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DRIVERS OF THE YEAR | CONVENTION IN PHOTOS | PAST CHAIRMEN’S AWARD
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION o f t h e TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION
MAY/JUNE 2020
TCA Chairman
Dennis Dellinger
outlines agenda
IN THIS ISSUE
HOLDING OUT HOPE
Will new bill be catalyst for solving parking concerns? | 6
HEEDING THE CALL
Truck drivers step up to the plate in response to COVID-19 | 12
SINGER ... AND AUTHOR
Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall follows his parents’ road map to success | 16

MAY/JUNE | TCA 2020
President’s Purview
Handling a Disruption
Effectively
As not only our industry, but the world, experiences disruptions to our
operations and lives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I take a moment to
reflect about how much has changed since Truckload 2020: Orlando in
early March.
In the last few weeks, we’ve borne witness to how this pandemic is impacting
our industry, our families, our communities, and our very way of life.
I couldn’t ask to be part of a more selfless industry to weather this storm
with. The trucking industry has taken this challenge head-on. Professional
truck drivers continue to make their runs, even asking for additional ways
to help, during this crisis. The Truckload Carriers Association’s members
have stepped up, offering services at no cost to help carriers keep our nation’s
shelves stocked. What we are facing is daunting, but I am heartened
by the everyday acts of courage, humanity, caring, and compassion. I am
optimistic we will thrive once again.
The staff at TCA has been diligently working throughout the pandemic
to keep you informed of new advancements through a daily COVID-19
e-newsletter. Our Education Department, with the help of industry experts
and representatives from the TCA Profitability Program (TPP), has hosted
numerous complimentary webinars on topics ranging from protecting your
financial operations during uncertain times to effective leadership skills and
best practices for times of crisis. I encourage you to utilize these resources
and offerings from TCA.
It goes without saying that we will get through this, and be better
because of it.
To find our resources page, educational offerings, and more, visit
truckload.org and drop me a line. We want to hear from you. The TCA
staff and I are ready to help in any way that we can.
Thank you for all you do.
John Lyboldt
President
Truckload Carriers Association
jlyboldt@truckload.org
Stay safe.
John Lyboldt
PRESIDENT’S PICKS
Knights of the Highway
Knight Transportation executive says
‘unbelievable’ people a key to success
Page 30
Iron Man’s Iron Ideas
Cal Ripken Jr. shares importance of
perseverance and dependability
Page 32
Highway Angels of Year
Hirschbach team drivers rescue motorist
from burning car in 36 minutes
Page 34
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 3

THE ROAD AHEAD IS PAVED WITH POSSIBILITIES.
Since day one, we’ve been on a relentless pursuit of greatness. As a leader
in transportation solutions—including trailers, parts, and specialty services—
we’re improving business for our customer by continuously planning for
what’s ahead.
doesn’t stop
Visit greatdane.com/greatness to learn more.
Great Dane and The Oval are registered trademarks of Great Dane LLC. 750 DMD 0419

Phone: (703) 838-1950
Fax: (703) 836-6610
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Dennis Dellinger, President and CEO
Cargo Transporters, Inc.
MAY/JUNE 2020
PRESIDENT
John Lyboldt
jlyboldt@truckload.org
VP - OPERATIONS AND EDUCATION
James J. Schoonover
jschoonover@truckload.org
MANAGER - GOV’T AFFAIRS
Kathryn Sanner
ksanner@truckload.org
FIRST VICE CHAIR
Jim Ward, President and CEO
D.M. Bowman, Inc.
SECOND VICE CHAIR
John Elliott, CEO
Load One, LLC
VICE PRESIDENT - GOV’T AFFAIRS
Dave Heller
dheller@truckload.org
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
SECRETARY
Josh Kaburick, CEO
Pete Hill, Vice President
Earl L. Henderson Trucking Co., Inc. Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc.
AT-LARGE OFFICER
John Culp, President
Maverick USA
MGR. - DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
Hunter Livesay
hlivesay@truckload.org
AT-LARGE OFFICER
Karen Smerchek, President
Veriha Trucking, Inc.
VP-MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH
Zander Gambill
zgambill@truckload.org
SENIOR DIRECTOR - OUTREACH
Marli Hall
mhall@truckload.org
TREASURER
David Williams, Executive VP
Knight Transportation
VICE CHAIR TO ATA
Joey Hogan, President
Covenant Transport
AT-LARGE OFFICER
Ed Nagle, President
Nagle Toledo, Inc.
publication are not necessarily those of TCA.
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PRESIDENT’S PURVIEW
Handling a Disruption Effectively with John Lyboldt | 3
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Holding Out Hope | 6
Capitol Recap | 8
TRACKING THE TRENDS
Heeding the Call | 12
Asleep at the Wheel | 14
NATIONAL NEWSMAKER | 16
Singer … and Author with Joe Bonsall
A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN | 20
Taking on Responsibility with Dennis Dellinger
TALKING TCA
Dennis Dellinger’s Convention Address | 27
Company Driver of the Year | 28
Owner-Operator of the Year | 29
Carrier Profile with Knight Transportation | 30
Showing Up with Cal Ripken Jr. |32
Highway Angels of the Year |34
Pictorial Review of Convention |36
Josh Kaburick’s Convention Address |38
John Lyboldt’s Convention Address |39
Member Mailroom: Highway Angel Microsite |40
Small Talk |41
New Members | 46
Truckload Academy Online | 46
THE ROAD MAP
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Bobby Ralston
bobbyr@thetruckermedia.com
EDITOR
Lyndon Finney
lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com
GENERAL MGR. TRUCKING DIV.
Megan Cullingford-Hicks
meganh@thetruckermedia.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Wendy Miller
wendym@thetruckermedia.com
REACHING TRUCKING’S
TOP EXECUTIVES
STAFF WRITER
Kris Rutherford
krisr@thetruckermedia.com
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
Meg Larcinese
megl@thetruckermedia.com
STAFF WRITER + PRODUCTION
Linda Garner-Bunch
lindag@thetruckermedia.com
PRODUCTION MGR. + ART DIRECTOR
Rob Nelson
robn@thetruckermedia.com
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TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 5

MAY/JUNE | TCA 2020
Legislative Update
HOLDING OUT HOPE
Industry looking to bipartisan bill to be catalyst
leading to increased truck-parking capacity
By Lyndon Finney
The latest, and hopefully most successful, initiative to at last
increase truck-parking capacity is the bipartisan bill known as
the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act.
The bill, H.R. 6104, is the work of House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee members Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL) and
Angie Craig (D-MN). The bill would dedicate $755 million over
five years to increase truck-parking spaces so truck drivers can
safely comply with hours-of-service regulations.
The legislation proposes constructing new truck-parking
facilities and converting existing weigh stations and rest areas
to include functional parking spaces for truck drivers. Funding
would be awarded on a competitive basis, and applicants would
be required to submit detailed proposals to the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Governmental efforts to improve truck parking date back at
least to 2005 when Congress, as part of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), authorized a $25 million pilot program to study
and resolve truck-parking concerns.
That program, which appears to have had very limited
positive outcomes, was discontinued in 2012 when Congress
passed Jason’s Law as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress
in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). The law was named after
Jason Rivenburg, a truck driver who was murdered on March
5, 2009, while parked at an abandoned gas station. He had
arrived early for a scheduled delivery at a supermarket in Orangeburg,
South Carolina, and was refused overnight parking
to wait and unload the following morning.
Through the persistent efforts of Rivenburg’s wife, Hope,
Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY) first introduced a Jason’s Law bill
in 2009, but the bill never made it out of committee.
Hope Rivenburg and Schumer persisted, and in 2012, Jason’s
Law became part of MAP-21.
While Jason’s Law encouraged the construction
of new truck-parking
facilities and the use of existing facilities for truck parking,
including inspection and weigh stations, extremely limited funding
was provided through MAP-21 for the implementation of the law.
Craig and Bost sounded positive notes when the Truck Parking
Safety Improvement Act was introduced.
“Right now, there is a lack of places for truck drivers to safely
stop, forcing them to pull over to the side of the road, or continue
driving, both of which are risky,” said Craig.
Bost, who said he “grew up” in a family trucking business, is
no stranger to the rewards and pitfalls of the industry.
“I learned at early age what a rewarding career [trucking]
could be,” said Bost. “However, I also understood that trucking
can be a tough, demanding and even dangerous job. One concern
for truck drivers is the lack of enough safe parking spots
where they can get the rest they need without risking collisions
on the shoulder of the highway or being forced to push their
limits to find the next rest stop. This puts the truckers and other
motorists at significant risk.”
Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of Government
Affairs David Heller is among the trucking industry
stakeholders who are optimistic about the bill’s passage,
including the funding.
“Looking at the plethora of bills that have seemingly been introduced
lately, H.R. 6104 certainly fits the mold of something
that actually could and should move,” said Heller. “First and foremost,
it is sensible. In today’s trucking environment, parking is
at a premium. Burdened with hours-of-service regulations based
on an environment that no longer exists, our drivers need the
opportunity for safe and secure parking to obtain sufficient rest.”
The bill, he added, makes sense for all involved, including
trucking and safety groups. The bill is also timely, he said.
“As we make our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the one
thing that certainly affected the efficient delivery of emergency
supplies was the lack of adequate
parking and
6 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

driver facilities. This bill would go a long way toward preventing
that in the future,” added Heller.
While the $755 million would only put a dent in creating the
needed spaces, D.M. Bowman President and CEO and First Vice
Chairman of TCA Jim Ward said it’s a start.
“The level of funding, used appropriately, is a good starting
point to address some of the critical locations lacking adequate
parking space for drivers,” he said.
“Adequate is the optimum
word,” said NATSO Vice President
of Government Affairs David
“
Fialkov. NATSO represents travelplaza
and truck-stop owners and
operators, who manage 90% of
the truck-parking spaces available
in the U.S.
“Truck-parking availability is not a
problem in most parts of the country
at most times of day,” he said.
There are, he noted, hot spots
where availability is low because the
price of land is prohibitively high or
areas — mostly high-volume metropolitan
areas — where hundreds
of drivers tend to stop to stage deliveries
for the next day.
While the $755 million is a start,
trucking stakeholders are hoping
that the federal government is in a
sharing mentality if the bill passes and is fully funded.
“It is currently within every state department of transportation’s
prerogative to fund additional truck-parking capacity
with existing federal dollars,” added NATSO Vice President of
Public Affairs Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, noting the average
cost of a new parking space at a private facility is $10,000.
“NATSO also has long advocated for the federal and state departments
of transportation to remove barriers to private sector
investment in truck-parking capacity.”
“I believe the private truck-stop business needs to be involved,
because it’s their core competency,” said D.M. Bowman’s
Ward. “They know what needs to be done and how best
to execute this service that most effectively meets the commercial
driver’s needs.”
NATSO’s Fialkov urged the trucking industry to refrain from
using a shotgun approach when developing new capacity.
“Efforts to expand truck parking should explicitly target areas
where we know there is a serious problem,” he said.
NATSO has another potential solution to the sometime shortage
of spaces.
“We’ve long maintained that the best way to address any truckparking
capacity concerns is for motor carriers to negotiate truck
parking in their contractual relationships
with truck stops and
travel plazas like they negotiate
It is currently within
every state department
of transportation’s
prerogative to fund
additional truck-parking
capacity with existing
federal dollars.”
for fuel,” Neuman said.
Solving the capacity issue
will require public and private
entities working together, she
noted.
“The travel-center industry
spends considerable resources
working with the Federal Department
of Transportation and
dozens of state and local governments
to help address their
concerns surrounding truckparking
availability,” added
Neuman. “Yet one of the biggest
challenges faced by the truckstop
and travel-plaza industry
in expanding or building truckparking
capacity is oftentimes
local governments and local community opposition.”
TCA’s Heller called truck-parking capacity a “critical safety
obstacle.”
“Truck parking consistently ranks as one of the most important
issues for the Truckload Carriers Association and trucking
stakeholders across the country,” Heller stated. “On a daily basis,
our companies’ drivers face dangerous conditions because of
the lack of safe and convenient parking options.”
Whether the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act will be
the catalyst to a resolution to truck parking capacity remains
to be seen.
The industry “hopes”
that it will.
— NATSO Vice President of Public
Affairs Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 7

CAPITOL RECAP
A review of important news coming out of our nation’s capitol.
By Lyndon Finney
Even with the nation’s capitol consumed with the COVID-19 crisis, the Washington wheels continue to turn, albeit
probably more slowly than usual. The top two Capitol Recap articles report on the FMCSA sending the final hours-ofservice
rule to the White House for its approval and on the U.S. House considering legislation similar to the so-called
California AB5 law that requires companies that hire independent contractors to reclassify them as employees, with a
few exceptions.
FMCSA SENDS HOS TO OMB
The long-awaited, hoped-for revision to the hours-of-service (HOS)
rule took a giant step toward reality when Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) Acting Administrator Jim Mullen announced
the rule had been sent to the White House for approval.
“After carefully reviewing these comments, I am pleased to announce
today that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving
forward with a final rule on hours of service and that the agency has sent
a final rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review,”
Mullen said during a general session March 3 during Truckload 2020:
Orlando. “While I can’t go into the specifics of this final rule, please
know that the goal of this process from the beginning has been to improve
safety for all motorists and to increase flexibility for commercial drivers.”
The OMB is part of the executive branch of the federal government
and has the option of approving the rule or sending it back to FMCSA
for changes.
There is typically a 60- to 90-day lapse between the time a rule is
submitted to OMB and the time it is released as a final rule, barring, of
course, any changes that might have to be made.
The comments to which Mullen referred were submitted by truckingindustry
stakeholders after the agency issued an advanced notice of
proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) for HOS in 2018 followed by a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in August 2019.
The ANPRM asked for comments on four areas of possible changes
and the NPRM outlined five proposed changes based on the comments
to the ANPRM.
The agency’s action on HOS beginning in 2018 was the result of pleas
from drivers and motor-carrier executives to allow more flexibility in the
rule, specifically in two areas — extending the 14-hour clock in certain
circumstances and doing away with the requirement implemented in
2005 that requires eight consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
Prior to 2005, the rule called for two periods totaling 10 or more hours
in the berth, each with a minimum of two hours.
“In early March, the big news was that HOS had been sent to the
OMB, but the coronavirus has changed all that,” said Truckload Carriers
Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller.
“Usually it takes 60 to 90 days for OMB to approve a final rule, but
obviously things have changed dramatically and the OMB has turned to
other matters.”
In the NPRM the agency proposed to:
• Increase safety and flexibility for the 30-minute break rule by
tying the break requirement to eight hours of driving time without an
interruption for at least 30 minutes, and allowing the break to be satisfied
One proposed change to the hours-of-service rule would modify
the sleeper-berth exception to allow drivers to split their required
10 hours off duty into two periods — one period of at least seven
consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and the other period of
not less than two consecutive hours, either off duty or in the
sleeper berth.
by a driver using on duty, not driving status, rather than off duty;
• Modify the sleeper-berth exception to allow drivers to split their
required 10 hours off duty into two periods — one period of at least seven
consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and the other period of not less than
two consecutive hours, either off duty or in the sleeper berth. Neither
period would count against the driver’s 14‐hour driving window;
• Allow one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes, but not more than
three hours, that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window,
provided the driver takes 10 consecutive hours off-duty at the end of the
work shift;
• Modify the adverse-driving-conditions exception by extending by
two hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted; and
• Change to the short-haul exception available to certain commercial
drivers by lengthening the drivers’ maximum on‐duty period from 12 to
14 hours and extending the distance limit within which the driver may
operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles.
For more information about the ruling, visit truckload.org for any
advancements.
8 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

U.S. HOUSE BILL MODELS
CALIFORNIA AB5 LAW
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation similar
to California’s AB5 law in that it requires employers to prove that
independent contractors used in conducting business should not be
classified as employees. The controversial California law, as applied to
the trucking industry, is currently under an injunction imposed by a U.S.
District Court judge that prohibits its enforcement.
California-based carriers, the California Trucking Association (CTA),
and owner-operators doing business in the state, as well as trucking
organizations on national and state levels, have all publicly opposed
AB5. Industry leaders have long feared a law like AB5 would spread
beyond California’s borders. With Congress considering the “Protecting
the Right to Organize” (PRO) Act (HR 2474), those fears appear credible.
As widely discussed in trucking-industry circles, AB5 places the
burden upon employers when classifying workers as employees or
independent contractors. If a worker’s circumstances do not pass all
components of a three-prong test, the individual is deemed an employee,
a classification impacting company operations and the individual’s ability
to choose working status. For this reason, many owner-operators who
entered the business for its self-employment opportunities oppose AB5.
The federal PRO Act legislation aims to apply the same test imposed
under AB5 nationwide. CTA contends that AB5 is prohibited under
federal law, an argument with which the judge ruling in favor of the
request for an injunction appeared to agree. With the injunction in place,
the PRO Act could be considered a case of amending federal law for the
purpose of allowing a state law to be enforceable.
The language in the federal act as included in Section 2(a)(2) defines
an employee under the same terms as AB5. As with the California law,
the sticking point relates to the (B) prong of the test. Under this prong, a
company cannot hire an independent contractor to perform tasks inherent
to the company’s business which other employees already perform. A
carrier in the business of moving freight and employing individuals who
move freight could not hire an independent contractor to perform similar
tasks.
Owner-operators and carriers are wary of California’s AB5
morphing into federal law. Introduced as the PRO Act, the
proposed legislation would have far-reaching impacts on all
sectors of the trucking industry.
“It’s important that this legislation not move forward because it
basically calls into question the entire independent contractor model
our industry has been using for literally decades now,” said Truckload
Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller.
“Our understanding and hope is that the Senate will not take up the bill.”
Heller called into question what he referred to as negative press, saying
while there are a few bad apples abusing the independent-contractor
model, a vast majority of carriers are using the model appropriately.
“Independent contractors are independent contractors because that’s
what they want to be,” added Heller.
But should the PRO Act receive U.S. Senate approval, it would be
passed to President Donald Trump to either sign into law or veto. A veto
seems likely as the Administration has stated the PRO Act “appears to
cut and paste the core provisions of California’s controversial AB5,
which severely restricts self-employment. AB5 is actively threatening
the existence of both the franchise business sector and the gig economy
in California. It would be a serious mistake for Congress to impose this
flawed job-killing policy on the entire country.”
Truck drivers nationwide should remain in tune with further action on
the PRO Act. It may impact many careers.
FMCSA’S CLEARINGHOUSE
POSTS 650,000 REGISTRANTS
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released
data following the first weeks of operation of its Commercial Driver’s
License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse revealing that the clearinghouse
has detected and identified nearly 8,000 positive substance-abuse tests of
commercial drivers since January 6. The clearinghouse now has more
than 650,000 registrants.
“We’ve seen encouraging results from the Drug and Alcohol
Clearinghouse, but there’s still work to do to ensure we identify more
drivers who should not be behind the wheel,” said FMCSA Acting
Administrator Jim Mullen. The clearinghouse is a positive step, and the
Agency continues to work closely with industry, law enforcement, and
our state partners to ensure its implementation is effective.”
The clearinghouse is aimed at improving road safety by providing
FMCSA and employers with the necessary tools to identify drivers who
have violated federal drug-and-alcohol-testing program requirements
and are prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle. The goal
of the clearinghouse is to ensure that such drivers receive the required
evaluation and treatment before they have the opportunity to resume
driving.
“The numbers of positive results did not surprise me,” said Truckload
Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller.
“Over time, the clearinghouse will shake out the abusers. We have to
remember that trucking is a safety-sensitive industry and is no place for
substance abusers.”
Those required to register for the clearinghouse include:
• Employers of commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial
learner’s permit (CLP) holders, or their designated service agents, and
medical review officers who report drug-and-alcohol-program violations
that occurred on or after Jan. 6, 2020;
• Employers or their designated service agents who conduct required
queries that inform them whether prospective or current employees have
drug and alcohol program violations in their clearinghouse records.
Employers must purchase a query plan before conducting queries in
the clearinghouse. Query plans must be purchased from the FMCSA
Clearinghouse website only;
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 9

CAPITOL RECAP
FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse program is designed
to improve road safety by identifying drivers who are barred
from driving commercial vehicles due to drug violations.
• Drivers who respond to employer consent requests or would like to
view their clearinghouse record when applying for a job; and
• Substance-abuse professionals who report on the completion of
driver initial assessments and driver eligibility for return-to-duty testing
for violations committed on or after Jan. 6, 2020.
There is no cost for registration. Commercial drivers are not required
to immediately register for the clearinghouse but will need to register to
respond to an employer’s request for consent prior to a pre-employment
query or other full query being conducted. In addition, employers must be
registered during the first year of implementation to ensure they are able
to conduct the required annual query on all employed drivers.
Combatting drug abuse has been a top priority of the U.S. Department
of Transportation and the Trump Administration. President Trump has
brought attention to the nation’s opioid crisis by declaring it a nationwide
public health emergency and has implemented critical federal initiatives
to help reduce opioid abuse.
For information about FMCSA’s clearinghouse program, including
user brochures and instructional aids with step-by-step registration
instructions, visit clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov.
$1 TRILLION PROPOSED FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET
The 138-page proposed fiscal-year 2021 budget issued by President
Donald Trump’s Administration earlier this year proposes to reauthorize
surface transportation funding to the tune of $810 billion over the next
decade, along with an additional one-time payment of $190 billion to
support a broad mixture of “infrastructure investments” across a range
of industrial sectors.
That would add up to more than $1 trillion in direct federal
transportation and infrastructure funding between 2021 and 2030. This
represents a “distinct departure” from the Administration’s 2018 outline,
which sought to leverage $200 billion of direct federal funding into
$1 trillion in overall investment with state/local and private contributions,
according to an article in the Journal, the official publication of the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO).
In a related development, published reports said the Trump
Administration proposed cutting billions in discretionary spending in
next year’s Department of Transportation (DOT) budget, while also
calling for broad increases in spending throughout the next decade, a
disconnect that left some in Congress and outside groups struggling to
interpret the Administration’s intentions.
As for the infrastructure proposal, the DOT said with the expiration of
the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in September,
the time to take bold action to address these and other challenges is now.
“Building on the foundation provided in the FAST Act, the
Administration’s funding proposal would largely grow by almost 4%
annually through fiscal year [FY] 2030 … that will provide states and
other entities with dependable and predictable funding for an entire
decade,” a DOT spokesperson said.
Near term, that translates into an $89 billion budget request for DOT
FY 2021 funding — a nearly 2% increase above FY 2020 appropriations,
of which $64 billion would come via the Highway Trust Fund (HTF).
The Administration noted, however, that its request for $21.6 billion in
discretionary transportation budget authority for FY 2021 is a $3.2 billion,
or 13%, decrease from what was enacted for FY 2020.
An analysis of the budget proposal by AASHTO policy staff noted
that such fiscal proposals by the White House represent “the traditional
first step” in budget negotiations with Congress toward final FY 2021
appropriations measures.
The proposed DOT FY 2021 budget cuts discretionary spending
by 13%, including deep reductions in spending on Amtrak and airport
grants. It also cuts more than $2 billion in highway infrastructure funds.
DOT’s Acting Undersecretary Joel Szabat pointed to the deep shortfall
in the HTF, which covers road and transit projects nationwide.
The HTF’s main source of revenue, the gas tax, has failed to keep up
with inflation or national needs.
As it always has been, the argument over whether to raise the gas tax to
replenish the HTF remains a major sticking point in the discussion about
how to fund any infrastructure plan.
Tolls and a vehicle-miles-traveled tax are other funding options that
have been discussed within the circle of transportation stakeholders.
“We estimate that there’s $261 billion in additional Highway Trust
Fund cash that’s required to support the Administration’s proposal over
10 years,” shared Szabat.
The $1 trillion infrastructure-improvement plan presented by
President Donald Trump would rely entirely on federal funding
with no tax increases.
10 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

Less Time =
More Miles
The reduction of the current 2019 registration year fees range
from approximately $3 to $2,712 per entity, depending on the
number of vehicles owned or operated by the affected entities.
LOWER REGISTRATION FEES
As of Feb. 13, motor carriers will now see a reduction in the price they
must pay to register their vehicles.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a
final rule that realigns the fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan.
According to the document posted on the Federal Register, the rule
establishes reductions in the annual registration fees the states collect from
motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders,
and leasing companies for the UCR Plan and Agreement for the registration
years beginning in 2020.
“For the 2020 registration year, the fees will be reduced by 14.45% below
the 2018 registration fee level to ensure that fee revenues collected do not
exceed the statutory maximum, and to account for the excess funds held in
the depository,” the document reads. “The fees will remain at the same level
for 2021 and subsequent years unless revised in the future.”
The reduction of the current 2019 registration year fees range from
approximately $3 to $2,712 per entity, depending on the number of vehicles
owned or operated by the affected entities.
The UCR Plan and the 41 states participating in the UCR Agreement
establish and collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers of
property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. The UCR
Plan and Agreement are administered by a 15-member board of directors;
14 appointed from the participating states and the industry, plus FMCSA’s
Deputy Administrator or another presidential appointee from the Agency,
according to the final rule.
Revenues collected are allocated to the participating states and the
UCR Plan. If annual revenue collections exceed the statutory maximum
allowed, then the Plan must request adjustments to the fees. In addition, any
excess funds held by the Plan after payments are made to the states and for
administrative costs are retained in a UCR depository, and fees subsequently
charged must be adjusted further to return the excess revenues held in the
depository.
Adjustments in the fees are requested by the Plan and approved by
FMCSA. These two provisions are the reasons for the two-stage adjustment
adopted in this final rule.
“While each motor carrier will realize a reduced burden, fees are considered
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A–4, Regulatory
Analysis as transfer payments, not costs. Transfer payments are payments
from one group to another that do not affect total resources available to
society. Therefore, transfers are not considered in the monetization of societal
costs and benefits of rulemakings,” according to the document.
The rule states that the total state revenue target is more than $107 million.
For more information or to read the rule in its entirety, visit fmcsa.dot.gov/
regulations/rulemaking/2020-01761.
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www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 11

MAY/JUNE | TCA 2020
Tracking The Trends
Heeding the call
Truck drivers re-emerge as ‘Knights of the
Highway’ in response to COVID-19 pandemic
By Linda Garner-Bunch
Since the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in Wuhan,
China, in late December, the disease has spread across the globe,
quickly achieving the status of “pandemic.” In mid-April there were
nearly 650,000 cases in the U.S. and more than 30,000 resulting
deaths; worldwide cases numbered more than 2 million with more
than 140,000 deaths.
In early March, as the Trump Administration and state and local
governments began to institute social-distancing and hygiene protocols
as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the public reacted to regional shutdowns and restrictions
by descending on retailers en masse in search of necessities. The
result was a rapid depletion of retailers’ and distributors’ stock of
household supplies, such as toilet paper and sanitizing agents, as well
as a critical shortage of personal protective equipment, such as face
masks and sterile gloves.
At first the situation was a bit humorous, and several memes circulated
on social media, including one showing a single package of toilet
paper being transported on a flatbed trailer. “Where’s the armed guard
to protect this valuable shipment?” one truck driver asked jokingly on
Facebook. All too quickly, however, the need for such seemingly drastic
measures became clear as “toilet-paper bandits” began looting public
restrooms and scattered reports of commercial drivers being robbed of
their cargo began to surface.
It seems the world has gone crazy, and many wonder when – or
even if – life will return to normal.
Enter a new breed of hero: the professional truck driver. Once known
as the “Knights of the Highway” because of their reputation for helping
motorists in distress, this segment of the American workforce has finally
gained recognition as a vital link in the supply chain.
“If you bought it, a truck brought it” has become the mantra of a nation.
One driver even reported being greeted with cheers by both customers
and staff when delivering a load of toilet paper to a Costco retailer. The
public has also taken notice of the needs of commercial drivers. Realizing
that tractor-trailers do not enjoy easy access to prepared food, especially
with eateries limited to drive-thru and take-out service, countless businesses,
organizations, and individuals have stepped up to meet drivers’
basic needs with free meals, special drive-thru lanes for large trucks, and
other services.
“It’s really nice to be recognized as the knights of the road again, and
hopefully we’re going to be able to maintain that image as we come out
of this challenge,” remarked D.M. Bowman, Inc., President and CEO
Jim Ward. “The essentiality of our business is certainly being recognized
on a national level in a positive light.”
In spite of the risk of exposure to the new coronavirus and an increased
threat of robberies, drivers across the continent have responded
to calls for help in the best possible way: They simply do their job,
even in the midst of uncertain times.
“Our drivers have totally stepped up,” stated Knight Transportation
President and CEO Dave Jackson. “Our people have stepped up. They’re
working hard and they’re overcoming any kind of challenges.”
Meeting the nation’s need for everyday necessities and critical supplies
offers new challenges for carriers and drivers during the COVID-19
crisis, ranging from minor inconveniences to more serious situations,
such as the inability to renew commercial driver’s licenses because of
the closure of state licensing agencies.
EVENTS CANCELED
While the Truckload Carriers Association’s Truckload 2020: Orlando
convention was held before gatherings were restricted due to concerns
of the spread of COVID-19, numerous other trade shows and events,
12 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

including this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show, the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration’s Truck Safety Summit, and more, have
been postponed or canceled.
In addition, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) rescheduled
its annual International Roadcheck, a high-volume inspection and regulatory
enforcement event, from early May to later in the year. Roadside
safety inspections and traffic enforcement will continue on a daily basis.
EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY A CONCERN
While the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend frequent
hand-washing and the sanitization of frequently touched surfaces
to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, truck drivers face unique challenges
in keeping their traveling workspaces (aka their trucks) spotless,
especially in light of the nation’s shortage of sanitizing wipes and liquid.
“We have issued an allowance for [drivers] to be able to stop and
purchase wipes and hand sanitizers and those kinds of things, if they
can find it. We’ve also issued those products and have them available at
our terminals for our driving associates,” Ward noted, adding that D.M.
Bowman has taken additional measures to educate all team members,
as well as their families and the community as a whole, on the CDC’s
guidelines to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
In addition to a handout that outlines CDC guidance, the company has
created an instructional YouTube video and mailed information to team
members’ homes.
MEETING BASIC NEEDS
Many drivers have reported difficulty in gaining access to truck-stop
amenities such as packaged food and water, restrooms, and showers, and
some states have closed some or all rest areas, adding to the problem.
While the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), an
organization that represents truck stops and travel plazas, has urged its
members to continue to provide services for truck drivers and other essential
personnel, many carriers are taking steps to ensure drivers have
food and water readily available.
“We’ve sourced out 80 full truckloads of provisions and have those scattered
across 23 different terminals in the Knight/Swift world, and that’s
enabled our drivers to come in and grab food products that are easily consumed
in the truck,” shared Jackson. “We’ve also got truckloads of bottled
water and other beverages just to support them, so they don’t have to go
into any crowded spaces to try and find them on their own.”
In addition, the Federal Highway Administration has published a notice
that allows states to issue permits for food trucks to operate at rest
areas, offering drivers additional options for prepared food.
ECONOMIC WOES
While the demand for necessities remains high, ensuring that many
drivers and carriers remain busy, carriers across the nation have seen a
change in freight volume as businesses deemed “nonessential” – those
that don’t provide groceries, utilities, or health or financial support –
abruptly slowed or ceased the manufacture, transport and sale of many
products. The resulting loss of freight has resulted in layoffs for a few
North American carriers.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a
$2 trillion program signed into law by President Donald Trump, includes
small-business-lending programs to help businesses with less than 500
employees maintain payrolls and other expenses. Larger employers are
eligible for assistance through loans, loan guarantees, and investments
through Federal Reserve lending programs. The CARES Act also includes
an Employee Retention Credit to businesses whose operations
are partially or fully suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis or whose
gross receipts decline by more than 50%.
According to statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on
April 3, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in March (7.1 million
people unemployed), a jump of 0.9% from February and the largest
jump in unemployment since 1975. The report also notes that employment
in wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information,
and financial activities saw only a small change during March.
TRUMP CALLS ON INDUSTRY LEADERS
On April 14, President Trump called on leaders from various industries,
ranging from agriculture to health care, real estate, and sports,
as well as transportation, to form Great American Economic Revival
Industry Groups. These nonpartisan groups are designed to help put
the nation on the road to economic recovery when restrictions due to
COVID-19 are lifted.
TCA PROVIDES COVID-19 RESPONSE RESOURCES
On March 17, TCA launched a resource page, truckload.org/resourcesfor-covid-19,
to help keep Association members informed during the
global COVID-19 crisis. The resource page is updated daily to provide
the most up-to-date information possible. TCA also provides daily
e-newsletters to keep membership abreast of pertinent news.
“TCA, much like our partners in government, remains committed to
the well-being of our members, our employees, and the trucking community
as a whole,” stated TCA President John Lyboldt.
In addition, TCA Chairman Dennis Dellinger shared words of inspiration
and encouragement with Association members in a letter dated March 19.
“Like health care workers and the producers of life-sustaining goods,
trucking is an essential service. This pandemic is unlike anything we’ve
encountered before. This time it’s different,” said Dellinger.
Dellinger encouraged TCA members to ask for help when needed –
even if that help is from a competitor – and to help ensure the health and
safety of their employees.
“In order to see our way through this challenging time, the nation
requires the trucking community to sacrifice and stretch ourselves,” he
continued. “We are facing a common enemy. … You’re the leader. It is
not dramatic to state that you are now a wartime leader.
“You are going to feel overwhelmed at times. Your people need you
more than ever,” Dellinger exhorted business leaders. “Being a calm
and decisive leader during these times, with honest feedback, is what
they need, and it’s what the industry needs. Be that leader.”
Opposite page: Megan Lyndberg thanks truckers during a free lunch giveaway Tuesday, March 31, 2020, at a rest area along I-10 in Sacaton, Arizona. The Arizona Trucking Association
gave away 500 lunches to truck drivers in appreciation for delivering medical supplies, food, and other necessities during the COVID-19 outbreak Above: Truck driver Camilo
Diaz of Miami wears a mask after parking his rig at the Flying J Truck Stop during the outbreak of the new coronavirus in mid-April, in Aurora, Colorado.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 13

ASLEEP
at the wheel
FMCSA can lead truck drivers
to CPAP therapy, but it can’t make them sleep
By Kris Rutherford
Rusty Traxler insisted he never felt sleepy when operating a vehicle.
“I never knew I had a big problem other than I’d stop [breathing]
for slight moments, and I snore — at least according to my wife,” said
Pennsylvania-based truck driver Traxler.
After a sleep study confirmed he had obstructive sleep apnea
(OSA), Traxler became a statistic. He was one of the 28% of truck drivers
diagnosed with OSA. His career soon became complicated.
“The issue has had me angry since they hit me with it,” said Traxler
of his experience with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s
sleep apnea guidelines. “I’ve been fighting to keep my CDL ever since.”
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), OSA is “a disorder
in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep.” Conditions
and symptoms of people with untreated OSA include anxiety,
high blood pressure, and depression, all of which are known to
increase the severity of OSA. The impact of a severe case of untreated
OSA on a driver is the equivalent of operating a vehicle at twice
the blood alcohol level considered legal in most states. Still, OSA is
treatable. In most cases, those with the condition use a continuous
positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to ensure productive sleep.
Following his sleep study, with CPAP in hand, Traxler visited
his physician, and he expected to receive clearance to drive. He
was wrong.
Traxler visited two physicians to obtain CPAP certification. The first
told him to provide evidence of CPAP compliance for 30 days. The
second asked for 60 days. Traxler eventually gained clearance, but
that was not the end of his ordeal. When he needed recertification, a
physician told him he needed a 90-day compliance record.
Traxler says the FMCSA guidelines related to OSA are subjective,
and different physicians can read the data and come to different
conclusions. He believes the guidelines force physicians to take a
cautious route for fear of being held liable in the event of an OSArelated
incident.
“I‘ve never slept more than five or six hours, with or without a
CPAP,” shared Traxler. “I didn’t need a $700 study to tell me that.”
AN INDUSTRY VETERAN’S VIEW
Cliff Abbott is a trucking industry veteran who has worked as a truck
driver, recruiting manager, and director of driver developments; he
has studied industry trends as a trucking-media veteran. Abbott has
had his fair share of experience with what he calls “arbitrary” DOT guidance
on OSA. He too believes the FMCSA guidance places too much of
a burden on physicians’ analysis of subjective data.
“The problem stems from the requirement that the physician not
only recognizes sleep apnea but is satisfied with its treatment and
control,” said Abbott. “Unfortunately, FMCSA guidance does not
define what ‘treated and controlled’ means.” Examiners often look
to physical characteristics such as neck size, body weight, and age
when estimating whether a driver has potential for OSA.
“While these may be indicators, they don’t prove anything,” said
Abbott, noting that plenty of drivers have all the indicators, but they
sleep fine without mechanical help. “There’s an overabundance of
caution,” he said.
FMCSA, DRIVERS, PHYSICIANS RECEIVE CRITICISM
“Examiners often ask for the latest printout from the driver’s CPAP
machine,” said Abbott. “Other times, they’ll request a report from the
driver’s primary physician based on the CPAP data.” FMCSA does not
stipulate a timeline for when a report should be deemed invalid.
Abbott has seen enough CPAP printouts to understand how 10
different doctors might interpret identical data in 10 different ways.
Opinions of abnormalities based on the number of incidents of waking,
gasping, and mask leakage differ among physicians, he said.
“Too many drivers are delayed or even denied medical certifications
based on a subjective process,” continued Abbott. Ultimately, drivers
are often required to pay for testing while unemployed and uninsured.
Abbott has concerns about FMCSA’s OSA guidelines, but he
says drivers share the blame. While all drivers are not cut from
the same cloth, “the driver population is notorious for noncompliance,”
he said. Lack of compliance requires physicians to be cautious,
he said. Compliant drivers are then unfairly subjected to
increased scrutiny.
FMCSA Spokesman Duane DeBruyne explained the federal-state
partnership in ensuring all drivers are medically sound to operate
a truck safely. “A CDL is a state-issued license,” he said. “The state is
certifying that the individual possesses the knowledge and skills to
operate a large commercial motor vehicle on public roadways.”
14 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

As for the medical card, DeBruyne said the determination remains
with the state. “When issuing a medical card, the examiner is certifying
the individual is medically qualified to operate a large commercial
vehicle. The medical examiner has an extremely high level of responsibility
to protect the welfare of not only the CDL holder but also every
person who travels on the nation’s public roadways.”
Physicians and sleep specialists contacted for comment on this
article were reluctant to be interviewed. However, in the FMCSA
2013 Expert Panel Report on Fatigue and Commercial Motorcoach/
Bus Driver Safety, the three panelists — including Washington State
University’s Dr. Greg Belenky, who is considered one of the nation’s
foremost authorities on truck driver sleep and fatigue — offered
comments on the issue of drowsy driving that supported those of
Traxler and Abbott.
As the study noted, “…it is not possible to regulate how much sleep
a person obtains. Nor is it possible to regulate when they sleep.” Likewise,
when discussing the impact of post-sleep alertness, the panel
noted the results of two previous studies with the comment, “Their
analysis could not link duration of nap sleep time with post-rest alertness;
the authors postulated this might be due to wide variations
among the individuals.”
In other words, you may be able to lead truck drivers to CPAP
machines, but you can’t make them sleep.
SITUATIONS, DRIVERS DIFFERENT
NSF states, “All people need between seven and nine hours of sleep
a night to feel well rested and function at their fullest.” The FMCSA
guidelines for compliance fall well short of the NSF benchmark. And
drivers like Traxler believe the claim that seven to nine hours applies
to “all people” proves it is misleading.
“Situations and drivers are different,” said Traxler. “To put a blanket
rule on everyone holding a CDL without concern for their unique
Lost
sleep
• About HALF of all U.S. adult drivers
admit to consistently getting behind the
wheel while feeling drowsy.
• About 20% admit to falling asleep behind
the wheel at some point in the past year.
• FEW drowsy drivers recognize their
level of drowsiness, especially when they
are already sleep-deprived.
Source: National Science Foundation
situations isn’t right. The main goal is to save lives, but it’s not right
to ruin other lives in the process.”
Traxler suggests FMCSA adopt an objective method of categorizing
drivers’ levels of OSA risk, with action based on those categories.
For Traxler, the entire OSA, CPAP, and federal certification issue
created one of the physical reactions to stress that sleep experts
claim can increase the impact of OSA.
“I wasn’t nearly as anxious before all of this,” he said.
For more information on sleep apnea and other sleep concerns,
visit sleepfoundation.org.
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TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 15

W i t h J o e B o n s a l l
Singer … and Author
The Oak Ridge Boys’
Joe Bonsall: Following his
parents’ road map to success
By Kris Rutherford
16 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

The Boys, pictured from left, are Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen,
William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban.
“One thing about truck drivers is that they never change.”
Those are the words of Joe Bonsall, one of four members
of The Oak Ridge Boys (ORB), a quartet approaching
a half-century atop the country music world. Over the
decades as they’ve toured America, the ORB have shared
untold highway miles with professional truck drivers.
“Truckers are the same people they’ve always been.
They have the same values. And every one you run into
is solid red, white, and blue.” Bonsall’s description of
truck drivers could just as easily apply to his own life.
The ORB are perhaps best known for their 1981 song
“Elvira.” Featuring Bonsall’s tenor voice contrasted with
Richard Sterban’s bass in the repeated solo, “giddy up
ba-oom papa oom papa mow mow,” “Elvira” was certified
platinum. For several years, the only other country
recording earning the same level of sales was “Islands
in the Stream,” sung by the late Kenny Rogers and Dolly
Parton.
“When we recorded ‘Elvira,’ all of a sudden we went from
being a big-name country act to a household name,” shared
Bonsall. “It was so powerful and so huge. We were on every
television show. We did ‘The Tonight Show’ 30 times. ‘Elvira’
was the number one country single from March until June
1981.”
Finding his way
Johnny Carson’s Los Angeles studio was a long road
from the Kensington area of Philadelphia where Bonsall
grew up with members of the “K & A Gang,” an organized
crime gang working throughout the East Coast beginning
in the 1950s.
“I actually knew some of those guys and some of the
young guys who wanted to grow up to be [in the K & A
Gang],” he said. “It was a tough neighborhood, but nothing
like what the area is today.”
“In my neighborhood, you stood a pretty good chance
every day of getting beat up or having to beat up somebody,”
said Bonsall. “Today, some of the buildings have
collapsed, and the drugs and hookers are present … it’s
really sad.” Bonsall says he learned a lot growing up on
the streets of a major American city. “I never, ever, ever,
want to go back there. But I’m glad I was there.” Based
on the experiences of his father four years before Joe
was born, he was lucky to have been anywhere.
As Bonsall wrote in G.I. Joe and Lillie: Remembering a
Life of Love and Loyalty, one of 10 books he’s authored,
Joe Sr. stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy as a 19-year
old Army private on D-Day. He beat the odds and survived
the initial invasion only to be seriously injured in
combat six weeks later. While hospitalized he met Lillie,
a Women’s Army Corps nurse. Three days later, the two
married, eventually settling in the neighborhood where
they raised a family with Lillie caring for her husband after
he suffered a disabling stroke at the age of just 35.
The loyalty, patriotism, and values Bonsall describes
in his tribute to his parents have guided his life for 72
years.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 17

ought to you by The trucker MEDIA FROUP
get your daily industry news at thetrucker.com
Joe Bonsall has
authored more
than 10 books,
sharing the
stories of the
Oak Ridge Boys’
experiences in
concert and
on tour.
Values: The red, white,
and blue and Jesus
Bonsall wasn’t particularly religious as a youngster, but an unplanned
trip to a live Southern Gospel quartet performance near his home had
a profound impact on his future. In fact, looking back on “Elvira,” the
song’s success allowed Bonsall to trade in his used Buick and buy a new
Cadillac — “black with red interior” — an upgrade indirectly highlighting
the day he was introduced to Southern Gospel.
“I only went to church off and on,” shared Bonsall. “But a lot of kids
were involved in a youth organization called ‘Christian Endeavor.’ They
were always trying to get me to do stuff, but I never wanted to bother
with them. They were ‘vanilla.’ They weren’t cool.”
As “vanilla” as the youth organization seemed, one member attracted
Bonsall, or rather, Bonsall was drawn to his car.
“This guy had a white ’61 Buick convertible,” said Bonsall. “It was just
incredible — white with red interior, a top-down. The guy said, ‘A bunch
of us are going out to the suburbs to hear a Southern Gospel quartet
sing.’ Well, I wanted to ride in the Buick.”
Bonsall hopped in the car. Being in the right place at the right time
led to his first “big-time live four-part harmony” experience. “It saved
my life,” he said. “I knew that was what I wanted to do.” Four-part harmony
may have attracted Bonsall to music, but it wasn’t long before the
lyrics’ meaning struck a chord.
“I went with these kids to a youth camp, accepted Christ into my
heart, and my whole life changed,” Bonsall said. “Instead of being a 10th
grade hoodlum, I had a Bible study club with 235 members. I was making
quartets out of every four guys.” He’s been following a similar road
ever since.
“Look at me,” he said. “I’m almost 72 years old. I’m sticking to it. So,
I guess I had an epiphany growing up, and I’m very thankful for it. If
I’d taken that left turn, who knows where I’d have ended up?” Still, success
in the music business followed a winding road. Soon after becoming
hooked on Southern Gospel music, he met another young quartet singer
who would become a major part of Bonsall’s life for what is now approaching
60 years.
Navigating a road to the top
Richard Sterban was a 20-year-old native of Camden, New Jersey,
across the Delaware River and a few miles south of Bonsall’s Philadelphia
neighborhood. Despite growing up so close to each other, Sterban and
Bonsall led much different lives.
“Richard really grew up in church,” shared Bonsall. “He was always
pretty strait-laced, and I met him when I was 15. He was singing bass
with a group called the Eastman Quartet.
“When I met Richard, he was working at Gimbel’s men’s store in
Northeast Philly,” said Bonsall. “I would go up there and follow him all
around and talk about gospel quartets and maybe buy a shirt from him.”
Over the next few years, Sterban sang with the Eastman and Keystone
Quartets, the latter based in Buffalo, New York. When Bonsall was 19,
the Keystones asked him to join the group.
“Richard and I sang together for six years before he joined The
Stamps [Quartet] and went on to sing with Elvis [Presley],” added Bonsall.
Bonsall then turned the Keystones into what he calls the “little Oak
Ridge Boys.”
“I hired a band, and we were singing about Jesus with a rock and roll
attitude,” he said. When the real Oak Ridge Boys called Bonsall to join
them in 1973, he brought that “edge” along with him.
18 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

Arriving, but not at his
final destination
“When I joined the Oaks, we were singing all gospel
music,” shared Bonsall. “But in the next year or so, a lot
of the people that ran gospel kind of turned on us.” It
seemed the ORB didn’t fall into Southern Gospel’s longheld
image of clean-cut quartets with short hair and
matching outfits.
“The Oaks were the coolest act in gospel,” he quipped.
“But we grew our hair long, we didn’t dress alike, and we
hired a whole band instead of just a piano player. We were
trying to advance in music the same time the gospel industry
was [carrying] on. The Oaks were ready to move
forward but gospel kept moving backward.”
Following “the gray years” as Bonsall calls the mid-
1970s, when the group feared it might starve to death, in
1977, they recorded the album many consider the group’s
crossover between gospel and country music, “Y’all Come
Back Saloon.” “We were on our way then,” said Bonsall.
“But before that, man, it was some tough sledding.”
Over the next three years, the ORB recorded five gold
albums and had a dozen No. 1 hits on the way to three
Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music
Awards. In 1980, the ORB went on a 90-city tour with the
late Kenny Rogers and Dottie West.
The view from the high seats
“Every seat sold out,” said Bonsall. “It was a big production
with a big stage in the middle of the arena. We
were the hottest young act in the business, and we just
tore it up.” At the tour’s end, the ORB recorded “Elvira.”
“Those days were just amazing times. They were the
type of heyday most acts would give their right arm for,”
shared Bonsall. The aftermath of “Elvira” is country music
history. That history includes many more hit records,
membership in the Grand Ole Opry, and induction into the
Country Music Hall of Fame. As for Bonsall, he is especially
proud of his status as a member of the Philadelphia Music
Hall of Fame.
Even as the ORB oldest members have reached the
age of 80, Bonsall says they have no intention of slowing
down. “We have 150 dates scheduled for 2020 (this
interview was conducted prior to the COVID-19 crisis),
and were setting up for 150 for 2021,” he said. And with
his wife Mary Ann, two daughters, two granddaughters,
a 350-acre farm, and a foundation dedicated to rescuing
cats, Bonsall continues to juggle it all. The long road he’s
traveled is only a bit shorter than it was when he joined
the ORB, but Bonsall can’t see it ending. And the road
continues to be filled with truck drivers, something Bonsall
doesn’t see changing.
Truck-driver talk
Bonsall admits at one time he truly feared a group of
truck drivers. “We pulled into this truck stop in Texas when
‘Y’all Come Back Saloon’ had just hit the charts,” he said.
“We were so excited to see our record in the jukebox we
sat at the counter and kept putting quarters in and playing
the song over and over. The truckers were looking at us
like we were a bunch of long-haired hippies,” he said. “It’s
a wonder we didn’t get hit with a tire iron.” Things have
changed since that early experience with truck drivers.
“We never stop at a truck stop, fuel up, and go,” he
shared. “We like to hang around, buy stuff, and fellowship
with the truckers. When they recognize us, truckers make
a big fuss.” In Bonsall’s mind, it’s the truck drivers who deserve
the attention.
“Truckers move our country,” he said. “These guys are
the backbone of the nation.” And, as Bonsall commented
at the outset of our interview, “Truckers never change.”
“Back when we traveled in one bus, we broke down
in New Mexico,” said Bonsall. “A group of truck drivers
took us to a place we could stay while the bus got fixed.
They’re like that everywhere. I’ve been seeing it for decades
and decades. Truck drivers today are the same as
they always have been.”
Bonsall doesn’t know what the future holds for the ORB
or himself. But considering the many miles the group has
put on multiple tour buses, he’s learned one thing about
the future — “That’s one of those things down the road.”
After nearly a
half century on
the road, the
Oak Ridge Boys
still perform 150
times a year to
packed venues.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 19

MAY/JUNE | TCA 2020
A Chat With The Chairman
Taking on
Responsibility
TCA Chairman Dennis Dellinger
outlines agenda for coming year
Foreword and Interview by Lyndon Finney
The chairman of the board plays an extremely important role for a nonprofit organization. At
the core of the chair’s duties, he or she generally presides over meetings of the board, collaborating
with the chief executive to create a purposeful agenda and to set priorities, and helping to
ensure sound and compliant governance of the organization. An effective chair goes beyond leading
the board at board meetings. While the chair’s role is often filled by a strategic thinker who is
equipped to follow through on ideas, an effective chair must also engage and facilitate participation
from each board member and make sure the ideas, and the decisions, are collective. Over
the years, the Truckload Carriers Association has been blessed to have had persons of character,
wisdom, and integrity to fill that role. This year, that responsibility falls to Dennis Dellinger. In
his first Chat With the Chairman, Dennis joins us to discuss issues facing the Association in the
coming year, talks about key issues facing the industry, and calls for continued involvement on
the part of TCA members.
20 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

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TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 21

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Congratulations on becoming chairman of the
Truckload Carriers Association. What does it
mean to you to be chairman?
First, let me say, I am very humbled, and equally, I
am very much honored. Ascending to the role of chairman
can best be described metaphorically as a journey,
and a great one at that! I have so many people to
be thankful for in my life, both personally and professionally,
that have prepared me to fill this role. I am
excited to continue to work with the staff and leadership
at the Truckload Carriers Association to progress
the agenda of this Association as it continues to remain
relevant in our industry.
In your acceptance speech at the recent
convention, you noted that you weren’t raised
a trucker nor born into this industry, but
rather you are a product of deregulation, much
like the company of which you are a part. Tell
members about Cargo Transporters and about
your career path that brought you to your
current position.
My point was never to distract from those who were
raised in the industry or were born to those great
families that began many of the companies past and
present. Instead, it was to give hope to the many that
are not family members in our industry that there is
a place for you if you persevere. Cargo Transporters
was formed in December 1982 by what was then a regional
truck rental and leasing company. It was intended
to complement the leasing operation while growing
and giving recognition to the locally owned company.
I joined the company in April 1986 as a driver
supervisor. At that time, we operated 36 trucks with
six additional trucks soon to follow. As the company
grew, I filled the roles of assistant general manager,
vice president of operations, vice president, and then
was named president in 2004. Most recently in 2019
the title of CEO was added to my president’s title. Today,
Cargo Transporters operates 520 trucks and 1,782
trailers out of three locations in North Carolina servicing
the 48 contiguous states.
What is going to be your focus as chairman?
I issued a call as the incoming chairman that the
collective group, referring to our membership, become
involved. I want our members to pride themselves
in being part of something bigger and better. This is
nothing new, but merely echoing past TCA leadership’s
calls for involvement. I will continue to promote the
platforms of advocacy, education, and image. TCA will
thrive through membership involvement and excel by
providing the setting for members to learn from one
another. And finally, TCA will succeed by speaking in a
unified voice. There is strength in numbers and truth in
knowing the more people we gather toward one general
cause, the better we will be in the end.
22 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

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As you become chairman, what is your message to
tcA members who are not actively involved in TCA
conventions and programs?
I was guilty myself, years ago, of not being fully engaged.
I was involved in benchmarking and attended
the annual meetings, but still noncommittal when it
came to committee meetings and those meetings outside
of the general sessions. Barry Pottle introduced
TCA to Wreaths Across America, which got my attention.
I then got involved in TCA’s Communications and
Image Policy Committee meetings, and things progressed
from there. So, I challenge those who are not
active to find something that appeals to them or their
respective company whether it’s advocacy, education,
or image.
You became chairman at a time when the
nation and the world were - and likely still
will be - dealing with COVID-19. With Americans
told to shelter in place, the trucking industry
has stepped up to the plate and has played a
key role in keeping Americans stocked with
food and other items necessary to stay at home
during the crisis. Talk about the performance
of the industry during this crisis.
Time and again, our industry has proven that it can
and will rise to the challenge. In times of crisis, whether
it is a natural disaster or national pandemic, the
drivers of this industry are proving themselves to be
more than willing to participate in getting this country
back on its feet and resupplying our nation. The recent
acknowledgement that our industry be designated
as “essential” by the Department of Homeland Security
has demonstrated that the efforts of our industry
are not going unnoticed, and the recognition that the
professional truck driver is getting today is richly deserved.
I am honored to be serving in this industry.
24 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

Outside of COVID-19, what are the key issues
facing trucking in 2020 and what are the
obstacles to having those issues come out
in favor of the truckload industry?
This industry is continually confronted with issues
that are seemingly ongoing, but there are certainly
a few that stand out, outside of COVID-19,
that could be very pressing in the second half of the
year. Highway reauthorization comes to mind, first
and foremost, as the FAST Act is set to expire in
September. Many have taken an opportunistic viewpoint
when it comes to reauthorization by recognizing
that it can be more than just a highway-funding
mechanism. It presents itself as a larger legislative
vehicle to attach other pieces of legislation to, such
as truck parking, alternative drug-testing measures
like hair testing, and even promoting transportation
as a profession. This can also all be contingent on
timing. As our nation climbs back from COVID-19,
we will be in the midst of a presidential election. Reauthorization
may have to wait until after the election,
when the matter of highway funding and its
corresponding issues can finally be resolved.
Following up on the hours-of-service (HOS)
issue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration has sent the proposed HOS
rule to the Office of Management and
Budget for approval. Why is it important
for this rule to be finalized and put in
place as quickly as possible?
As an industry, we have adopted ELD technology
to improve our compliance with the hours-ofservice
regulations. With that being said, it would
be beneficial to review the data that these devices
generate and adjust HOS accordingly. We
thrive on being flexible, and the data is showing
that there are pockets of our supply chain that
impede the free flow of goods that have led to
large amounts of detention time for our drivers.
It is important that we view any revisions to the
HOS rule as an opportunity to make our industry
more efficient and make full use of the hours that
the regulations entitle our drivers to, not in the
manner of providing drivers with more hours to
drive, but rather to make better use of the hours
we are given.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 25

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How would you summarize TCA’s 2020
convention?
How do you sum up an event composed of likeminded
industry professionals dedicated to making
the truckload environment a better place to work, a
more efficient means of transportation, and one that
is devoted to delivering freight in the safest possible
manner? That is Truckload 2020: Orlando, and that
is the premise on which our membership is based.
There was engaging communication among members
that will improve every aspect of a truckload
operation. It was gratifying to know that the people
that I saw in attendance are those who are dedicated
to doing the same thing for their fleet that I
am for mine. The success of this year’s event allows
our members to take full advantage of the other
programs that the association produces to the point
where you will inquire with next year’s chairman
about the success of Truckload 2021: Nashville.
What excites you most about the year ahead?
Dennis and his wife Sherel at the TCA convention
Share with the members your thoughts on
other key issues.
I spoke earlier of alternative methods of drug testing,
in other words, allowing carriers the ability to
incorporate hair testing into DOT’s drug testing protocols.
For one reason or another, this guidance has
been held up in the regulatory pipeline, but carriers
that are using it are seeing tremendous results. As
an industry that has adopted a zero-tolerance policy
and has embraced the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse,
we should be advocating for the opportunity
to include as much information as possible to that
clearinghouse. That alone would allow for carriers
who use this method to record those positive results
and provide every other carrier access those results
if a driver happens to seek employment with them.
When Truckload 2020: Orlando began in late February,
COVID-19 was a word that had been in the
news but still did not dominate conversations in social
or work environments. So much has changed, and so
much will change as a result of the virus. Events that
rock our nation, or the world for that matter, bring
people closer together and bring out the best in humanity.
Our industry, and especially our drivers, have
finally been recognized during this crisis for the role
they have always played supporting our great nation.
They have been humbled as they have been praised.
I hear many of them saying, “I’m doing what I always
do every day and have done before the virus.” We
must capitalize on this and share with the general
public that these are some of the finest people out
there because they are humble, patriotic, and proud
men and women. This is a time to promote the positive
image of trucking. As I mentioned earlier, I am
very excited to be a part of this industry.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, we’ve talked mostly
about trucking in our chat. What rounds out
your life other than trucking?
In simple words, I would have to say family,
friends, faith, and fellowship. I was raised in a large
family with six siblings and enjoy being around people.
I dearly love my family and friends, cherishing
the time I get to spend with them. I was taught at
an early age to be accepting and inclusive of people
regardless of physical or social differences. My faith
gives me strength as I navigate through the good
and the difficult times. And, I know it is only with
a full measure of wisdom that I can effectively lead
TCA in the months to follow.
26 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

TCA Chairman Dennis Dellinger
calls on members to be involved
By Lyndon Finney
If you were to ask the Truckload Carriers Association’s
2020-21 Chairman Dennis Dellinger to share the platform for
his 2020-21 chairmanship, it would not take him long to tell
you what it is: Involvement.
“Any member of an association, and especially its incoming
chairman, should want the collective group to be involved,” he
said during his acceptance speech at Truckload 2020: Orlando in
March. “You want members to pride themselves in being a part
of something bigger and better, and you recognize that a lack of
involvement most likely leads to a general lack of awareness. I
echo the platforms of past TCA leadership in that we must get
more people involved in the efforts of this Association to be able
to effectively demonstrate the real size and scope that is the
truckload segment of our industry.”
In his speech, Dellinger, who is president and CEO of Cargo
Transporters in Claremont, North Carolina, shared that he is a
product of deregulation, having joined the company in 1986 as
a driver supervisor. He credits getting involved in TCA as a catalyst
to his professional achievements.
“I had two excellent mentors who believed in me, giving me
the confidence to explore, learn, and grow,” he said. “I used
that confidence to build upon and further my experience at the
company where I have filled a number of positions, providing
me with tremendous in-depth knowledge of the working mechanics
within Cargo Transporters. And from my growing network
of peers and contacts with whom I have interacted over
the years, I have come to gain outside fleet-management viewpoints
that have been applicable to our company as well. Today
I refer to those peers graciously as friends.”
During his trucking career, Dellinger said he has been involved
in and exposed to every kind of information-gathering
opportunity available to him.
He currently represents the North Carolina Trucking Association,
where he serves on the board of directors and is a past chairman.
He also serves on the board of directors and is the chair of the
Safety Policy Committee at the American Trucking Associations and
serves on the Advisory Committee for The Trucking Alliance.
“In other words, when it comes to this industry, my one key
piece of advice I give each of you is to get involved and get others
involved. I know there are some here today that are tired of
hearing me say ‘You can’t affect change if you don’t have a seat
at the table.’”
Looking back, Dellinger said that for many years he attended
the annual convention but was never was engaged.
He finally got involved with TCA because of the Association’s
image programs.
“I stand before you now knowing that my involvement at
TCA has grown from simply an image-centric platform to one in
which my entire company has benefitted just for being a part of
an Association whose sole purpose is to provide our truckload
segment an opportunity to thrive in this vast trucking industry,”
he said.
“You want members to pride themselves in being a part of
something bigger and better, and you recognize that a lack of
involvement most likely leads to a general lack of awareness,”
he told delegates. “I echo the platforms of past TCA leadership
in that we must get more people involved in the efforts of this
Truckload Carriers Association’s 2020-21 Chairman Dennis Dellinger is a product of
deregulation, having joined his company in 1986 as a driver supervisor. He credits getting
involved in TCA as a catalyst to his professional achievements.
Association to be able to effectively demonstrate the real size
and scope that is the truckload segment of our industry.”
Dellinger implored TCA members to stand behind the Association’s
shield and focus on the opportunities for growth that
the organization can provide.
He urged members to stay in touch with the TCA staff, which
he said would always focus on the needs of the membership.
“We are putting education at the center of our premise, helping
to create a carrier more in tune with solutions to real-time
problems,” he said. “Effective advocacy must be based on the
foundation that our membership is educated and aligned with the
realities that transpire on the roadways and in our operations. I
have experienced it firsthand, comparing what I learned through
TCA years ago to what is available now. The webinars and certificate
programs are light-years from where they once were and
now provide carriers an educational opportunity to focus on business
improvements. This reflects the imperative that if you have
not kept up with the times, then you are falling behind.”
If they had been keeping count, Dellinger said, the delegates
would have noticed he mentioned involvement 14 times during
his address.
“Associations thrive through membership involvement, they
excel by providing the setting for members to learn from one
another, and they succeed by speaking in a unified voice,” he
said. “I have been involved, I have participated, and I have
embraced the programs which have made our industry safer,
helped our businesses grow, and allowed our voices to be heard.
The endgame is real, the drive is purposeful, and I encourage
each and every person in this room to not only get more involved,
but also to insist that others do the same.
“Get involved in advocacy, education, and/or image. You
don’t have to drink from a fire hose, but chose something that
appeals to you or your company.”
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 27

MAY/JUNE | TCA 2020
Talking TCA
C
ompany Driver
OF THE YEAR
Career for a lifetime: Veteran driver Don Lewis
discovered love of trucking at early age
By Linda Garner-Bunch
As a boy growing up on a small family farm outside Neosho,
Missouri, in the 1960s, Don Lewis was no stranger to trucks
and heavy machinery; hauling hay was all in a day’s work,
and driving a truck was not considered an “adventure.”
That all changed when, as a teenager, Lewis struck up a friendship
with a neighbor — who just happened to be a truck driver.
“He had a Peterbilt, and it was big and shiny red,” remembers Lewis,
now 70. “If he was home on the weekends, after I finished my chores,
I’d go down there and help him polish it. I was always asking him
questions: ‘What’s this do?’ or ‘How many gears has this got in it?’”
One day that neighbor invited Lewis, then 16, to ride along on a
three-day run.
“I said, ‘Oh yeah, man. I want to go. You betcha!’” chuckled Lewis.
That adventure was the first of several, he said, adding that when
he was 17 the neighbor began to teach him to actually drive the rig.
“That sealed the deal,” he remarked. “I said, ‘I’ve got to do this.
When I get out of school, this is what I want to do.’”
Long before he was eligible to earn what was then called a
“chauffeur’s license,” Lewis grasped every chance to drive that came
his way; then at age 22 he landed his first job as a professional truck
driver. Since that time Lewis has logged nearly 6 million accidentfree
miles (5.7 million, to be exact).
“A lot of it is by the grace of God and luck,” shared Lewis. “Every
morning when I get up, before I ever turn the key to start the truck,
I ask the Lord to watch over me and my family and help me make
good decisions. And I keep my head on a swivel all day long. You’ve
got to know what’s going on around you.”
During his nearly 50 years of driving, Lewis has worked as both an
owner-operator and a company driver, as well as a certified driver
instructor and trainer.
“I always made it real simple,” Lewis said of his approach to training
up-and-coming drivers. “I’d say, ‘You see that line there on the right?’ and
they’d say, ‘Yeah.’ ‘You see that line in the center?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Well, you keep
this truck between them, because if you put my feet in the grass, you’re
walking home,’ I’d tell them.”
Lewis met his wife of 28 years, Dianna, while working as a driver
instructor at Crowder College in Neosho. “She was one of my students,”
he said, adding that the couple drove as a team until an injury made it
difficult for Dianna to climb in and out of the cab.
For the past 19 years Lewis has been an over-the-road driver for Wilson
Logistics in Springfield, Missouri, where he has earned a reputation for
being safe, dependable, and professional, as well as simply “a great guy,”
according to co-workers.
“The simplest word to summarize who Don is as a professional
driver and his career is ‘remarkable.’ Don’s personality, professionalism,
and commitment to safety are to be remarked upon as a true
professional company driver,” said Wilson Logistics President and CEO
Darrel Wilson.
“Don is what I call the ‘quintessential truck driver,’” added the
company’s Vice President of Safety and Training Scott Manthey. “When
Don Lewis
you think about truck drivers years ago, when they were considered the
‘heroes of the highway’ — that’s Don.
“I’ve only known Don for three years, but he’s a standout guy,”
continued Manthey. “He does his job and he does it well. He comes in
and he’s the guy that, even if it’s a crummy day out, he’s got a smile on
his face. He’ll give you the shirt off his back, even if he’s cold. He’ll help
anybody out.”
In addition to earning numerous awards over the years, Lewis was
nominated by Wilson Logistics for TCA’s Company Driver of the Year
in 2017, 2018, and 2019. During the Association’s 2020 convention in
March, Lewis was awarded the coveted title of Company Driver of the
Year for 2019.
“I’m very honored. It’s a very humbling experience,” said Lewis, adding
that even though he had carefully written a two-minute speech in case
he was selected for the honor, the message he delivered during the
closing banquet at convention was probably “the shortest acceptance
speech that they have ever heard.”
After thanking TCA, contest sponsors Love’s Travel Stops and
Cummins, as well as Wilson Logistics, Lewis said, “I thanked my wife for
standing there beside me — not behind me, but beside me — all those
years, and I just got misty-eyed and couldn’t see anything on that paper.
So I thanked everybody again and told them to have a good night; then
I turned around and looked at Darrel (Wilson) and I said, ‘Let’s go.’ And
we walked off stage.”
In addition to an engraved plaque, Lewis received a check for $25,000
in honor of his achievement.
“I was looking at that plaque and thinking, ‘All right! This is going to
really look good on the wall,’” he said. “I never even thought about the
check until they brought it around to the table. I forgot all about the
money!”
The bulk of that check is resting in the bank, though Lewis said
the couple have used some of the money for “a couple of things that
have come up.”
“Basically I’ll leave spending it to my wife, because there’s really
not anything that either one of us wants or needs,” he laughed.
Reflecting on his decades as a driver, Lewis said he “wouldn’t
change a thing.”
“I’ve had a wonderful career. This industry’s been very good to
me,” he said. “I’ve seen just about every inch of this country, from top
to bottom and side to side, and just about all of Canada, too. I have
thoroughly enjoyed it. I still enjoy it; that’s why I’m still doing it.”
While Lewis enjoys relaxing — hunting, fishing and golfing are
among his favorite pastimes, along with camping trips with his wife,
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — he said he does
not plan to retire in the near future.
“Actually, I have tried to retire, I guess about three times, and the
longest it lasted was three months,” he said. “I still love what I’m
doing. As long as I can pass my physical and I’m healthy and they’ll
let me drive, I’m going to continue doing it.”
28 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

O wner-operator
By Wendy Miller
OF THE YEAR
‘The truck comes first’: Kevin Kocmich
finds success through tedious planning
Kevin Kocmich and his wife, Joy, might take a vacation. With
a $25,000 check in his pocket, the two could afford a little
time off. But like many other self-employment opportunities,
working as an owner-operator means running a small
business — and the business’s finances and stability come first.
“We want to make a trip to Alaska,” said Kevin, noting that he and
his wife have driven there in the truck for work. “Joy wants to make a
trip up there for a vacation. That might be in the plan for next year. It
won’t be this year, but I want to go on a couple weeks’ vacation like
that. I want to go on a vacation and enjoy it.”
Kevin, who is leased to Diamond Transportation System, Inc.,
didn’t just stumble upon $25,000; he earned it as the 2019 grand
prize winner of the Owner Operator of the Year contest presented
by the Truckload Carriers Association and sponsored by Love’s Travel
Stops and Cummins. As a requirement of the contest, Kevin had to
submit his tax returns for the past couple of years and a business
plan, among other things, in order to be considered.
Kevin said that part was pretty easy since his business plan and
budget haven’t changed since he began his career. He has always
budgeted for a new truck every few years and allowed plenty of
money for repairs and equipment. Keeping his finances in order is
one of the essential pieces of being a successful owner-operator,
according to Kevin.
“If you want to make more money as an owner-operator, you have
to run your business as a business,” he said. “We’ve never overspent.
The truck comes first. That is what makes us our money. The truck is
in the budget, and it hasn’t changed for years. We’ve never gotten
into a bind, but I watch the future.”
Kevin, who has driven a truck for more than 30 years, was a
company driver for a while before buying his own truck. Since taking
that step, the truck has been his main financial focus, and he has
built a business in a pretty specific area of the industry — oversized,
heavy loads. Kevin said he can haul up to 92,000 pounds with special
permits in some states.
With a gooseneck trailer of his own used for hauling everything
from military machinery to a 40-foot Christmas tree headed for
the Alamo, the duo spends most of the year on the road. Although
Joy doesn’t drive the truck, she keeps the business in order by
monitoring the load board, watching for loads that make the most
sense for the couple.
“She does everything else [other than drive],” he shared. “She puts
the flags and signs on, and she prints my permits and paperwork.
She will keep her laptop in front of her, watching the load board.
She calls for directions and talks to brokers for information about
the loads.”
The freedom to make decisions is another thing Kevin said he
enjoys about being an owner-operator, adding that it also helps to
be leased to a company that keeps the best interest of its drivers
in mind, which is a quality he found in Diamond Transportation
System, Inc.
Kevin Kocmich and his wife, Joy
“We are able to run our business as we see fit,” shared Kevin. “They
work hard for us. They try to get the best rates for us, and if we don’t
want to go someplace they’ll offer it to the next guy. They don’t force
anything on us. They take care of us. They’re all good in my book.”
With 3.7 million accident-free miles, he has an impeccable safety
record, which is another consideration for the Driver of the Year
contest. How does he manage to remain safe on the highway when
running between 100,000 and 150,000 miles a year? He simply looks
ahead and makes plans, just as he does with his finances.
“Kevin is always safe and courteous on the road. He takes the
extra time to secure his loads properly, recheck the points of
contact, and properly measures and scales his loads,” said Diamond
Transportation System, Inc. President Jon Coca. “Not only is he both
safe and provides the best service, he’s a great representative. We
truly wish we could have 100 owner-operators just like Kevin.”
Kevin said that the thorough evaluation of an owner-operator’s
performance as well as his or her emphasis on safety and financial
stability is what makes this award so special to him. Admittedly,
he shared that he’s typically the “one at the back of the room” who
doesn’t seek attention, but when he was nominated for the contest,
he was excited and honored to even be considered.
“I’m pretty proud and honored to win this award,” said Kevin. “They
looked at pretty much your whole life, so it is a pretty big award. It
really covers everything. There are good truck drivers out here, and
we are doing the best we can. It is a very hard industry, and we give
up a lot. An award like this is good to get out there and show the
public, as much as possible, that the industry is working hard. It is
good to recognize the people that work hard at this.”
Outside of the truck, the Kocmichs have been involved in the
Trucker Buddy International program for nearly 15 years. The
program pairs elementary-school teachers with truck drivers that
can serve as pen pals to students in the classroom.
Kevin said technology makes it even easier to keep in touch with
the students through email. They send photos of the places they
travel and enjoy showing the students the world through their
truck’s windshield. Whether it is exploring a new part of the country
or learning about a piece of equipment he is hauling, Kevin said he
enjoys contributing to an educational environment.
Throughout the interview, there’s no doubt he takes great pride in
his job and even though it isn’t easy, Kevin will never regret getting
into one of “the most important industries.”
“It makes me proud that we are moving all of the freight for
everybody else’s needs,” said Kevin. “Whether you are an owneroperator
or a company driver, you are going to get out of this what
you put into it. I think that is what has kept me in the business. I’ve
never fallen behind on anything. It has been an adventure.”
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 29

Those
Who Deliver
with Knight Transportation
PROFILE
Dave Jackson honoring Joseph
Philpot on Philpot’s 4 Million
Mile accomplishment with
Knight Transportation.
By Lyndon Finney
If professional truck drivers are called — and well they should
be — “Knights of the Highway,” then there is a transportation
company in Arizona that should be a knight among carriers.
We’re referring to Knight Transportation of Phoenix, a carrier
with an interesting history and impeccable reputation.
Knight Transportation is now part of Knight-Swift Transportation
Holdings — the nation’s fifth largest transportation
company — thanks to a 2017 merger that brought together
two of the titans of the trucking industry, both headquartered
in Phoenix. Ironically, both carriers are an integral part of each
other’s history.
Right out of high school, Knight Transportation founder
Kevin Knight went to work for Jerry Moyes and Moyes’
father, Carl at Swift Transportation,
which opened for business in 1966.
By 1990, Knight was executive vice president
of Swift and president of Cooper Motor Lines, a division
of Swift.
His brothers, Gary and Keith, and cousin, Randy, were also
a part of Swift.
Also in 1990, Swift was getting ready to go public, so the
Knights decided to venture out on their own and start Knight
Transportation.
Three of the four are still part of Knight Transportation.
Kevin is executive chairman of Knight-Swift Transportation
Holdings and continues a lifelong dream of being in a
leadership role at Knight.
“I probably won’t walk out of this (office) building,” he said
in a 2006 interview.
The other Knights remain involved, too.
Gary is vice chairman and Keith remains engaged full time
in various aspects of the company.
The current CEO of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings
30 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020
30 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

is Dave Jackson, who like Kevin Knight, joined the trucking
industry after completing his education.
He started with Knight Transportation 20 years ago.
“I was less attracted to trucking and more attracted to the
culture at Knight,” shared Jackson.
Jackson was born and raised in Phoenix and had heard
different things about the company over the years, and as a
result of an acquaintance with one of the Knights, he found
himself choosing Knight Transportation as a subject of research
in his finance classes at Arizona State University,
studying the carrier’s financial statements and SEC filings.
What Jackson found was a company with good financial
returns and a good growth trajectory.
“I thought ‘Wow, this is an up-and-coming company, one
that cares about its drivers and employees,’” he said.
His intention was to work at Knight for a couple of years,
learning the trucking business, and then going to graduate
school. But his love for Knight kept him there, where he said
he’s been given opportunities far beyond what he could have
expected.
“I’m still learning,” he said.
Jackson became CFO in 2004 and was named president
and CEO of Knight Transportation in 2015, two years prior to
the merger. Now he holds the title of president and CEO of
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, leading both Knight
Transportation and Swift Transportation.
Even though he’s years beyond studying Knight Transportation
while at ASU, he hasn’t stopped learning.
“I love to study this industry,” said Jackson. “It’s such a
complex, competitive, fragmented industry, and it comes with
so many challenges. But if you can understand the competition
and understand how you have your company positioned,
you have an advantage.”
During the merger talks, the two carriers decided to maintain
their respective current branding.
“The drivers chose that brand to begin with for a reason,”
he said.
If the carriers had merged the brands and come up with
a new name, Jackson said they would have run the risk of
alienating drivers, who might then choose to leave.
“We wanted to minimize the disruption our driving associates
would experience, so we felt it best to run the two brands
independently,” he shared.
Behind the scenes, the merger provided the opportunity to
leverage economies of scale when it comes to things such as
equipment, technology and accounting.
Jackson was quick to respond when asked about what he
enjoyed the most about leading Knight Transportation.
“It’s the people. We just have the most unbelievable people,
day in and day out,” he said.
“They come in trying to give their best and do so in an
unselfish way. At Knight, they don’t sit around the table with
“
—
I was less attracted to trucking
and more attracted to the
culture at Knight.”
Dave Jackson,
CEO of Knight Transportation
personal agendas. They’ve developed a passion for eliminating
waste and for becoming very efficient, and do so in
a manner that teaches other people in a way that empowers
them. It’s very fulfilling to see the way our people work despite
the tedious nature of the ever-changing trucking industry.
It’s very fulfilling.”
Knight’s culture is also one of autonomy based on open
communication.
“We very much believe in empowerment. We are a decentralized
business where each of our terminals have their own
profit and loss statements,” he said. “It’s not about the terminals
supporting corporate. Instead, they receive a lot support
from us. We want them to be successful.”
Jackson wants to make sure the company’s culture is felt
among drivers.
“We’re hiring all over the place, and I get to meet the ones
who come through Phoenix,” said Jackson. “I’ll always ask
the question, ‘Have you had a chance to feel the culture and
what we as a company are all about?’ They usually nod their
heads in the affirmative.”
Knight’s turnover rate is in the upper 50% range, about half
the average for large carriers in 2019.
Jackson shared that he has been particularly proud of drivers
during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has potentially
placed professional truck drivers in harm’s way.
“Our drivers have totally stepped up,” he said. “And, we’ve
been fortunate that there have been loads to haul.”
In return, the company has taken steps to make sure drivers
have access to the necessities of life during the crisis in the
form of 80 truckloads of provisions that have been dispatched
to 23 terminals. The company is also providing additional compensation
for drivers who stay productive in these times.
Assessing Knight Transportation’s overall success, there
is no doubt that the company has followed the advice set
forth by Kevin Knight in that 2006 interview.
“When I retire, I would want to make sure that our people
were still committed and understood the importance of being
hardworking and were committed to learn and grow,” he said
“Don’t forget where you came from, and don’t ever think you
are as great as other people are telling you. Because if you do
quit learning, you’ll quit changing; you’ll quit adapting, and I
think that’s the key to our success.”
Then and now.
Dave Jackson became president
and CEO of Knight Transportation
in 2015.
Listening, learning, delivering … Communication
is key at Knight Transportation.
KNIGHTS OF THE HIGHWAY
Dave Jackson honors military veterans
by presenting Knight’s very
first Fleet of Heroes truck to Navy
veteran Chris McCarroll.
Executive Leadership
Dave Jackson, President and CEO
Adam Miller, Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Knight, Executive Chairman
Gary Knight, Executive Vice Chairman
Todd Carlson, General Counsel
• 18,877 Tractors
• 58,315 Trailers
• 23,800 Employees
• Revenue (2019): $1,196,810,000
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 31

SHOWING UP
Cal Ripken Jr. shares the importance of
dedication, perseverance, and dependability
By Wendy Miller
Much like baseball, trucking is a team
sport: Everyone has a position, and each
position is valuable. From the professional
truck drivers on the ground to the executives at
the top, there are a few qualities that each member
of the organization must possess — dedication,
perseverance, and commitment.
Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Famer
Cal Ripken Jr. knows a thing or two about those
qualities. An unforgettable shortstop for the Baltimore
Orioles, Ripken made history not only with
his exceptional abilities at the position, but also
with an unprecedented dedication to the game —
2,632 of those games to be exact.
Ripken shared his story of dedication and perseverance
to more than 1,200 attendees during the
Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention
— Truckload 2020: Orlando. He stressed that
the importance of “showing up” cannot be taken
for granted. Doing just that — showing up — is
what led him to make history.
On September 5, 1995, Ripken broke the MLB
record for the longest stretch of consecutive games
played by any player in MLB history. This accomplishment,
which earned him the nickname
of baseball’s “Iron Man,” gave dedicated Oriole
fans something to be proud of during some of the
darker times in the team’s history.
Time can fly by just as fast as a baseball, and
Ripken recognizes that as he approaches the 25th anniversary
of setting that record. As he reflects on the
record he still holds and celebrates the “milestone of
a milestone,” Ripken still credits much of his success
to resiliency and dedication.
“Well, I think when you’re finished playing, all
you have is time to sit back and remember,”
said Ripken. “The good part about that
is that most people remember all
the good stuff. They don’t
remember any of the
bad stuff. The ‘Iron
Man’ record
was really
something because I was resilient enough to go out
there and play. Mentally I was strong enough to meet
the challenges every day, so I’m very proud of that.”
Ripken said that celebrating his streak of games
has shown him that everyone — no matter the industry
— has a streak of which they are proud.
Whether it’s going to work and never using a sick
day, or having perfect attendance in school, dedication,
perseverance, and simply showing up are
valuable assets.
Bringing his point home to the attendees, Ripken
said he has had several truck drivers relate their
dedication on the road to that of Ripken’s on the
field.
“Everybody would tell me their streaks, and so
many times there were truckers that said, ‘I’m on
the road, like you are as a baseball player. We have
challenges, like you do as a baseball player,’” said
Ripken. “It’s important for us to meet those challenges
each and every day, and that’s the principle
that I love. There’s value in showing up. And there
were many different truckers that had the same
sort of attitude and approach that we baseball
players have.”
Ripken said those challenges include being
away from home, juggling schedules, and
meeting deadlines, all of which can be a lot to
32 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

“
Everybody would tell
me their streaks, and
so many times there
were truckers that said,
‘I’m on the road, like
you are as a baseball
player. We have
challenges, like you do
as a baseball player.’”
— Cal Ripken Jr., Baseball’s “Iron Man”
and legendary shortstop
handle whether playing baseball, driving a truck, or
running a business.
“The principle of showing up and [having a good]
work ethic is right there with all the truckers, and
with America in many ways,” added Ripken. “I
enjoy hearing those stories.”
Ripken said he has a few friends who went into the
trucking industry after baseball, which reiterates his
belief that dedication, perseverance, and showing up
continue to translate from baseball to our industry.
In any career, Ripken said, it boils down to having
the right mentality to get the job done — no matter
what the job is.
“It’s the grinding-out mentality. It’s the stubbornness,
sometimes,” shared Ripken. “It’s the standing
up for what you believe in, and sometimes doing
things that aren’t expected of you.”
Ripken said his mentality hasn’t necessarily
changed as he looks forward to celebrating the 25th
anniversary of the night he broke Lou Gehrig’s
consecutive-games record, noting that any time one
has the opportunity to celebrate 25 years after any
event, it’s a special feeling.
At the end of the day, though, what matters most
to Ripken is that those around him could always
count on him to be there and to have a winning
attitude.
“It made me feel really good that you could be
counted on each and every day by your teammates,”
Ripken shared with Truckload 2020: Orlando
attendees. “I think that’s a principle and value that
all of us should hold on to. And I know that we count
on the trucking industry; many people count on
the trucking industry. And … you don’t want to let
anyone down. It’s the ‘You can rely on me; you can
count on me’ mentality.”
Opposite page: Cal Ripken Jr. took the stage during Monday morning’s general session at Truckload 2020: Orlando Above: Ripken shared
stories of the baseball field, discussing everything from the Baltimore Orioles’ losing season in 1988 to personal perseverance to break the mostconsecutive-games
record.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 33

‘An amazing moment in time’
Team drivers rescue motorist from burning car in 36 minutes
and earn 2019 Highway Angels of the Year Award
By Wendy Miller
Most truck drivers spend the better part of the year over
the road. In the overall calculations of the total minutes
on the road, 36 minutes doesn’t seem very significant.
For Hirschbach Motor Lines, Inc., drivers Ed and Tracy
Zimmerman — and one very lucky motorist — on a late spring
morning along a West Virginia interstate, it only took 36 minutes for
several lives to be changed and one to be saved.
The Zimmermans, a driver team and married couple from
Kenesaw, Nebraska, wouldn’t normally have been in West Virginia
that day in May 2019, the couple said, noting that the route is one
of the less traveled for them. Ed was sleeping as Tracy took her turn
at the wheel. While traveling on Interstate 77 near Beckley, West
Virginia, the couple arrived on the scene of a fiery crash.
Acting swiftly, Tracy stopped the truck, as another motorist who
had stopped to help, approached the window, telling them that a
man was stuck in the burning car. Tracy woke Ed and they sprang
into action, grabbing their fire extinguisher and heading toward the
car without a second thought.
“When that man said that (someone) was still trapped in the
burning vehicle, I’m like, ‘We gotta get him out,’” said Ed. “I don’t
know how yet. I haven’t seen it yet, but we gotta get him out.”
The Zimmermans, with the help of the other motorist who had
stopped to assist, were able to pry the car door open with a crowbar
and pull the man from the driver’s seat. Then, the driver revealed
that he had a firearm and ammunition in the car.
“We all just kind of looked at each other like, ‘We gotta move, and
now,’” explained Ed.
By this time, the small fire extinguisher from the Zimmermans’
truck had been exhausted — and it would likely never have
completed the job anyway. They grabbed the driver by the
waistband of his pants and pulled him 25 feet or so farther from the
car, just as a turnpike courtesy vehicle arrived and parked between
the burning vehicle and the group.
“[The courtesy officer] got out of the car and within just minutes,
even seconds, you hear the ammunition popping off, and then you
hear this big sizzle and a hiss,” shared Tracy. “And then the explosion,
as the car went flying in the air.”
Tracy said shortly thereafter the first responders arrived on the
scene and treated the driver’s minor injuries, carried him to the
hospital, put out the fire, and cleared the road. The Zimmermans’
work was done, and they climbed back into the truck and got back
on the road. When Tracy had parked the truck, she never changed
her ELD status. The clock had been running and showed that the
incident had only taken 36 minutes.
“I looked at that and I’m like, ‘36 minutes?’ It felt like we’d been
there for two hours at least,” said Tracy. “We just went into this weird
standstill and 36 minutes changed our lives, changed that man’s
34 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

life; and we saved not just him, but we saved his whole family.”
The Zimmermans later found that the police report said the man
had fallen asleep at the wheel after working a late shift. He was
headed to see his daughter for her birthday.
“So, we saved not just him; we saved his entire family that day
because it really could have changed the course of their family,”
added Tracy. “That was just an amazing moment in time.”
Shortly thereafter, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) heard
of the couple’s heroic deed and recognized them as Highway
Angels, which is not something the couple expected. They wore the
designation as a badge of honor and proudly displayed the sticker on
their truck.
The Highway Angel program, now in its 23rd year, recognizes
professional truck drivers who have selflessly helped others while on
the job. From each year’s Angels, one is selected as Highway Angel of
the Year, also known as EpicAngels, by TCA and its partner EpicVue.
For 2019, 38 Angels were recognized, and the Zimmermans were
selected as the Highway Angels of the Year. They were recognized and
presented with the award at TCA’s Annual Convention — Truckload
2020: Orlando — earlier this year.
“Thank you both for your selfless act of courage on that May
morning,” said EpicVue CEO Lance Platt after presenting the
Zimmermans with a crystal award.
Before heading to Florida for the convention, the couple heard
the news from Hirschbach’s marketing director during a company
bowling trip. The couple was “floored,” and Tracy said Ed was
speechless, adding that this is something that doesn’t happen often.
As amazing as the award was to the Zimmermans, they two are
quick to say that they simply did what they felt was the right thing to
do in that moment.
“We stopped to help a human who needed help,” said Ed. “That’s all
we did, and that’s why we did it.”
Ed and Tracy Zimmerman were presented with the Highway Angels of the Year
award at the Truckload Carriers Association’s Truckload 2020: Orlando.
Ed added that he hopes that this award and sharing their story with
others will help the image of truck drivers across the nation.
“All everybody ever hears are the bad things that happen out
here,” shared Ed. “We really want to push the good stories because, in
your darkest hour out here on the road, if, heaven forbid, something
happens, a truck driver is going to be the first person on the scene.
They’re going to be the first ones there to help you out.”
The remainder of that May day turned out to be just like any other
day for the Zimmermans as they carried on delivering their load
to Hodgkins, Illinois. Tracy noted, though, that everything could
have been different that day if the couple had made one extra stop
beforehand, delaying their schedule.
“You know, God puts you where he needs you most, and that day he
needed us right there at that moment,” said Tracy. “I really believe that.”
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TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 35

Truckload 2020: Orlando
More than 1,200 attendees — members, prospects,
and guests — gathered in Kissimmee, Florida, for
Truckload Strong: Orlando — TCA’s Annual Convention
— February 29-March 3 at the Gaylord Palms Resort.
The event started with a well-attended Kickoff
Reception Saturday evening followed by Sunday’s
committee and board of directors meetings, a plethora
of Trucking in the Round workshops, and the opening
of a robust exhibition hall. Throughout the event,
attendees heard addresses from TCA Chairman Josh
Kaburick, Incoming Chairman Dennis Dellinger, and
TCA President John Lyboldt, as well as Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration Acting Administrator
Jim Mullen.
Attendees also heard from keynote speaker
Baseball’s “Iron Man” and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken
Jr. and Navy SEAL Curt Cronin, as well as insightful
panel discussions that featured industry experts.
Numerous awards presentations took place
throughout the event as well.
TCA hosted its Second Annual Truckload Strong
event at Topgolf Orlando, which raised nearly $90,000
on Monday evening. Tuesday evening, TCA held its
Annual Awards Banquet, which featured the highly
anticipated 2019 Driver of the Year and Fleet Safety
award presentations.
To view additional photos from the event, visit
truckload.org/Flickr.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 8
9
36 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

10
11
12 13
14 15
16
1. Attendees listen to insights from TCA Profitability
Program (TPP) Managing Director Jack Porter, TPP
Consultant Shepard Dunn, and FreightWaves’ Chief
Insight Officer Dean Croke during an executive
panel, “Current and Future State of Truckload.”
2. TCA’s 2019-20 Chairman Josh Kaburick poses
with his family and Immediate Past Chairman Dan
Doran during Tuesday evening’s banquet.
3. TCA’s Membership Committee Chairman Glynn
Spangenberg welcomes attendees to the Kickoff
Reception. The event, sponsored by Lean Staffing
Solutions, was held outdoors on the Coquina Lawn.
4. Baseball’s “Iron Man” and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken
Jr. speaks during Monday’s General Session.
The keynote address was sponsored by
International Trucks.
5. Attendees enjoy a reception hosted by
Freightliner Trucks.
6. FMCSA Chief Safety Officer and Assistant
Administrator Jack Van Steenburg gives an update
to Highway Policy Committee members and guests,
discussing the pending final rule on changes to the
hours-of-service regulations, the Drug and Alcohol
Clearinghouse, and the results so far from the electronic
logging device.
7. TCA President John Lyboldt introduces and
shares the stage with TCA staff members during his
remarks on Tuesday morning.
8. Historic and present winners of the Best Fleets to
Drive For program enjoy a reception at the MOOR
restaurant hosted by CarriersEdge and contest
sponsors EpicVue and TruckRight.
9. Thanks to TCA’s Truckload Strong event host
Freightliner Trucks, proceeds raised from the fundraising
event will support and elevate TCA’s programs
and initiatives.
10. Hundreds of attendees gather for Truckload
2020: Orlando’s Kickoff Reception.
11. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Acting Administrator Jim Mullen speaks during
Tuesday’s General Session.
12. Thanks to Pilot Flying J, TCA attendees hear a
dynamic presentation from Navy SEAL Curt Cronin
during Tuesday’s general session.
13. A plethora of committee meetings and Trucking
in the Round workshops take place throughout
the event.
14. Attendees enjoy an evening on the Coquina
Lawn at the Gaylord Palms Resort thanks to reception
sponsor ACT 1.
15. Tuesday’s executive panel “Practical Approaches
to Nuclear Verdicts” features timely information.
Special thanks to panelists American Transportation
Research Institute’s Dan Murray; Schneider
National Carriers’ Clay Porter; Montgomery, Rennie,
and Jonson’s Doug Rennie; and Legal Communication
Consulting’s Charli Morris.
16. TCA staffers pose with TCA Chairman Josh Kaburick
during its Truckload Strong at Topgolf Orlando.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 37

What a ride!
Josh Kaburick
chronicles year as
TCA chairman
By Linda Garner-Bunch
What a ride!” exclaimed Josh Kaburick, outgoing
2019-2020 Truckload Carriers Association chairman in
“Whew!
his final address at Truckload 2020: Orlando.
“That is the best analogy I can think of when it comes to the past year
that has seemingly flown by so quickly,” he continued. “This year has
been amazing.”
Before beginning his speech, Kaburick observed a moment of silence
in memory of William “Bill” Giroux, who served as TCA’s executive
vice president of presidential projects before his death last October.
“This past year, we lost a friend to the industry, a person that most of
us have leaned on at one point in time over his career and a fixture at the
helm of this very convention,” shared Kaburick, adding that the newly
redesigned meeting space at TCA headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia,
has been named the William Giroux Conference Room to honor
Giroux’s legacy of dedication to the Association.
Returning to the ongoing work of the Association, Kaburick said each
member’s dedication to making TCA a first-class organization is vital
to the success of the association and the trucking industry as a whole.
“Our industry is reflective of those that we surround ourselves with,
and I consider it a privilege to just be associated with each and every
one of you,” stated Kaburick. “Our membership reflects the passion of
those that have ‘lived’ this industry, the aspirations of those that have
just started out, and the allure of an idea that we all must be part of
something greater.”
Kaburick explained that he chose the term “greater” to refer not only
to TCA’s efforts to support and improve the trucking industry, but also
to note the size of the group’s membership. During Kaburick’s tenure as
TCA chairman, the Association’s membership showed marked growth
and now includes more than 700 organizations.
“We, as an Association, have arrived,” he said. “This didn’t happen
by chance. Quality membership is not driven by luck or a roll
of the dice.”
TCA’s efforts to spur advocacy for the industry on Capitol Hill have
also grown, he said, noting that the annual Call on Washington event,
now entering its fourth year, is growing in strength and numbers. Last
Fall, 65 TCA members participated in 377 visits to lawmakers and other
officials in the U.S. House and Senate, the U.S. Department of Transportation,
and the Canadian Embassy. Kaburick said he hopes to see
more than 100 participants this Fall.
“In a world that is driven by results, we focused on being truth-tellers,
regaling senators, representatives, their staff, and other government
leaders with data-driven facts,” he said, noting topics such as hoursof-service
regulations, detention time, highway reauthorization, vehicle
productivity, infrastructure improvements, and the use of ELDs (electronic
logging devices).
“TCA has become a valuable source of information to our elected officials
— not in a manner where we solicit their input, but one in which
they seek ours,” he continued. “We are approached for opinions and
data, and we supply them with answers, not rhetoric.”
The organization’s educational offerings have grown as well, with
first-class learning options designed to help TCA members stay well
informed, profitable, and safe. The ability to provide convenient online
interactive instruction with the nation’s top trainers is one of TCA’s
most valuable benefits.
“We have come to expect the very best from TCA’s education platform,
and the newly-revised Truckload Academy has all the educational
tools your team needs to be successful and recognized for your commitment
to excellence,” said Kaburick.
The TCA Profitability Program (TPP) has gained a large following,
he said, adding that more than 240 companies now participate in the
InGauge database.
“We have 11 best-practice groups, and the data that depicts the daily
lives of each carrier is as ‘real time’ as one can expect,” he continued.
“In other words, you will not find a better program for building better
trucking companies than the platform TCA offers.”
In addition, TCA’s digital footprint has expanded to include microsites
dedicated to some of the organizations most impactful programs,
such as Highway Angel and TCA’s Annual Conventions.
Starting with this year’s annual convention — Truckload 2020: Orlando
— the event has a new name and has become a “must-attend” event,
he said, adding that the revised event name “is reflective of what goes on
here … and is the very basis of what we hope to deliver to our members,
government leaders, and dedicated employees. It is the very thing that
drives this nation: the truckload segment of the trucking industry.”
In closing, Kaburick assured fellow TCA members that he plans to
remain active in the organization even as his role changes.
“My hope is that my time as chairman of this great Association was
as valuable to you as it was to me,” he said. “Thank you very much for
giving me such a great year. It has been an absolute honor to serve as the
chairman of your illustrious Association.”
TCA Chairman Josh Kaburick welcomes attendees to the opening session of Truckload 2020: Orlando. Kaburick is the second generation in his family to hold the
chairmanship. His late father John was chairman in 2010-2011.
38 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020

TCA President
says Association’s
success is an
unending story
By Lyndon Finney
John Lyboldt’s story as president of the Truckload Carriers
Association may have begun four years ago with the fabled
phrase “once upon a time” but that story will be unending as
long as he leads the Association.
“Much like any good story, you almost always start with
‘Once upon a time,’ a phrase that is as good as any to reflect the
very fact that we are a far cry from where we were when I first
took the helm of this proud organization a mere four years ago,
still faced with the knowledge that there will always be a lot of
hard work that needs to be done,” Lyboldt told delegates in his
State of the Association address delivered at the organization’s
annual convention.
Like any story, there are highlights and lowlights, good parts
and bad ones too, and lessons to be learned from what experience
tells us, he said, noting that 2019 brought about a different
aspect to the trucking industry the Association, its members, and
their operations, too.
“Trucking is a mature industry and strongly correlates, sometimes
painfully, to the rising and receding tides of the economy,”
said Lyboldt. “We experienced dramatic changes to capacity, assaults
on many carriers’ business, and persistent regulatory and
legislative pressures that continued to change the landscape of
what our industry was. The low barriers to enter this field have
created a system reflective of grasping for the lowest common
denominator rather than reaching for the stars.”
The organization’s message — building better businesses,
creating skilled workforces, driving profitability, and becoming
the Voice of Truckload — has not changed, shared Lyboldt.
In fact, it has grown.
“The portrait of our membership has been painted and has
come to represent the best this industry has to offer,” he said.
“We lead by example, we practice what we preach and must
leave no stone unturned in our endless effort to create an industry
no longer reflective of the bad apples who bring us down, but
rather highlighted by the very best examples of what we have
to offer.
“The Association has restructured its education platform, one
that is truly beginning to deliver the results that were predicted
or, quite frankly, expected,” he said.
“The very premise of emphasizing the mature business models
that our members have experienced based upon a strong
foundation has shown us that there are opportunities for carriers
of all sizes and modes to achieve significant financial and
personal rewards as participants in this great industry,” said Lyboldt,
who noted that the organization’s growing membership
has become involved in telling a story that more and more key
decision maker are listening.
“We have been fact-based, data-driven truth tellers, using our
knowledge of the industry to bestow that wisdom on Capitol
In his State of the Association address to delegates at Truckload 2020: Orlando in
March, TCA President John Lyboldt said that 2019 brought about a different aspect to
the trucking industry, the Association, its members, and their operations, too.
Hill,” he said. “Our shield has become a resource, our message
has been deliberate, and unlike most stories, the ending has not,
nor ever will, been written.”
The establishing of the Voice of Truckload brand has been
beneficial to the Association, its president said.
“Contrary to popular belief, a recent survey of 1,000 business
decision makers showed that they value a strong ‘brand’ over
any other factor, including price, and that very essence is reflected
in our shield,” added Lyboldt. “It is important to recognize
the value that we deliver to our membership and the promise we
make to each of you that this association is more than just a dues
check, but a gathering of ideas, coupled with an opportunity for
action, that might just might prove itself to be worthwhile in the
very end.”
In closing, Lyboldt issued a challenge to delegates, saying the
days of letting others tell the story of truckload is long over and
the call to act is now here.
“Our ‘once upon of time’ may have started it all, but the end
shall never be written,” he said.
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 39

TCA Launches
Highway Angel
Microsite
On April 1, the Truckload Carriers Association
and its Communications & Image Policy Committee
launched a new Highway Angel microsite
to spread the word to a larger audience about
TCA’s Highway Angel program which has recognized
more than 1,250 professional truck drivers
for their courtesy and courage since 1997.
This dynamic, robust website showcases the
program’s recent and historic recipients, as well
as its annual Highway Angel of the Year recipients.
The public can now read recipients’ stories, view
dashcam footage, listen to sound bites from driver
interviews, and more.
In addition to the interactive driver stories, TCA
has streamlined the nomination form so it is easier
to nominate a professional truck driver in recognition
of his or her good deed.
TCA officers and staff encourage members to
share highwayangel.org with colleagues, family,
and friends to help us highlight our industry’s heroes
during this unprecedented time.
Let’s shine a light on those that not only keep
goods and services moving forward each day, but
who are also the “Knights of the Highway,” lending
a hand to those in need.
highwayangel.org
A special thanks to our sponsor, EpicVue, for its
continued support of the Highway Angel program.
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Highway Angels
Professional truck drivers Kyle Fitzgerald, Paul Hopson, William
Lyons, and Steve Marcy have been named Highway Angels by the
Truckload Carriers Association for performing heroic actions while on
the job.
Fitzgerald and Lyons, professional truck drivers with Smokey Point
Distributing, were honored for their orchestrated efforts to divert traffic
away from a disabled vehicle in the middle of a busy interstate.
It was just after noon on Sept. 19, 2019, and Fitzgerald and Lyons
were traveling through Michigan on Interstate 75 with a set of airplane
wings destined for Toronto. Lyons was carrying one wing and Fitzgerald
followed with the second. They were accompanied by four pilot
vehicles. The first pilot was traveling a quarter mile ahead of the team.
As the pilot came over a slight hill, he radioed the team that there was
a two-vehicle accident ahead. A small car was stopped in the middle
lane and a box truck was pulled over to the right shoulder. The pilot
driver instructed the team to move to the left lane and shoulder. As the
pilot driver slowed and went around the accident. he noticed the driver
was still in the vehicle and no one was stopping to help.
Lyons and Fitzgerald decided they should stop. The team would
later learn that the accident had happened less than a minute before
they arrived. The small car had rear-ended the box truck. “Traffic had
not even begun to slow down around the wreck,” shared Fitzgerald.
“We pulled to the left shoulder, short of the accident scene.”
“People were flying by,” recalled Lyons. “There was debris all over
the road and because of the location, it was a bigger accident just
waiting to happen. Kyle’s two pilot drivers turned on their overhead
directional lights to move traffic around the accident and then helped
direct traffic,” said Lyons. “My two pilot drivers and I went to check
on the drivers as Kyle called 911.”
Within minutes, the ambulance and fire department were on
scene. When the state patrol officers arrived, they shut down the
highway long enough for the team to safely leave the scene. “According
to my logbook, our total time on the scene was 12 minutes,” said
Fitzgerald, adding that at no time were the loads in the flow of traffic
or in harm’s way. Both men credit their pilot teams for the way they
handled the situation: Veronica Nutt and Steve Sanders with T&H Pilot
Car Services of Verden, Oklahoma; Larry Morris with S.J. Pilot Car
Service of West Memphis, Arkansas; and Mike Froncisz with Veteran
Pilot Services Ltd. of Ontario, Canada.
“The Lord used us that day to make sure nobody else got hurt,”
shared Lyons.
Hopson, a professional truck driver with Stone Trucking Co., was
honored for stopping to help a seriously injured motorist found sitting
outside his vehicle on the side of the roadway.
Hopson was just outside Waco, Texas, on Highway 6, a major highway.
It was about 5 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2019, and traffic was backed up
for over half a mile.
KYLE FITZGERALD
WILLIAM LYONS
“There was a lot of CB chatter about a guy sitting outside his
pickup on the side of the road, bleeding,” shared Hopson. “I get up
there and there must have been hundreds of cars and trucks (that
time of day) and everyone just passed him up.” Without hesitation,
Hopson pulled over. “A lady pulled over behind me. Turned out she
was a former EMT,” he said. “The guy looked like he must have
been sitting there quite a while, in the heat, and people just passed
by.” The man was still conscious and bleeding heavily from what
appeared to be a gunshot wound to the face. Hopson called 911
and then gave the phone to the woman to explain the situation to
the dispatcher.
“She looked in the cab and said, ‘gun’ and we both stepped back.
There was a gun sitting on the floorboard.” Within a matter of minutes,
two or three police cars arrived along with two ambulances and
a fire truck. “They loaded him into the ambulance right away.”
Hopson called the Waco Police Department a couple days later
and learned the driver had passed away. “I kept thinking about him,”
shared Hopson. “I had just wanted him to know he wasn’t alone. It’s
bad enough when a person passes away, but when they’re in a situation
like that and they’re alone, that’s a hard way to go. Nobody would
stop, they only talked about it (on the CB).”
Hopson has driven professionally for more than 30 years. He’s
come across many accidents and has stopped to help when he can.
Marcy, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc.,
was honored for stopping to help at the scene of a collision between
a tractor-trailer and passenger van.
It was a cold and blustery November day and Marcy was southbound
from Indiana on his way to Nashville, Tennessee. The blowing
snow was limiting visibility and the roadway was becoming icy with
the temperature below zero. Already driving well under the posted
speed limit, the poor visibility forced Marcy to slow to a stop.
That’s when he saw a tractor-trailer up ahead of him, sitting
across both southbound lanes. The driver had lost control and a fullsize
passenger van had hit the side of the trailer. Acting swiftly, Marcy
set his brakes, turned on his flashers, and rushed to the scene. The
driver of the van was disoriented, and his wife was in the passenger
seat, unconscious. The driver of the truck came over to check on the
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PAUL HOPSON
STEVE MARCY
passengers. Another motorist stopped to help and began to gather
blankets to warm them.
The van had bounced off the trailer and was now sitting at a
45-degree angle to the truck. The right front corner post of the van
was damaged and the passenger door was jammed. The windshield
and right window were shattered. The driver was disoriented and
extremely upset at the truck driver for causing the accident. Marcy
distracted him by urging him to call 911 for an ambulance. He then
worked to squeeze into the wreckage to check on the passenger.
“They hit hard,” said Marcy. “The passenger was knocked unconscious
and was slumped to the left over the console and bleeding
from her head and mouth.” As the woman regained consciousness
she asked what had happened and said her back was hurting.
“She was slumped over in a crooked position out of her seat with
her seatbelt on,” recalled Marcy. He carefully helped her to sit upright
and then held her in place, assuring her help was on the way. He
stayed with her, talking to her and offering her comfort until EMTs
arrived approximately 27 minutes later. Marcy says he’s come across
many accidents in the 18 years he has driven for ABF and is happy he
was able to help that day.
TCA Profitability Program Growing
Because of participant demand, the Truckload Carriers Association’s
Profitability Program (TPP) has formed two new best-practice
groups focusing on flatbed and refrigerated carriers.
“The TPP is designed to provide participants
with the tools, data, and trusted peer
groups to put them on the right path to
continuous improvement,” said TCA President
John Lyboldt.
He cited several improvements that
members participating in TPP have already
implemented from their involvement with
the program:
• Reduced average maintenance cost per mile from $0.34 to $0.19
in nine months;
• Improved gross margin by 43% (rolling six-month average);
• Reduced health insurance expense, without modifying plan design,
by $210,000 annually;
• Established a secure asset-protection strategy using a proven
strategy described by a fellow group member;
• Implemented collision-mitigation technology, which contributed
to an 80% reduction in accident losses over a 24-month period, based
on the suggestions of a fellow group member; and
• Established a driver scorecard and retention strategy which
reduced turnover from 110% to 43% in 12 months, resulting in an
estimated $290,000 savings.
Also:
• 61% of 2019 TCA’s Best Fleets to Drive For winners are TPP Best
Practice Group members; and
• 72% of 2019 TCA’s Fleet Safety Award winners are TPP Best
Practice Group members.
For more information, to refer a colleague, or to book a demo, contact
TPP Profitability Consultant Shepard Dunn at shepard@tcain
gauge.com or visit tcaingauge.com.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Tim Tetz, fourth from right, presents
a token of appreciation to TCA Chairman Josh Kaburick recognizing
carriers that transported the VVMF’s The Wall That Heals
through the United States in 2019.
Carriers Recognized for Efforts
During Truckload 2020: Orlando, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Fund (VVMF) recognized Truckload Carriers Association members
who volunteered their time and equipment to haul The Wall That Heals
in 2019. The presentation was made by VVMF’s Director of Outreach
Tim Tetz.
“Today we recognize a five-year partnership with the Truckload
Carriers Association providing transportation needs for The Wall
That Heals,” said Tetz. “Through the efforts of its members, The Wall
traveled over 19,000 miles and was visited by more than 300,000
in 34 communities in 2019. In bringing our heroes and our veterans
home, together we honor and remember all those who served and
sacrificed in Vietnam.”
The following TCA-member companies were recognized in
Kissimmee, Florida:
• Baylor Trucking, Inc., of Milan, Indiana;
• Christenson Transportation, Inc., of Strafford, Missouri;
• Dart Transit Co., of Eagan, Minnesota;
• Diamond Transportation System, Inc., of Racine, Wisconsin;
• Halvor Lines, Inc., of Superior, Wisconsin;
• Hirschbach Motor Lines, Inc., of Dubuque, Iowa;
• Hoekstra Transportation, LLC, of Kankakee, Illinois;
• Jrayl Transport, Inc., of Akron, Ohio;
• Quality Transport Co., of Freeport, Illinois;
• Regency Transportation, Inc., of Franklin, Massachusetts;
• Sharp Transportation, Inc., of Logan, Utah;
• Western Dairy Transport of Cabool, Missouri; and
• Wilson Logistics of Springfield, Missouri.
Since 2015, TCA and VVMF have partnered to bring The Wall That
Heals to communities across America. The exhibit is hauled in a
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53-foot trailer and includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial and a mobile education center.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization
that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1982.
VVMF is dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of service in
America and educating all generations about the impact of the Vietnam
War and era through programs, ceremonies and education materials.
To view available routes for 2020, or to complete an interest form,
visit vvmf.org.
TCA Communications & Image Policy Committee Co-Chairs Lisa
Spangenberg, left, and Brenda Dittmer, right, recognize TCA Highway
Angel spokesperson and Nashville recording artist Lindsay Lawler for
her efforts. Lawler helped organize the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
whistle stop in Nashville.
Whistle Stop Hosts Receive Thanks
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) member company Trekker
Logistics and TCA Highway Angel spokesperson and Nashville recording
artist Lindsay Lawler, have been recognized for contributions to the 2019
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative.
Trekker Logistics CEO and TCA Immediate Past Chairman Josh
Kaburick and Lawler were each presented a “2019 Whistle Stop Award”
for planning and hosting TCA’s whistle stop — a free public event —
Nov. 21 at Bridgestone Arena Plaza, located just steps from Broadway
Avenue in downtown Nashville.
“We are honored that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree visited Nashville
on its journey to the nation’s capital,” said Kaburick.
For nearly 40 years, a special tree has been harvested from a U.S.
national forest and transported across the country to the grounds of the
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, the 70-foot blue spruce came from the Carson National Forest
in New Mexico and stopped at more than 25 communities and military
bases, which allowed the public to view “The People’s Tree,” while
also shining a spotlight on the trucking industry that makes it possible to
haul the immense tree.
The whistle stop in Nashville featured live music from several of the
city’s recording artists and a local children’s choir, remarks by Nashville’s
Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement Brenda Haywood, and
balloon artists, as well as commemorative ornaments for purchase.
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests in
Colorado will provide the 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
For more information about the initiative, visit uscapitolchristmas
tree.com.
New members of the Truckload Carriers Association Ambassadors Club
were honored at the kickoff reception to the convention.
TCA Members Recognized for Longevity
At the kickoff reception during its annual convention, the Truckload
Carriers Association paid tribute to its Ambassador Club member companies
that have contributed to the long-term growth of the Association.
Hundreds of attendees had the opportunity to network and enjoy an
evening on the Coquina Lawn thanks to event sponsor Lean Staffing
Solutions.
Membership Committee Co-Chair Glynn Spangenberg, who is also
chairman and chief advisor of Spangenberg Partners, LLC, congratulated
the members for reaching these membership milestones.
“TCA is thankful for having so many long-standing and committed
members,” said Spangenberg. “TCA welcomes these new Ambassador
Club members and looks forward to servicing them for years to come.”
Eight companies were inducted into TCA’s prestigious Ambassador
Club for reaching 25 years of membership:
• All-Pro Transport, Inc., of Ashtabula, Pennsylvania;
• Amhof Trucking, Inc., of Eldridge, Iowa;
• Bernard Pavelka Trucking, Inc., of Hastings, Nebraska;
• Driver Solutions, LLC, of Indianapolis;
• Hudson Insurance Group of Indianapolis;
• PGT Trucking, Inc., of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania;
• Sentry Insurance of Stevens Point, Wisconsin;
• Stoughton Trailers, LLC, of Stoughton, Wisconsin.
Additionally, 26 other companies were honored at the ceremony for
reaching various milestones, including three companies – Dart Transit
Co. of Eagan, Minnesota; Melton Truck Lines, Inc., of Tulsa, Oklahoma;
and Witte Bros. Exchange, Inc., of Troy, Missouri – that are celebrating
their 50th year of membership.
View the entire list of Ambassador Club members at truckload.
org/history.
Past Chairmen’s Award
Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio, has been
awarded the Truckload Carriers Association’s prestigious Past Chairmen’s
Award.
Burch has amassed more than 40 years of experience in the trucking
industry, which includes less-than-truckload, truckload, air freight,
and consolidation. He has also been instrumental in the Trucking Moves
America Forward (TMAF) initiative that is designed to enhance the image
of trucking among the general public.
Since 1990, Burch has been president of Jet Express, Inc., as well as
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a partner in the company. Under Burch’s
leadership, the company has grown to 90
company drivers, 220 owner-operators,
and 600 trailers. The company handles
up to 400 truckloads per day throughout
the United States, primarily for the
“just-in-time” automotive industry. Providing
excellent service, the company
was awarded the prestigious “Worldwide
Supplier Award” three consecutive years
by General Motors.
In addition to serving as TCA Chairman
in 2009-10, he is currently active on
the TCA Membership Committee and is a
past chairman of the Communications &
Image Policy Committee.
Since 1990, Burch has also been an
active member of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as its vice
chairman and chairman of Lead ATA, and currently serves as a member
of the Trucking Moves America Forward image-management committee.
Burch is a trustee of the Ohio Trucking Association, a member of
the Miami Valley Transportation Club in Dayton, Ohio, and is involved
in numerous committees including the Miami Valley Regional Planning
Commission. Recently he accepted a board position on the Dayton Area
Chamber of Commerce.
He is also active with the local Boy Scouts of America troop and
the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, D.C. Burch
acquired his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in September 2008.
The Past Chairmen’s Award is TCA’s highest honor. Recipients are
leaders who have made a significant contribution to the business community,
the trucking industry, and the organization. The awardee does
not have to be a past chairman of the Association.
Safety Award Winners
Kevin Burch accepts the Past
Chairmen’s Award during the
annual convention.
It was a lucky 13 for Bison Transport, which was named grand prize
winner of the large carrier division of the Truckload Carriers Association
Fleet Safety Award contest during Truckload 2020: Orlando in March.
Bison Transport, which competed in the more-than-25-million-miles
division, is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The contest was a clean sweep for Canadian carriers, as Erb International,
Inc., of New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, was named grand prize
winner in the less-than-25-million-miles division.
Both carriers demonstrated that they had unrivaled safety programs
and impeccable records over the last year.
Erb International is a two-time winner of the grand prize. Bison Transport
is a 13-time grand prize winner and received the award for the 10th
consecutive year.
The contest is sponsored by Great West Casualty Company.
“TCA is honored to recognize Erb International and Bison Transport for
their incredible safety achievements,” said TCA President John Lyboldt.
“This year’s competition was full of great entries, showing that TCA’s
members are truly industry leaders when it comes to safety. Erb and
Bison are very deserving of the grand prize due to their commitment to
spreading the safety message with their employees, the wider industry,
and those with whom they share the roadways.”
The application process for the awards began with fleets submitting
their accident frequency ratio per million miles driven. The three
Great West Casualty Co. Executive Vice President and COO Mandy
Graham presents the Fleet Safety Award for large carriers to Bison Transport
Director of Safety and Driver Development to Garth Pitzel, center.
TCA Chairman Josh Kaburick looks on.
Great West Casualty Company Executive Vice President and COO,
Mandy Graham, presents the Fleet Safety Award for small carriers to Erb
International President and CEO Wendell Erb. Also shown is TCA Chairman
Josh Kaburick.
carriers with the lowest ratios were identified as the winners for each
of six mileage-based divisions. These carriers then underwent an audit
by independent experts to ensure the accuracy of their results. TCA
announced the names of the 18 division winners in January 2020 and
invited them to submit further documentation about their overall safety
programs, both on and off the highway, to be eligible for the grand prize.
After review by a diverse industry panel of judges, the winning companies
were deemed to have best demonstrated their commitment to
improving safety on North America’s highways.
For more information on the program, visit truckload.org/Fleet-Safety.
Best Fleets to Drive For
The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge announced the 2020
Best Fleets to Drive For contest winners during Truckload 2020: Orlando in
early March.
Boyle Transportation of Billerica, Massachusetts, took home the overall
small-carrier category award, while Nussbaum Transportation of Hudson,
Illinois, won the large-carrier division.
Now in its 12th year, the contest is an annual survey and contest that
recognizes North American for-hire trucking companies that provide the best
workplace experience for their drivers.
To be considered, fleets must be nominated by a company driver or
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EpicVue CEO Lance Platt, left, and CarriersEdge CEO and Co-Founder
Jane Jazrawy, present the Best Fleets to Drive For large-carrier category
award to Nussbaum Transportation CEO Brent Nussbaum.
TruckRight President Dirk Kupar, left, and CarriersEdge CEO and Co-
Founder Jane Jazrawy present the Best Fleets to Drive For small-carrier category
award to Boyle Transportation Co-Founder and CFO Andrew Boyle.
independent contractor working with them, after which they are evaluated
across a broad range of categories reflecting current best practices
in human resources. The contest accepts nominations from Labor Day to
Halloween each year.
In January each year, TCA and CarriersEdge reveal the Top 20 Best Fleets
to Drive For winners, which are categorized according to size. The highestscoring
fleet in each category is named the overall winner for that category.
Both Boyle Transportation and Nussbaum Transportation have been
named to the Best Fleets Top 20 multiple times.
Nussbaum Transportation, with 442 drivers, was recognized for its
approach to new technology adoption, where a focus on personal needs
ensures the enhancements optimize driver efficiency rather than disrupt
it. The company’s creative approach to human resources and professional
development programs also earned top scores across a variety of
categories, TCA said.
Boyle Transportation, with 133 drivers, stood out for its investments in
driver-support programs and operational-efficiency improvements. Its guaranteed
pay, provision of cell phones and connectivity tools, and a generous
scholarship offering demonstrated a willingness to invest in areas many
fleets are reluctant to explore.
CarriersEdge CEO Jane Jazrawy noted that both Boyle Transportation and
Nussbaum Transportation are seeing impressive results from their programs.
Both have driver satisfaction above 93% and driver turnover under 20%.
“We’ve been aware of these fleets for years, watching them continue
to refine their offerings and raise the bar for the industry,” Jazrawy said.
“With such creative ideas and strong buy-in from drivers on their efforts,
it’s easy to see why they’re experiencing such great results.”
TCA President John Lyboldt agreed.
“To be bestowed the title of overall winner requires a strong combination
of outstanding programs, high satisfaction levels, and great results
in safety and retention, and these companies should be very proud,” he
said. “A special congratulations to Nussbaum for winning the award
twice in a row – that’s an even more difficult feat.”
The Best Fleets to Drive For survey and contest is open to any fleet
operating 10 or more trucks, regardless of TCA membership status.
Nominated fleets are evaluated in areas such as driver compensation,
pension and benefits, professional development, driver and community
support, and safety record.
To view photos from the awards presentation, visit TCA’s Flickr album
at truckload.org/Flickr.
Fundraiser Raises Nearly $90,000
During Truckload 2020: Orlando, on Monday, March 2, more than 250
attendees gathered to raise nearly $90,000 at Topgolf Orlando.
During the event, golfers and non-golfers alike had the opportunity
to network with industry professionals, tee off conversations, enjoy numerous
bars and food-carving stations, dance to a DJ who accepted
requests via text, and more.
Thanks to the generosity of Freightliner Trucks, all proceeds raised
will help support and elevate TCA’s major initiatives and programs.
Leading up to TCA’s annual event, individual tickets or bays, which accommodated
up to six golfers, were available to purchase. On-site donations
were accepted for “Truckload Strong” commemorative celebratory
cups and golf towels.
Thanks to TCA Member Love’s Travel Stops, attendees had the opportunity
to participate in not one, but three, contests: Beat the Pro; Hole
in One; and Longest Drive. Those who tried their hand at the Hole in One
contest had the chance to win $10,000 but no one won the contest.
To view photos from the event, visit www.truckload.org/Flickr.
Chairman’s Choice Award
Truckload Carriers Association Chairman Josh Kaburick, left, presents
the 2020 Chairman’s Choice Award to KRTS Transportation Specialists,
Inc., President Kim Richardson, center, as TCA President John Lyboldt
looks on. The award is presented at the sole discretion of the TCA chairman.
“I was honored to be selected as the winner of that award,” shared
Richardson. “I mean, you never do the things in the industry that you do
for awards. You do it because it’s the right thing.”
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 45

VIRTUAL
LEARNING
The Truckload Carriers
Association welcomes
companies that
joined our association in
February and March.
As the country experiences a global pandemic
with COVID-19, the Truckload Carriers Association
is offering industry professionals complimentary
webinar recordings available from the comfort of
your home.
Truckload Academy On-Demand (TAO) offers
more than 90 prerecorded webinars.
Topics range from content focused on
improving leadership during a crisis to optimizing
brokerage operations, to recruiting and retaining
professional truck drivers.
To begin, navigate to tla.sclivelearningcenter.com
and click on “My Content.”
For questions regarding your account, email
truckloadacademy@truckload.org or call
(703) 838-1950.
FEBRUARY
Phoenix Capital Group
Propel
KKW Trucking, Inc.
GTS Transportation
TruckerTools
Mudsmith
Advanced Training Systems
Brenny Transportation
MARCH
MTC Truck Driver Training
TCI Business Capital
Cover Photo:
Truckload Carriers Association
Additional magazine photography:
Associated Press: P. 12, 13
Hirschbach Motor Lines: P. 3, 34
iStock: P. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
Kevin Kocmich: P 29
Knight Transportation: P 3, 30, 31
Oak Ridge Boys: P. 16, 17, 18, 19
TCA: P. 3, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
Wilson Logistics: P. 28
46 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org