Veteran Spotlight Ashley Leiva

Today, we honor veteran, Ashley Leiva!

In December 2022, Army Veteran Ashley Leiva became the first female recipient of the "Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence" award for rookie Veteran truck drivers. After leaving the Army in 2021, Ashley and her brother, fellow Army Veteran Johnny Leiva, took over their late mother’s trucking company, renaming it Noemi Trucking in her memory.

Ashley’s mother founded the company, originally named Leiva Trucking, after nearly 20 years as a truck driver. She inspired Ashley to pursue tank trucking and encouraged her to join the Army straight out of high school.

With over 15 years of service in the Army, Ashley trained globally in locations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. She deployed twice to Iraq and served as a senior culinary manager, overseeing dining facilities both domestically and internationally. She achieved the rank of sergeant first class in the 569th Quartermaster Company in Honolulu, Hawaii. She left the military in April 2021, six months earlier than planned, following her mother’s death from stomach cancer.

Johnny invited Ashley to help continue their mother’s legacy by managing the trucking company. Ashley had obtained a commercial driver’s license in the Army, allowing her to transport personnel and culinary supplies. She further specialized in tank trucking by studying big rig management and graduating from Del Mar College’s transportation training program in November 2021.

Thousands of Veterans were nominated for the Transition Trucking award based on their performance, successful transition to civilian truck driving, and safety focus. Ashley received commendation from the council of her hometown, Corpus Christi, Texas, for being one of the finalists and the only female among the 11 semifinalists after a year-long selection process.

Chosen by public vote and an independent selection committee, Ashley won a truck that doubled her company’s fleet and a full-tuition scholarship she used for her business management degree. As a single mother, she values the stability of her military career and the flexibility of her tank trucking career, allowing her to spend more time with her daughter.

Thank you for your service!