U.S. Army veteran Larry J. Berman of Spring Hill, FL, dedicated his life to serving his country in the U.S. Army from 1974-2000, completing a career as a medic EMT and a medical instructor for the Army Academy of Health Sciences. After achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class, Berman transitioned to the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served from 2002-2015 as an Independent Duty Corpsman.
Now, he and his wife, Mary, a fellow U.S. Army soldier, have retired from the Army and transitioned to the heavy-duty trucking industry, working as a team for U.S. Xpress Enterprises.
During last week’s Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Belmor, a manufacturer of heavy-duty truck accessories, honored Berman as the winner of the company’s second annual “I Did My Duty…Now I Drive Heavy Duty” contest.
Open to all U.S. Armed Forces veterans 21 and older currently employed as commercial truck drivers, the contest invited participants to tell “their story” about their military service and career in the heavy-duty trucking industry. Submissions included information about time of service, duties in the military, factors that led to a transition into the trucking industry, what makes commercial truck driving enjoyable and why attending MATS was important.
Berman’s submission was selected by a panel of judges led by Mitch Fogle, president and CEO of Belmor parent Lund International. Fellow judges included trucking industry representatives from AAA Cooper Transportation, OOIDA, Holland Freight, FASTPORT and 10-4 Magazine. In winning the contest, Berman received a trip for two to MATS.
“Belmor has been supplying major original equipment manufacturers and dealers with high quality medium and heavy duty truck accessories since 1921,” Fogle explained. “All submissions were reviewed in a blind-judging process and rated on criteria such as emotional engagement, purpose and commitment to the field of truck driving.”
