California trucker Nate Moran wins Overdrive-Red Eye Radio’s Trucker Talent Search contest

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Updated Aug 31, 2015
Trucker Nate Moran performing “Middle of the Moonlight” at the Trucker Talent Search finale.Trucker Nate Moran performing “Middle of the Moonlight” at the Trucker Talent Search finale.

Truck operator Nate Moran was named the winner of the Overdrive-Red Eye Radio’s 2015 Trucker Talent Search Aug. 28, following a sing-off style competition and voting by a panel of four judges at the Great American Trucking Show.

Moran played guitar to and sang a song he wrote, “Middle of the Moonlight,” which he wrote for his wife and played for the first time publicly at their wedding in April of this year. See full video of the competition below, which also includes performances by last year’s Trucker Talent Search winner Keith Sampson, trucker and singer-songwriter Tony Justice, trucker Brad James and the other two finalists in this year’s competition.

Justice also emceed the event and played several of his original songs, too.

From left: Tony Justice (emcee) and Trucker Talent Search finalists Paul Marhoefer, Nate Moran and Don Whatley.From left: Tony Justice (emcee) and Trucker Talent Search finalists Paul Marhoefer, Nate Moran and Don Whatley.

Online voting by Overdrive readers narrowed the original field of more than 30 entrants to the three finalists, who were brought to Dallas for the contest’s finale.

Moran received $1,000 cash from Overdrive. He’ll also receive a free eight-hour recording session for one original song from AxleOutPro. The company will also produce a high quality demo, music video and interview to market to studios.

All three finalists were given a pair of Justin Boots from Red Eye Radio.

He’ll also be featured in Overdrive online and in an upcoming issue. The four judges in the contest were country singer and trucking industry advocate Lindsay Lawler, stunt truck driver Mike Ryan, last year’s winner, Sampson, and 2014 Trucker Talent Search finalist and trucker Brad James.

Judges, from left: Brad James, Mike Ryan, Lindsay Lawler, Keith Sampson.Judges, from left: Brad James, Mike Ryan, Lindsay Lawler, Keith Sampson.

Moran, 25, is a Pomona, California, resident. He is an owner-operator with Florida-based Bryant Freight.

The other finalists were driver Paul Marhoefer and owner-operator Don Whatley.

Here’s the video of the winner, Nate Moran, singing at the Trucker Talent Search finale.

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