TLA48_AllPages

Jim Ward, center, is shown with his
leadership team. From left: Misty Stouffer,
Anthony Triggs, Tom Mankowich, Brian Hall,
and Samantha Bodnar.
Congratulations on becoming chairman of the
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). What does it
mean to you to be chairman?
It is an honor, and I am very appreciative to have the opportunity to
serve as the 90th TCA chairman. There are a number of people I have to
thank who have been instrumental and supportive of me on my journey
to the chairmanship. First, Don Bowman. Without his belief in myself
and TCA, this would have never happened. Second, the leadership team
at D.M. Bowman, whom I have always been able to rely upon. Third,
the friendship and support of the TCA past chairs, and finally, my wife
and best friend for over 40 years, Starla, who has supported me and
the family throughout my career. I could not have done it without her.
Can you tell the membership a little about your career
in trucking and about the company you lead, D.M.
Bowman?
Trucking has been very good to me and my family. I went to
work for Don Bowman in January 1986 as a safety supervisor. We
were growing at that time, so your role and responsibilities were
quite broad, no matter your title. Risk mitigation, driver hiring,
orientation, dispatch … we did whatever it took to service the
customer and keep our drivers moving safely. With growth came
opportunity, and one day, Don approached me about establishing
and leading a human resources department. Those same risk
mitigation skills were transferable from the highway to the corporate
office: employee development and welfare, training, group health
negotiations, establishing profit sharing, and the introduction of
an employee handbook. I was then promoted to vice president of
quality, and I became CEO in 1999 then later president and CEO.
Over the past 60 years, D.M. Bowman, Inc., has grown from an
irregular route, common contract truckload carrier to a logistics
company operating a diverse fleet of equipment (vans, flat, bulk
tanker, and containers) and managing a couple million square feet
of warehouse space, providing non-asset-based brokerage services
to assist customers with peak season demands.
In your acceptance speech at the recent virtual Spring
Business Meetings, you said you have experienced the
platform that membership in TCA offers, and that
justifying dues to TCA was a simple endeavor. What
has TCA meant to you and your company?
We have always found value in being an active member of
TCA, where we can network with like-minded people who are
confronted with many of the same challenges in operating a motor
carrier. Trucking is a complex and difficult business, so I’ve
always found it helpful to be able to pick up the phone and call
a TCA member to obtain insight on how they approached a similar
challenge. Over the years, I have also received these calls,
and have shared whatever knowledge and experience I may have
gained in the area of concern.
SPONSORED BY McLEOD SOFTWARE / McLEODSOFTWARE.COM / 877.362.5363
24 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA MAY/JUNE 2021