota at the time of Betts’ passing and he was able to connect with Al Neff, the Program Director for WXYG, The Goat, which is an album rock radio station located in Central Minnesota. Thompson and Neff, along with Danny Berg, had been part of the 1983 interview with Betts and Leavell when they were students at St. Cloud State University and part of the staff at KVSC-FM. In this edition of Destinations from PodWheels, we will share the 1983 interviews with Chuck Leavell and Dickey Betts. At the time of the interview recordings, they were a part of the short-lived, but great band, BHLT & Friends, which featured Dickey Betts, Jimmy Hall, Chuck Leavell and Butch Trucks. You will also hear the behind-the-scenes story of how Thompson had developed a successful approach for landing interviews with musical acts by contacting their management companies through long-distance calls made from his dorm room at St. Cloud State. Above all, we hope you will enjoy this trip back to 1983 that offers a moment in time featuring two consequential musical artists with the main spotlight paying tribute to one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The post Honoring Music Legend Dickey Betts By Revisiting 1983 Interview appeared first on PodWheels.

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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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