Throughout his military and law enforcement career, safety and security have always been top of mind for Brandon Ward. Consistently proving that he is reliable, resourceful and always prepared, Ward became accustomed to handling a number of challenging assignments during his days in uniform.
Ward’s previous experience has more than prepared the retired Navy veteran for the next chapter in his professional journey with Werner Enterprises, where he earned the designation as a Leader in the Driver Placement program earlier this year.
Leadership roles are not new to Ward. He was asked to be a part of the security leadership team at Guantanamo Bay in the first year following the 9-11 terrorist attack. He served as a leader within the Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Command Group, and he held a post-military position as a Special Agent in Charge within the Department of Homeland Security.
At Werner, the placement drivers joining Ward on his truck have the benefit of learning from a fellow professional who holds a unique perspective on the trucking industry: Some three decades ago, Ward logged a year on the road with Werner before rejoining the Navy and resuming his call to military service.
“I believe you are always learning, and one of things I have learned over the years is taking care of people,” explained Ward. “In whatever I’ve done, I always invest and try to help folks. It’s important to pay it forward.”
Ward’s dedication to service as he embarks on his “second tour of duty” with Werner inspired the company to nominate him for Transition Trucking’s 2026 Driving For Excellence Award.
In early August, Ward learned he had been selected as one of the program’s Elite 11 semifinalists for 2026.
“I’m sure that there are hundreds of folks who apply for this, and I feel really blessed,” said Ward. “It made me feel fantastic, and my family is thrilled about it. I went on the Transition Truck website, and I read the bios of everyone in the Elite 11.
“There are some really great folks who made the Elite 11,” he added. “There aren’t any of us that don’t deserve this opportunity. It’s great to be a part of this group, and I look at Transition Trucking as a fantastic way to reward and recognize service members. All of us have made some significant sacrifices in our lives and our families have had to make sacrifices as well.”
Following a family tradition of service
At age 17, Ward walked into the recruitment office with his eye set on following in his father’s footsteps and enlisting in the Marines. Fate intervened. The Marine recruiter was out on a coffee break, leaving the door open for Ward to hear a recruiting pitch to join the Navy.
Ward liked what he heard, and he enlisted in the Navy. His first assignment was working with an aircraft squadron in Japan. In his early Navy career, Ward began exploring special warfare with the SEAL Teams. He eventually found his calling within the service in military law enforcement as a master at arms.
“I loved law enforcement. I chose that route and never really looked back,” said Ward. “I love helping people. When I think about it, that’s just my calling. I like to help and serve.”
Hearing the call of the road for the first time
While Ward was finding success on the high seas and across the globe with the Navy, his brother was blazing his own trail as a professional driver — and he encouraged Ward to consider trucking as an option when he left the military.
Ward could see his younger brother’s success in the industry and decided to give it a try when the window of opportunity opened up in 1996. He went through truck driving school, secured his CDL and landed his initial professional trucking job behind the wheel with Werner Enterprises.
“I loved it,” Ward said of his first experience going over the road. “I pulled a 53-foot reefer trailer for Warner across all 48 states.”
However, during that first year in trucking, Ward’s family was young, and spending weeks on the road became challenging. Hoping to find a position that would keep closer to home (barring deployment), he and his wife decided he should re-enlist in the Navy.
Even though his truck was parked during his second stint in the military, Ward says he never lost his passion for trucking.
Following many years and a number of high-level assignments, Ward was glad to have a second chance at trucking when it came time to shift gears and consider retirement from his position at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Brandon Ward’s interview video appears below. Readers may also click here to view the video on YouTube or click here to hear an audio-only version.
Returning to trucking — and an encore with Werner
In looking at his retirement options, Ward took advantage of a program offered by the Trump administration that allowed some federal employees to utilize a delayed resignation retirement, which became an on-ramp to train for a new job.
It was early January 2026 when he turned the page and went through the process with his DHS retirement. As Ward looked for a new path, his truck-driving brother had an idea for his next career chapter.
“My brother told me that we should start a trucking company together,” recalled Ward. “I really liked the idea, but it had been a minute since I’ve been out there. I wanted to learn what has changed in trucking and how you build a strong foundation.”
Ward could indeed feel the call of the road once again.
This time, his family had matured to the point where he had just one teenager in the house and his wife, Julia — who now had the unique perspective of following her husband’s career track for more than 25 years — was ready to support a return to the highway.
“I’m very blessed to have a spouse who supports me and my kids,” said Ward. “I’ve been married for almost 26 years. Julia has always been there to support me, to help support our family. My wife has made a lot of sacrifices, and those sacrifices come in the service as we deploy a lot.
“The trucking industry is very similar to a military industry, where you’re not deploying, but you are gone,” he added.
Ward says he has tried to strike a bit of a work-life balance in his return to trucking. He was able to stay close to his Florida home while he re-trained at Roadmaster Trucking School in Florida. In addition, he had a homecoming of sorts with Werner Enterprises, which placed him on a dedicated run through the company’s Lake City, Florida, terminal as a Team Leader.
“Werner was at the top of my list because they treated me well when I first got into the industry,” explained Ward. “Werner is also a great place to learn. Werner is one of those companies that truly cares about their folks. In my opinion, they’re always trying to provide technology and safety and what can they do to make us better.”
Appreciating the past to envision the future
Much like the routes he takes to customer locations, Ward has a focus that encompasses all aspects of the trucking industry, one step at a time and one mile at a time.
While starting a trucking company in today’s complex environment is arguably more difficult than it was a few decades ago, Ward has a deep appreciation for the thought and care that built Werner Enterprises, which was founded by Clarence Werner with a single truck in 1956.
“To really understand this industry, you have to know that it’s not just about driving a truck and safely being able to back up,” said Ward. “It’s about understanding the companies that are your customers. It’s also about understanding people. I honestly think that if you put as much effort into your company as you do into your people, you are going to be successful.
“To me, it’s really about the drivers, your maintenance staff that keeps those trucks running and the people taking care of your drivers,” he added.
For Ward, the future is filled with possibilities — but he’s also well-rooted with an industry leader in a present that continues to offer lessons each day.
“I work with a great company with great people in it,” said Ward of Werner. “I’m still learning, and I’m trying to build upon my own foundation to be successful in an industry that can be challenging.
“With my placement drivers at Werner, we’ll talk about how you can be successful in the trucking industry from the ground floor up,” he continued. “Over all my years of experience, I’ve learned it’s all about opportunity and giving people a chance. If I have the opportunity to make somebody’s life a little better, I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
Greg Thompson is an award-winning writer and producer who has worked in the trucking industry in a variety of roles since 1998. With more than a decade’s worth of experience as a journalist prior entering trucking, Greg is the founder and executive producer of PodWheels.com, a podcast network dedicated to spotlighting the trucking industry.
Since 2019, PodWheels has provided specialized coverage of the National Truck Driving and National Step Van Driving Championships. Over its history, the NTDC Podcast Series has provided more than 150 hours of podcast content highlighting the competitors, organizers and volunteers involved with the Truck Driving Championships at both the state and national levels. The NTDC program, which is hosted annually by the American Trucking Associations, has a history that dates back to 1937.
Beginning in 2025, PodWheels was chosen by the ATA to serve as the Official Podcaster for the NTDC. PodWheels’ coverage of the NTDC, including state competitions and other features, is available through RoadToNTDC.com.
