The Kenan Advantage Group, the largest tank truck carrier in North America, is one of 16 trucking companies to receive the Next Generation in Trucking Association’s 2025 Career Catalyst award.
The award program, new this year, honors and celebrates the innovation, effort, time, and resources of fleets striving to reach younger people, specifically those entering the workforce as they leave high school and college, to promote trucking as a positive first-choice career.
“KAG is pleased to be recognized as a leader in attracting and welcoming new professional drivers and technicians into our industry,” Grant Mitchell, KAG president and chief operating officer, told Bulk Transporter. “We thoughtfully took a new approach to building the next generation of professionals, ensuring the success of our new team members, the transportation industry, and the partners we serve.”
The inaugural list also includes bulk haulers Alaska West Express, part of the Lynden family of companies, and Key Oil, a subsidiary of Keystops. Alaska West Express, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, transports liquid- and dry-bulk products, hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals, and petroleum products. Key Oil, based in Franklin, Kentucky, distributes branded motor fuels for Marathon Petroleum and other leading fuel retailers across seven states.
“Next Gen Trucking appreciates the support of the tank truck industry,” said Lindsey Trent, Next Gen Trucking president and co-founder. “They have great vision and know that although they might not be able to hire 18-year-old drivers, they can create other career pathways for them or brand their company and the industry as the pinnacle driving job, so when a young person is able to be hired as a tank truck driver, they will know exactly where to go.
“It’s about relationships and branding.”
This year’s recipients focus on the next generation of trucking includes programs like hiring recent high school graduates in roles such as warehouse and dock associates, driver helpers, internships, and customer service roles; providing comprehensive training programs to train younger people to earn a CDL and to become certified diesel mechanics; working with the DOT to provide apprenticeship programs to drivers under the age of 21; fostering partnerships with local high schools and community colleges to establish CDL programs and to bring students on-site to their facilities for enrichment; and utilizing in-cab technology that makes jobs more rewarding and fun.
“KAG’s apprenticeship program has proven to be a great success, shaping the next generation of our industry through experienced mentorship and support from all levels of our organization,” said Jude Groves, KAG EVP of safety, sustainability, and training. “Our mentors come from within the KAG team, sharing their knowledge and experience as the foundation for our apprentices’ career path. We are proud to collaborate with select CDL training programs and The Next Generation in Trucking to ensure robust support and oversight at every step of the process.
“Apprentices start their career built on a strong foundation leading to a long, safe, and most importantly, rewarding career at KAG.”
This year’s winners include other large and recognizable for-hire motor carriers like Ryder System, Averitt, and Old Dominion Freight Lines; mid-sized fleets like Christenson Transportation and Keller Trucking, and smaller fleets like Upper Lake Foods and Garner Trucking. The list also includes private fleets ranging in size from a few dozen trucks to thousands. Private fleet awardees include Ben E. Keith Foods, Republic Services, Boyd CAT, Cal Valley Trucking, Ginsberg’s Foods, and Performance Food Service.
“Having worked for decades in the classroom with high-school-aged students and having established CDL programs at the high school level, I can tell you that so many of today’s teenagers are hungry for the types of opportunities trucking offers and alternatives to traditional college and career tracks,” said Dave Dein, a high school teacher at Patterson High School in Patterson, California, and co-founder of Next Gen Trucking. “They’re actively looking for opportunities like the ones the Career Catalyst Award winners offer and the chance to prove themselves, earn a great living, and excel in careers in trucking.
“Thank you and congratulations to this year’s winners.”
