Truckload Authority - March/April 2025

CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN | WHAT’S NEW @TCA? | HIGHWAY ANGELS

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION O F T H E TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION

MARCH/APRIL 2025

Jeremy

Gutsche

ONE-TIME SPECIAL:

$500 registration for TCA’s

annual convention in

Phoenix March 15-18

Oz Pearlman

Truckload 2025:

PHOENIX

Don’t miss presentations

by mentalist Oz Pearlman

and innovation expert

Jeremy Gutsche | 16

2 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA MARCH/APRIL 2025

PRESIDENT’S PURVIEW

Outstanding Accomplishments

It is with great pride and excitement that I welcome you to our TCA

Annual Convention in Phoenix. This event is always a highlight of our

year — an opportunity to engage in crucial discussions, celebrate

achievements and foster relationships that lead us into the future.

The truckload sector has proven its resilience time and again — but

what truly sets us apart is the community of truckload professionals who

consistently go the extra mile. This spirit of excellence underpins our

introduction of the Elite Fleet program.

We recently announced the 48 certifi ed Elite Fleets. Their accomplishments

in areas such as safety, driver engagement and operational effi -

ciency serve as a reminder of what’s possible when we prioritize innovation

and collaboration.

My heartfelt congratulations go out to these outstanding truckload

carriers. Their examples challenge us to elevate our standards and

strive for even greater success.

Jim Ward

President

Truckload Carriers Association

jward@truckload.org

As we celebrate these Elite Fleets, we also pause to honor the passion for excellence and invaluable

contributions of our outgoing chairman, John Culp. His company, Maverick Transportation, is among

the Elite Fleets.

During his tenure as chairman, John has championed TCA’s mission, ensuring that the association

remained on the cutting edge of education, advocacy, safety and member engagement. His steady

leadership and dedication are a big part of why TCA continues to grow in infl uence and reach.

Thank you, John, for leading by example and setting a high bar for me personally, the staff, offi cers

and all who follow.

Now we stand at the threshold of an exciting new chapter as we welcome Karen Smerchek of

Veriha Trucking as our incoming chairman of TCA’s board of directors.

Karen’s appointment is momentous in many ways — most notably, she becomes the fi rst woman

to serve in this role, marking an inspiring milestone for TCA.

But more importantly, she brings a wealth of experience, industry knowledge and a forward-thinking

approach that will guide us as we tackle emerging challenges and embrace new opportunities.

TCA is committed to helping our members thrive. Thank you for supporting each other, rising to

meet the challenges that change brings and championing innovation.

I look forward to seeing you in Phoenix for Truckload 2025 as we celebrate our past accomplishments

and build a brighter future together.

Jim Ward

TCA MARCH/APRIL 2025 WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 3

555 E. Braddock Road

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: (703) 838-1950

Fax: (703) 836-6610

www.truckload.org

THE

R

O

AD

M

A

P

MARCH/APRIL 2025

PRESIDENT’S PURVIEW

Outstanding Accomplishments

with Jim Ward | 3

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The Voice of Truckload | 6

A ‘Tariff-ic’ Time in History | 8

Capitol Recap | 10

NATIONAL NEWSMAKERS

Oz Pearlman | 16

Jeremy Gutsche | 17

TRACKING THE TRENDS

2025 Freight Outlook | 18

First Alternate | 20

Top 5 Legal Issues | 22

A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN

A Year to Remember

with John Culp | 24

TALKING TCA

Inside Out: Elizabeth Nicholson | 30

M&As Poised for Recovery | 32

Cash Is King | 34

Truckload 2025: Phoenix | 36

What’s New @TCA | 38

TCA Highway Angels | 44

New Members | 46

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

John Culp, President, Maverick Transportation

PRESIDENT

Jim Ward

jward@truckload.org

SENIOR VP-SAFETY &

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Dave Heller

dheller@truckload.org

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER

Hailey Betham

hbetham@truckload.org

VP-MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH

Zander Gambill

zgambill@truckload.org

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Eric Rivard

erivard@truckload.org

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Sarah Hammons

shammons@truckload.org

FIRST VICE CHAIR

Karen Smerchek, President

Veriha Trucking, Inc.

SECOND VICE CHAIR

Jon Coca

President, Diamond

Transportation System, Inc.

TREASURER

Joey Hogan, Board Member

Covenant Transport Services

Pete Hill

President,

Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc.

Amber Edmondson

President/CEO

Trailiner Corp.

The viewpoints and opinions quoted in articles in this

publication are not necessarily those of TCA.

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WEB NEWS MANAGER

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bruceg@thetruckermedia.com

STAFF WRITER

Dana Guthrie

danag@thetruckermedia.com

OFFICERS

OFFICERS AT LARGE

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

MANAGER

Hunter Livesay

hlivesay@truckload.org

DIRECTOR-EDUCATION &

TRAINING

Elizabeth Nicholson

enicholson@truckload.org

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MEETINGS

Diane Gleason

dgleason@truckload.org

MEETINGS COORDINATOR

Amelia Rose

arose@truckload.org

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Claire Girard

cgirard@truckload.org

TPP FACILITATOR

Amanda Pearson

apearson@truckload.org

SECRETARY

Mark Seymour

CEO

Kriska Transportation Group

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Dave Williams, Senior VP-Equip./

Gov’t. Affairs, Knight-Swift

VICE CHAIR TO ATA

Ed Nagle, President

Nagle Toledo, Inc.

Adam Blanchard

CEO

Double Diamond Transport

Mike Ludwick

Interim President/CEO

Bison Transport

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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

THE

THE

VOICE

OF

OF

TRUCKLOAD

TCA LOOKS AHEAD

TO LEGISLATIVE

GOALS UNDER

TRUMP 2.0

By Dwain Hebda

The return of former President Donald Trump to

offi ce in January touched off a fl urry of executive

orders on everything from government spending to

the military to securing the U.S. southern border.

Recently we had a chance to visit with David Heller, senior

vice president of safety and government affairs for the

Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) about what Trump’s

second term in the White House could mean for trucking.

While Trump’s actions so far, at least at the time of this

writing, are not directly aimed at the freight industry, Heller

says he looks forward to a good working relationship with

the White House — and Congress in general — over the

next four years.

‘A FRIEND TO TRUCKING’

The previous Trump administration was often viewed as

favorable toward the industry.

“It’s no surprise that President Trump is friendly to

trucking. He understands the business, and he’s involved

in the business,” Heller said. “Quite frankly, his personal

business outside of being president of the United States

has relied on trucking for all of its existence, just as any

business in this country does.

“Judging by his presence in his last administration, I

think we can expect an ear,” he continued. “That doesn’t

necessarily mean it’s going to be a good ear or a bad ear,

but he has control over the House, and he has control of the

Senate through the Republican Party.”

Even though most of the executive orders signed during

Trump’s fi rst couple of weeks in the Oval Offi ce don’t

specifi cally address the priorities of the trucking industry,

Heller believes some do apply to trucking by extension.

The meatier issues that will directly affect trucking will

likely come later, he says.

“I think you’ll see it as a ‘next wave,’” he said of the

trucking industry’s legislative agenda. “When you start

looking at some of the infrastructure aspects of what President

Trump has signed, there have been side impacts.”

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

One executive order that will ultimately benefit trucking

is Trump’s cancellation of environmental mandates requiring

vehicle manufacturers to phase out the use of diesel


engines for electric motors in both passenger and commercial vehicles,

Heller noted.

“We, as an industry, were faced with rules coming out of the Environmental

Protection Agency that we had to start adopting electric

vehicles for our fleets by as soon as 2030,” he said.

That short of a timeline is unrealistic, according to Heller.

“Right now, the equipment just doesn’t work for us. It doesn’t

hold water to its diesel-powered counterpart,” he said. “How are

we supposed to effectively deliver freight productively in a manner

which we do today with equipment that doesn’t work as well as the

equipment that we’re using?

“I think everybody wants to improve upon the environment, but

we have to do so in a way in which we can accomplish it, not ways

that are pipe dreams and unicorns,” he continued. “Let’s really

have some common-sense discussions on what really makes the

most sense for our industry so that we can keep America in toilet

paper.”

I think everybody wants to improve upon

the environment, but we have to do so in

a way in which we can accomplish it, not

ways that are pipe dreams and unicorns.”

— David Heller

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFETY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

As for other industry priorities, Heller says that continuing the

work on the nation’s infrastructure is of primary importance. Over

the four years of the Biden administration, $1.2 trillion was spent

on the effort. While this was a good start, Heller says, the work

must continue.

“Not enough has been done,” he said. “For instance, the one

thing that was left out of the last infrastructure bill was truck

parking.”

The availability of safe, secure parking for commercial drivers

has long been near the top of most lists of trucking industry

issues for years.

“We as an industry desperately need more spaces for our drivers

to park while they’re out on the roads, specifically in the truckload

segment of the industry,” Heller said.

“This is not a secret,” he said. “The fact that there is one parking

spot for every 11 trucks on the road today shows a tremendous

need. These drivers should have an adequate amount of safe, secure

places to park their vehicles so that they can get the rest that

they need as required by hours-of-service regulations.”

The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is set

to expire in September 2026.

“That means it’s going to be within this Congress’ purview to

start laying the groundwork for what the next infrastructure bill,”

Heller noted.

ROLLING BACK REGULATIONS

Heller views Trump’s continued rollback of regulations as a good

sign of things to come that will help American industry in general

— and the trucking industry specifically.

“We can’t forget the regulatory ‘noise’ the Trump administration

is going be responsible for overseeing, things like speed

limiters, automatic emergency braking,” he said. “These are issues

that are kind of hanging, waiting to see what comes down

the pike.

“At the very least, we want to see what could effectively

come in on the future of rulemaking on the testing of autonomous

vehicles,” he continued.

In effect, Heller says, the previous Trump administration removed

the regulatory burden of two regulations for every one

issued — a trend he expects will continue in version 2.0 of the

Trump administration.

“Certainly not all regulations are bad,” he said. “There are

some good and needed regulations out there. But our expectation

is that (the administration) will indeed take up the mantle

on some of these things.”

PROTECTING THE INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTOR MODEL

Heller also expects the federal government to become

more involved with protecting the process by which many

Americans enter the trucking industry — a proposition that

has become more complicated as various state laws call into

question the definition of independent contractors.

Certain laws in states like California, as well as rules and

regulations that came from the Department of Labor during

the Biden administration effectively instituted an economic

realities test for determining whether an independent contractor

is an independent contractor or not.

“We expect the president to support that American Dream

of becoming your own business owner. That’s what the (independent

contractor) business model represents. It’s been

around for as long as trucking has,” Heller said.

We expect the president to support

that American Dream of becoming your

own business owner. That’s what the

(independent contractor) business model

represents. It’s been around for as long

as trucking has.”

— David Heller

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFETY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION

“Most of your major truckload carriers that operate today

were founded based on that independent contractor business

model: Go buy one truck, start hauling freight and grow your

fl eet from that point,” he noted. “That’s ‘Business 101,’ and

we certainly expect the president to ease that burden in bringing

the independent contractor model back into the fold.”

No matter what Trump 2.0 brings to the table, TCA will

continue to be the “voice of truckload” on Capitol Hill, working

to ensure the success of its members and the trucking

industry as a whole.


GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

A ‘tariff-ic’ time

in history

WILL TRUMP’S PLANNED TARIFFS SPUR AN

INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAR?

By Bruce Guthrie

It’s been one of the top trending searches on Google since last

November: Tariffs.

What are tariffs? And how will increasing them impact the bottom

line for the trucking industry — and for the general public?

These questions are top of mind for many. The answer to the first

question is pretty straightforward.

Tariffs are a tax on imports.

Tariffs are typically charged as a percentage of the price a buyer

pays a foreign seller. In the U.S., tariffs are collected by Customs and

Border Protection agents at 328 ports of entry across the country.

U.S. tariff rates can vary, depending on the product. For instance,

they’re generally 2.5% on passenger cars; that number jumps to

6% for golf shoes.

Tariffs can be lower for countries with which the U.S. has trade

agreements. For example, most goods have moved among the U.S.,

Mexico and Canada tariff-free because of US-Mexico-Canada trade

agreement. Ironically, this 2018 agreement was established by

President Donald Trump during his first term in office.

Mainstream economists are generally skeptical of tariffs, considering

them a mostly inefficient way for governments to raise money

and promote prosperity.

During his most recent presidential campaign, Trump threatened

to raise tariffs against nations — including Canada, Mexico and

China, among others — and then proceeded to sign orders to that

effect during his first week in office.

At the time of this writing, there is a 30-day “cease fire” on tariffs

against products shipped from Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile,

China has retaliated with counter-tariffs against some American

imports, in addition to launching an investigation into Google for

alleged violations of antitrust laws.


Reaction to the tariffs was swift.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) expressed concerns

about enacting tariffs at a time when the industry is struggling to

recover from a years-long freight recession, noting that tariff hikes

could decrease freight volumes and increase costs for motor carriers.

“A 25% tariff levied on Mexico could see the price of a new tractor

increase by as much as $35,000,” said Chris Spear, ATA president.

“That is cost-prohibitive for many small carriers, and for larger

fleets, it would add tens of millions of dollars in annual operating

costs.”

A 25% tariff levied on

Mexico could see the

price of a new tractor increase

by as much as $35,000.”

— Chris Spear

ATA PRESIDENT

The majority of products transported between the U.S., Canada

and Mexico are moved by trucks. Unfortunately, in addition to legitimate

shipments, enforcement officers at both borders have also

stopped countless semi-trucks loaded with shipments of illegal

drugs and other products, and even undocumented migrants.

“The trucking industry understands the crises motivating these

tariff proposals, which is why we have been a leader in efforts to

fight drug and human trafficking,” Spear said, noting that the ATA

supports policies that will secure the borders and foster legitimate

trade.

“But we also recognize the unintended consequences that substantial

tariffs could have over the long-term, including higher consumer

costs on the wide range of goods that cross our borders by

truck, including food, automobiles, televisions, computers, furniture

and other key manufacturing inputs,” he said.

In Michigan, home to numerous automobile manufacturing facilities,

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claimed that, in addition to raising the

cost of goods and services, the tariffs would put more than a million

jobs at risk within the state. The state is also a home to three major

crossings between the U.S. and Canada.

“A 25% tariff will hurt American auto workers and consumers;

raise prices on cars, groceries, and energy for working families;

and put countless jobs at risk,” she said. “Trump’s middle-class

tax hike will cripple our economy and hit working-class, blue-collar

families especially hard.”

Both Spear and Whitmer noted that they are willing to work with

Trump to protect the future of cross-border trade.

On February 2, a day after Trump signed orders imposing trade

penalties, news outlets reported him as saying Americans could feel

“some pain” from the emerging trade war triggered by his tariffs

against Canada, Mexico and China. In addition, he claimed that

Canada would “cease to exist” without its trade surplus with the

U.S.

Meanwhile, Trump’s actions caused a mix of panic, anger and

uncertainty, and threatened to rupture a decades-old partnership on

trade in North America while further straining relations with China.

But not so fast…

Just before the tariffs were to take effect, Trump agreed to a 30-

day pause on threats against Mexico and Canada, as America’s two

largest trading partners took steps to appease his concerns about

border security and drug trafficking.

The pauses provide a cool-down period after a tumultuous few

days that put North America on the cusp of a trade war that risked

crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar and ending two

of the United States’ most critical partnerships.

“I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced

on Saturday will be paused for a 30-day period to see

whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured,”

Trump posted on social media February 3. “Fairness for all!”

What if Trump eventually makes good

on threatened tariffs?

According to a report by the Associated Press, by following

through on a campaign pledge, Trump may also have simultaneously

broken his promise to voters in last year’s election — that

his administration could quickly reduce infl ation.

That means the same frustration he’s facing from other nations

might also spread domestically to consumers and businesses.

“Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!),” Trump

said in another social media post. “But we will make America

great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid.”

The Trump administration has not said how high that price

could be or what improvements would need to be seen in stopping

illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl to merit

the removal of the tariffs that Trump imposed under the legal

justifi cation of an economic emergency.

“If prices go up, it’s because of other people’s reactions to

America’s laws,” his homeland secretary, Kristi Noem, said on

NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

If prices go up,

it’s because of other

people’s reactions to America’s laws,”

— Kristi Noem

HOMELAND SECURITY

In his Truth Social post, Trump took particular aim at Canada,

which responded with retaliatory measures. Trump is placing a

25% tariff on Canadian goods, with a 10% tax on oil, natural gas

and electricity. Canada is imposing 25% tariffs on more than $155

billion Canadian (US$105 billion) on U.S. products, including alcohol

and fruit.

Meanwhile, the trucking industry continues to do what it does

best — keep the wheels of the supply chain turning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


CAPITOL RECAP

A REVIEW OF IMPORTANT NEWS, LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS,

AND OTHER FACTORS IMPACTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY

Sean Duffy testifi es before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025,

for his nomination to be Transportation Secretary.

TRUCKING INDUSTRY WEIGHS IN ON

CONFIRMATION OF SEAN DUFFY AS US

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

By Bruce Guthrie

Sean Duffy was confi rmed January 28 as transportation

secretary, giving him a key role in helping President Donald

Trump cut regulations and fi x the nation’s infrastructure. He

was approved with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote in the

Senate.

Duffy, 53, has served as a U.S. representative for Wisconsin.

He is also a former reality TV star and spokesperson for Fox

News. He takes over the U.S. Department of Transportation

at a crucial time at the agency, a massive employer of more

than 55,000 that spends tens of billions of dollars annually,

oversees the nation’s highways, railroads and airspace and

sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks.

Trucking industry stakeholders and organizations were

quick to offer congratulations and express hope for the future

of the transportation industry.

“The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) congratulates

former Congressman Sean Duffy on his appointment as the

new Secretary of Transportation,” said Jim Ward, TCA president.

“TCA looks forward to collaborating with Secretary Duffy and the

Department of Transportation to promote policies that enhance

the safety and effi ciency of our nation’s highways.”

TCA remains dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions

on key issues, including implementing advanced safety

technologies like automatic emergency braking systems, hair

testing as an approved method for drug screening in the Drug

and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and addressing the critical need for

expanded truck parking facilities. These initiatives are vital for

SEE DUFFY, PAGE 14


CAPITOL RECAP

USDOT ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO LEADERSHIP TEAM

Truckload Authority Staff

On February 7, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

and Trump-Vance administration announced the addition of new

key members of the USDOT’s leadership team.

According to a memorandum from the USDOT, “This round

of political appointees continues to expand upon the expertise

needed to focus on the Department’s core mission of safety and

innovative initiatives.”

The most recent appointees, at the time of this writing,

include:

• Daniel Abrahamson, senior advisor, Offi ce of the Secretary

• John Grant Burdette, special assistant, Offi ce of the Public

Liaison

• Anne Byrd, senior advisor, Offi ce of the Secretary

• Keith Coyle, chief counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous

Materials Safety Administration

• Sofi a Dudkovsky, special assistant, National Highway

Traffi c and Safety Administration

• Kyle Garrett, special assistant, Offi ce of Research and

Technology

• Hannah Matesic, Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Congressional Affairs (House), Offi ce of Governmental Affairs

• Melissa Mejias, Director of Governmental and Legislative

Affairs, Federal Transit Administration

The Trump-Vance administration and U.S. Department of Transportation

have announced several additions to the agency’s staff.

• Sean Rushton, Director of Communications, National

Highway Traffi c Safety Administration

• Matthew Schuck, Director of Communications and Senior

Governmental Affairs Offi cer, Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration

• John Schultz, special assistant, Federal Railroad

Administration

DUFFY’S FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS AS

USDOT SECRETARY: ROLL BACK CAFE

By Bruce Guthrie

After the confi rmation vote and the offi cial swearing in on

January 28, Sean Duffy’s fi rst act as Secretary of Transportation

was to sign a memorandum to rescind or remove certain fuel

standards implemented by the Biden administration.

According to a memorandum released by the U.S. Department

of Transportation (USDOT), Duffy’s memo directs the start of a

process of “resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)

standards, which the agency says “will ultimately lower the

price of a car for American consumers and eliminate the electric

vehicle mandate.”

This step could be a harbinger of the future of the Biden

administration’s electric truck mandate.

Duffy described the rescinding of CAFE as a step toward

correcting government overreach and lowering the cost of

vehicles.

“The memorandum signed today specifi cally reduces the

burdensome and overly restrictive fuel standards that have

needlessly driven up the cost of a car in order to push a radical

Green New Deal agenda,” he said. “The American people

should not be forced to sacrifi ce choice and affordability when

purchasing a new car.”

Following his January 28 confi rmation, new U.S. Secretary of

Transportation signed a memorandum to rescind or remove certain fuel

standards implemented by the Biden administration.

The memorandum signed by the Secretary directs the Offi ce

of the General Counsel, the Offi ce of the Undersecretary for

Policy and the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration

to immediately initiate a rulemaking to rescind or replace all

existing CAFE standards.

SEE CAFE, PAGE 14


CAPITOL RECAP

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended the comment period through March 20, 2025, on a proposed rulemaking regarding

broker transparency.

FMCSA REOPENS COMMENT PERIOD

ON BROKER TRANSPARENCY

By Dana Guthrie

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

announced in mid-February that it’s reopening the comment

period on broker transparency proposed rulemaking.

According to a posting in the Federal Register, the comment

period is being reopened at the request of the Small Business

in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). The new comment period will

continue through March 20.

BACKGROUND

On November 20, 2024, NPRM (89 FR 91648) requested

public comment on FMCSA’s proposed amendments to its

property broker rules in response to petitions for rulemaking

from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

(OOIDA) and SBTC. Under current regulations, the parties to a

brokered freight transaction have a right to review the broker’s

record of the transaction, which stakeholders often refer to as

‘‘broker transparency.’’

Contracts between brokers and motor carriers frequently

contain waivers of this type. OOIDA requested that FMCSA

promulgate a requirement that property brokers automatically

provide an electronic copy of each transaction record within

48 hours after the contractual service has been completed.

The requirement would also explicitly prohibit brokers from

including any provision in their contracts that requires a motor

carrier to waive its rights to access the transaction records.

SBTC requested that FMCSA prohibit brokers of property from

coercing or requiring parties to brokered transactions to waive

their right to review the record of the transaction as a condition

for doing business and prohibit the use of clause(s) exempting

the broker from having to comply with this transparency

requirement.

SPEAKING OUT

In December 2024, OOIDA president Todd Spencer urged

all truck drivers to comment on the issue in a strongly worded

statement.

“To the shady freight brokers — you’ve skirted federal

regulations to take advantage of the hardworking men and

women behind the wheel for too long and it’s far past time this

era of screwing over truckers comes to an end,” Spencer said.

“To the American trucker — now is your chance to hold bad

brokers accountable. Jump into the arena and demand action

from FMCSA. No more sitting on the sidelines complaining. If you

speak up, we’ll win this fi ght.”

STACKED DECK?

Spencer also stated that the current system is unfair to small

business truckers.

SEE TRANSPARENCY, PAGE 14


TCA MARCH/APRIL 2025 www.truckload.org | Truckload Authority 13

CAPITOL RECAP

DUFFY, FROM PAGE 10

ensuring highway safety and supporting the professional growth

of the trucking workforce, refl ecting our deep appreciation for

their essential contributions.

“We are excited to work alongside Secretary Duffy and his

team to address these and other priorities that impact the

truckload industry and the broader transportation sector,” Ward

said. “Together, we aim to strengthen the industry’s role as the

backbone of America’s economy.”

Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking

Associations, also offered his support.

“On behalf of the trucking industry, it is a pleasure to congratulate

Sean Duffy on his confirmation to lead the Department of

Transportation as the 20th Secretary of Transportation,” Spear said.

Duffy’s strong bipartisan support is an endorsement of his

qualifi cations for the position, Spear noted.

“It also refl ects his commitment to unite stakeholders around

commonsense policies to make our transportation network

safer and more effi cient,” he said.

“Throughout his congressional service, Secretary Duffy was

a steadfast supporter of hardworking truckers and the work that

they do to deliver the nation’s freight,” Spear continued. “We

look forward to building on our partnership with Secretary Duffy

in the years ahead to modernize our infrastructure and increase

the resiliency of our supply chain.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers’ Association

(OOIDA) also voiced support for Duffy’s confi rmation.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent

congratulate Secretary Sean Duffy on his confi rmation to lead

the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Todd Spencer,

OOIDA president. “We look forward to continue working with

him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across

America, including expanding truck parking, fi ghting freight

fraud, and rolling back burdensome, unnecessary regulations.”

Rick Larsen, who serves as the ranking member of the House

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, offered these

remarks following Duffy’s confi rmation:

“Congratulations to Secretary Sean Duffy on his confi rmation

as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation by a

strong, bipartisan vote,” Larsen said.

“I look forward to working with Secretary Duffy in a bipartisan

fashion to stem the chaos created by recent executive orders,

bring clarity to project sponsors and to guarantee completion

ofinfrastructureprojectsacrossthecountry —protecting

the jobs of hardworking women and men in transportation

and keeping the recent historic investments in transportation

going,” he continued. “Supporting safe and efficient mobility

andopportunityforallshouldnotbecontroversial.”

CAFE, FROM PAGE 11

As a result of the regulatory costs, fuel economy standards

have diminished the strength of America’s auto industry and

denied Americans the full range of affordable vehicles they need.

The USDOT’s memorandum cited the following statistics from

Cox Automotive:

• From March 2021 to March 2024, the cost of a car increased

by a total of 15.5%, from an average of $40,881 to an average

of $47,218.

• Current rule requires all passenger cars and light trucks to

meet a standard of 50.4 miles per gallon (mpg) in Model Year

2031. This government mandate has dramatically increased the

average price of a new car to nearly $48,000, driving up the cost

and making it unaffordable for American consumers.

• The price of cars has continued to spiral. In March 2024,

of the 275 new-vehicle models available for purchase, only

eight had transaction prices below $25,000. By comparison,

in March 2021, more than 20 vehicles had transaction prices

below $25,000.

TRANSPARENCY, FROM PAGE 12

“The deck is stacked against carriers in numerous ways;

yet truckers persevere and deliver for the American people. It’s

time to level the playing fi eld,” Spencer said. “It’s time to restore

fairness in the freight market. It’s time to give small-business

truckers a leg up. It’s time for broker transparency.”

DEMAND FOR BROKER TRANSPARENCY

“We agree with (FMCSA’s) assertion that, ‘broker transparency

is intended to enable effi cient outcomes in the transportation

industry by providing material information necessary for the

transacting parties to make informed business decisions,’”

OOIDA noted in a prepared statement.

“Over the last few years, motor carriers have been increasingly

victimized by freight fraud, unpaid claims, dubious charges,

unpaid loads, double brokered loads, and load phishing schemes,”

the statement continued. “The absence of legitimate broker

transparency limits carriers’ ability to combat these problems.”

Comments on the NPRM may be submitted online through

Thursday, March 20, 2025, at regulations.gov/document/

FMCSA-2023-0257-0001.

INTERESTED IN JOINING TCA?

Visit truckload.org to fi nd out how Association

membership can benefi t your company.



NATIONAL NEWSMAKERS

Oz

PEARLMAN

TRUCKLOAD

2025’S KEYNOTE

SPEAKER EXCELS AS

MENTALIST, MAGICIAN

— AND ATHLETE

For Oz Pearlman, what began as a childhood fascination with

magic evolved into a lifelong passion — he is now the most

renowned and sought-after mentalist and magician in the

United States — as well as an accomplished athlete.

After working on Wall Street for a few years, Pearlman left the

financial market to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time entertainer.

The rest is, as they say, history, and he has now been dazzling

audiences with his mind-reading ability for nearly three decades.

In 2015, he competed on TV’s “America’s Got Talent,” captivating

the nation with never-before-seen mentalism routines. He

quickly became a fan favorite, fi nishing in third place out of thousands

of acts.

In 2018, he became part of an elite few — including David

Blaine and David Copperfi eld — to have their own TV special on

a major national network. “Oz Knows” aired on NBC multiples

times to rave reviews. The following year he won an Emmy Award

for that special.

He has made more than 100 other television appearances on

both national and international networks, including dozens of appearances

on the “TODAY Show,” the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,”

“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” the “Harry Connick Jr. Show,”

“Rachael Ray,” “Dr. Oz,” “CNBC Squawk Box,” “ABC World

News,” ESPN, CNBC, the NFL Network, Bravo, Fox Business and

many more.

Pearlman’s client list reads like a who’s who of politicians, professional

athletes, A-list celebrities, and Fortune 500 companies.

When he isn’t blowing the minds of audiences around the

world, Pearlman is an avid marathon and ultra-marathon runner,

having completed such grueling races as the Badwater 135 Miler,

Hawaii Ironman World Championships, Western States 100 and

Spartathlon. He takes great pride in his marathon personal record

of two hours, 23 minutes, and he has won dozens of races

throughout the country.

In April 2022, Pearlman was featured on the cover of the “New

York Times” for breaking the world record for most miles ever run

around Central Park in a single day (116 miles) while raising over

$100,000 for Save The Children’s Ukraine Relief Fund. Later that

year he broke the record for the fastest-ever crossing of Long Island

by foot, running from Montauk to Manhattan in 21 hours — on the

hottest of the summer, no less.

Oz Pearlman’s natural charisma and charm make him the perfect

choice for corporate events and private parties alike. His unique

blend of mind reading and mentalism create an interactive experience

that redefines the very nature of a magic show — one that

truly needs to be seen to be believed.

Don’t miss Pearlman’s keynote address at 3:45 p.m. Monday,

March 17, during the Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention

in Phoenix.


Jeremy

GUTSCHE

INNOVATION FOR THE

FUTURE IS NAME

OF THE GAME FOR

FEATURED SPEAKER

Innovator. Author. Futurist. Businessman. Disruptive thinker.

These are only a few words that describe Jeremy Gutsche, this

year’s featured speaker at the Truckload Carriers Association’s

Annual Convention, slated for March 15-18 in Phoenix.

When he’s not touring the globe as a futurist and sought-after

innovation speaker, Gutsche is hard at work as the CEO of Trend

Hunter, the world’s largest trend-spotting platform driven by artificial

intelligence.

Can you imagine the insight from a focus group made up of 100

million people? That’s the Trend Hunter AI platform.

For the better part of a decade, Gutsche has delivered AI workshops,

advisory services and thousands of trend reports based on

the Trend Hunter platform. He’s been incorporating AI into his innovation

since before almost anyone else, and he can show others

how to do it too.

With Gutsche at the helm, Trend Hunter has grown into a powerful

innovation engine and global showcase for what’s next — attracting

3 billion views in the process. The site has been featured

or cited in over 40,000 articles, and Gutsche is routinely sourced by

the media, including The Economist, CNN, WIRED and The New York

Times, to name a few.

Gutsche has been described as “a new breed of trend spotter”

by The Guardian, an “Oracle” by the Globe and Mail, an “intellectual

can of Red Bull” by Association Week, and “the rockstar of keynote

speakers” by Meetings Professional International.

Since the release of his award-winning first book, “Exploiting

Chaos,” Gutsche has become a world-class expert on innovating

through times of uncertainty.

His latest book, “Create the Future,” features a foreword by Malcolm

Gladwell; the book won a 2021 Axiom Business Book Award

in the category of business disruption and reinvention.

In “Create the Future,” Gutsche teaches readers how to think

disruptively and implement real change when it’s needed most. The

handbook features strategies that have been employed in projects

with the world’s most powerful brands. Gutsche’s talks regularly go

viral, and his landmark innovation keynote has surpassed 10 million

views, making it the most watched in history.

Gutsche is also the author of New York Times bestseller “Better

and Faster,” which shows how to grasp opportunities to lead

through change, destroy complacency and realize the potential of

individuals and teams.

Insights from “Better and Faster” led to a workshop for NASA’s

Goddard Space Flight Center, helping the organization integrate AI,

become “lean, agile, responsive and adaptive to change” … and

one day get human beings to Mars.

Gutsche is the winner of The Cisco Innovation Excellence Award

and the BDC’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Before founding

Trend Hunter, he was one of Capital One’s youngest business

directors, where he grew a billion-dollar portfolio of market-leading

products at the age of 28.

Don’t miss Gutsche’s presentation at Truckload 2025: Phoenix

during Tuesday’s general session, which begins at 8 a.m.


TRACKING THE TRENDS

2025

FREIGHT OUTLOOK

SLOW ECONOMIC GROWTH

EXPECTED, BUT HAZARDS REMAIN

By Cliff Abbott

The U.S. economy remained strong into the fi rst quarter of 2025, but most

economists are predicting growth to slow for the remainder of the year and

through 2026.

However, opinions vary regarding the new administration in Washington: It

may enact policies that could either dampen growth in the Real Gross Domestic Product

(RGDP) or spur further growth, depending on the information source.

Even U.S. government agencies disagree on predictions, with the Congressional Budget

Offi ce forecasting RGDP growth of 1.9% by the end of 2025 and the Federal Reserve

Board predicting 2.1%. In contrast, Deloitte calls for 2.4%, Goldman Sachs forecasts

2.5% and the International Monetary Fund anticipates 2.7%.

All of these sources predict further slowing in 2026.

Infl ation is still a key concern for the Federal Reserve, which made its third cut of 2024

to the federal funds rate in December. The interest rate range is now 4.25% to 4.5%. The

Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets the rates, is expected to consider

another adjustment in March.

What about trucking?

Whether anticipated economic growth will translate to more freight — or higher rates

— for the trucking industry is even harder to predict.

Analysts at ACT Research predict modest growth in freight demand for 2025, at a pace

of 1.8% over 2024 levels.

In a January 9 webinar, analysts at FTR Freight Intelligence forecast similar growth.

Jason Miller, professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University’s Eli

Broad College of Business, is concerned about manufacturing startups.

In a recent LinkedIn posting, Miller noted that the number of new manufacturing plants

opening in the U.S. has declined; in 1988 there were more than 30,000, and in 2022 that

number dropped to about 15,000.

“There is little reason to think we will see a huge increase in manufacturing plants over

the next few years,” Miller wrote. “Despite all the talk of reshoring over the last decade,

we haven’t seen new plant openings get back to pre-GFC (Global Financial Crisis of 2007-

2008) levels, let alone 1990s levels.”

An increased demand for shipping would serve to push freight rates higher, but it

doesn’t appear that demand will come from increased manufacturing.

The other side of the supply-demand equation is capacity — and that side is problematic

too.


Despite all the talk of

reshoring over the last

decade, we haven’t seen new

plant openings get back to

pre-GFC (Global Financial Crisis

of 2007-2008) levels, let alone

1990s levels.”

— Jason Miller

PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AT MICHIGAN STATE

UNIVERSITY’S ELI BROAD COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks remained strong in December

2024, despite declining from the previous December. Throughout

North America, more than 22,000 trucks were bought, and

another 36,800 were ordered, according to ACT Research.

The number of carriers has been shrinking. The Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration has reported more authority

revocations than new carrier registrations for most of the past

two years. That number is nearing equilibrium.

Both contract and spot rates are beginning to see upward

movement, but weak manufacturing numbers combined with

strong truck sales create a considerable headwind. Carriers

should see some rate relief this year, but it will be a slow

process.

Impact of a new administration

If there’s good news for the coming year, it’s in the Energy

Information Administration’s (EIA’s) Short-Term Energy Outlook.

The agency expects global oil production to grow faster than

demand, increasing stocks. The agency forecasts U.S. crude oil

production to grow to a new record of 13.5 million barrels per

day, with prices for both diesel fuel and gasoline dropping.

These EIA predictions were compiled prior to President

Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Part of Trump’s campaign platform was to increase production

and achieve energy independence, and he signed executive

orders that open up drilling and fracking within hours

of his inauguration.

Those actions won’t increase production immediately, but

the news can impact market prices.

Another Trump promise, to impose tariffs on U.S. trading

partners, has the potential to severely disrupt the trucking

industry if enacted. Threatened tariffs increases on Canada

and Mexico could curtail trade, especially if those countries

enact retaliatory measures.

The supply of trucks, as well as their pricing, could also be

impacted. All of the major Class 8 manufacturers have manufacturing

facilities in Mexico, with the Volvo plant in Monterrey

not yet completed.

Since the OEMs sell in Canada, Mexico and South America,

production for most might be shifted to ensure that trucks

sold in the U.S. are manufactured here — but changes to

production could add cost and delay delivery, even if tariffs

are avoided.

The tariffs could also impact products hauled by trucking.

According to a Brookings article by Douglas A. Rediker

published in December, “The consequences of Trump’s tariff

threats,” the auto industry would be severely impacted. Tariffs

would violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

(USMCA), Rediker wrote, and greatly increase vehicle prices.

“Each vehicle produced under the USMCA framework

crosses the border an average of eight times during production,

meaning the tariffs would be compounded at each

stage,” Rediker wrote.

Truck parts manufactured in China would also become

more expensive, pushing up the price of new trucks and aftermarket

parts for repairs.

Another possible consequence of tariffs is a trade war,

which would deny products to American consumers as well

as decrease import freight volumes.

“If we have tit-for-tat retaliation, whether it’s 25% tariff

(or) 60% and we go to where we were in the 1930s, we’re going

to see double-digit global GDP losses. That’s catastrophic.

Everyone will pay,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of

the World Trade Organization, said during the World Economic

Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

At the time of this writing, some of Trump’s threatened tariffs

have been placed on hold, with both Mexico and Canada

taking steps to improve border security and reviewing trade

agreements.

Other Trump actions, such as deporting illegal immigrants,

halting incentives for electric vehicles and prohibiting leases

for windmill farms are among those that could impact freight

markets.

Most of the trucking industry was looking forward to an improving

freight market in 2025. Unfortunately, with all of the

factors in play, the road to recovery could well be bumpy.

If we have tit-for-tat

retaliation, whether it’s

25% tariff (or) 60% and we go to

where we were in the 1930s, we’re

going to see double-digit global

GDP losses. That’s catastrophic.

Everyone will pay.”

— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION


TRACKING THE TRENDS

FIRST

ALTERNATE

WHAT’S THE MOST VIABLE REPLACEMENT

FOR TRADITIONAL DIESEL FUEL?

By Bruce Guthrie

The long-term future of emission standards

is still up in the air after President Donald

Trump’s election to the Oval Office, but the

trucking industry continues to work toward

better efficiency and lower emissions.

And while the emissions mandates that were looming

over the entire vehicle industry have been stopped — at

least for now — there’s no denying that viable, more

eco-friendly alternatives are needed.

While battery electric motors have been the primary

focus of manufacturers and government agencies, renewable

diesel, hydrogen and natural gas are also on

the radar.

With that in mind, it’s a great time to check out alternatives

to traditional diesel fuel.

ICE technology evolving

Strides are being made in the field of internal combustion

engines (ICEs) powered by alternative fuels.

In an unveiling by Cummins executives in August

2024, the Cummins X15 engine was touted as a platform

that would be a force for alternative fuels. The X15

series has three models — including one for advanced

diesel, natural gas and hydrogen. The goal is to achieve

peak performance over the long haul, which includes increased

fuel economy, lower emissions and more time

on the road.

“I think a lot of what we are trying to do … is improve

the overall CO2 performance of the engine, make the engine

lighter,” said Tom Marsh, who serves as Cummins

VPI leader for the X15. “Improve in all of those areas, but

at the same time, maintain the robustness of the product,

but also adopt the global platforms.”

Field testing shows

promising results

In July 2024, Allison Transmission announced a partnership

with Cummins to test and validate the new Cummins

X15N 15-liter natural gas engine paired with the

Allison 4000 Series fully automatic transmission.

Sandman, a bulk-cement hauling fleet based in San

Jose, California, successfully completed over 50,000

miles of vehicle testing in the field and reported significant

improvements in fuel efficiency and performance.

According to press reports, the test vehicle — a Peterbilt

tractor equipped with the X15N engine and Allison

4000 series transmission — demonstrated “impressive”

performance and productivity.

20 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024

Victor Landaverde, fl eet manager for Sandman, describes

the 50,000-mile fi eld testing of the natural gaspowered

tractors as “fl awless,” noting that the company’s

drivers haul 80,000-pound loads through stop-and-go

traffi c between San Jose and San Francisco multiple times

each day. He also says the fl eet of more than 100 trucks

achieved “excellent” fuel effi ciency.

“As the industry continues to evaluate electric vehicle

technology and works to overcome the hurdles facing

this technology adoption, more customers are expected

to adopt alternative fuel engines as a solution to meet increasing

emissions stringencies,” Landaverde said.

Alternative fuel

infrastructure progresses

Infrastructure for natural gas is also starting to emerge

with Clean Energy as its leader.

In 2024, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced a significant

increase in its renewable natural gas (RNG) footprint

as it opened two additional stations in San Bernadino

and Perris, both in Southern California.

“There’s a growing realization that the other muchhyped

technologies aren’t living up to their promises

of availability, fueling infrastructure or cost of ownership,”

said Chad Lindholm, senior vice president at Clean

Energy. “The RNG solution is here and now, providing

fl eets with incredible emissions reductions affordably.”

Clean Energy manages more than 600 stations

throughout the U.S. and Canada, 200 of which provide

tractor-trailer access.

In addition, travel stops — including Loves, Travel

Centers of America, Pilot and others — are working to

integrate alternative fuels into their sites.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hydrogen,

when used in a fuel cell to provide electricity, is

a zero tailpipe emissions alternative fuel produced from

diverse energy sources. Currently, drivers of light-duty

fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) can fuel up at retail stations

in less than five minutes and obtain a driving range

of more than 300 miles.

Research and commercial efforts are under way to expand

the limited hydrogen fueling infrastructure and increase

the production of FCEVs in the freight industry.

While battery-electric fuel cells may be the future of

freight, that future is not now, say most stakeholders in

the trucking industry. The tried-and-true ICE remains

king, and innovations in fuel and engine production are

making it more eco-friendly as well.

TCA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 21

TRACKING THE TRENDS

TOP

NEW PRESIDENTIAL

ADMINISTRATION

COULD BRING

ABOUT CHANGES IN

REGULATIONS

By Linda Garner-Bunch

LEGAL ISSUES

FACING

TRUCKING

There’s no question that the landscape of trucking will

change as Version 2.0 of the Trump administration takes

shape in Washington.

Many analysts believe hope is on the horizon following

what could well be one of the longest-running economic downturns

in the industry’s history.

As the Truckload Carriers Association and other industry organizations

continue to push for change in federal laws and regulations,

trucking stakeholders hope for improvements in the legal arena.

Recently we had a chance to visit with the team at Scopelitis,

Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., about some of the top legal

issues facing motor carriers today. Their Top 5 concerns, in no particular

order, include the following:

ACCIDENT LIABILITY

“The trucking industry continues to be in the grips of a relentless

trend of excessive verdicts in accident liability cases,” said

Prasad Sharma, a partner at Scopelitis.

“A combination of aggressive plaintiffs’ attorneys’ tactics, impassioned

juries and failure to keep out testimony and evidence

that is more prejudicial than it is relevant to, or probative of, the

cause of an accident has led to more frequent excessive or disproportionate

verdicts,” he continued.

According to Sharma, the increased frequency of such verdicts

makes it riskier to try cases and, in turn, drives up settlement

amounts. In addition, he says, plaintiffs’ attorneys may refer clients

to medical providers for unnecessary — and overpriced —

treatment following an accident.

In addition, he notes, some attorneys resort to “anchoring” tactics

— planting a number or formula for damages in the minds of

the jury that is “divorced from any economic calculation.”

“Carriers are facing a diffi cult legal environment that has translated

to ever-increasing insurance costs,” he said.

“Fortunately, the last couple of years have seen the trucking

industry make progress in fi ghting back with civil justice reform

measures that seek to bend the curve, and 2025 promises to be

another active year for civil justice reform measures in state legislatures

throughout the country,” he concluded.


INDEPENDENT CONTRAC-

TOR CLASSIFICATION

In recent years, the independent contractor (IC) business

model has come under fi re, both at the state and federal level.

Many in trucking fear that a Biden-era ruling will effectively

force companies to classify owner-operators as company employees.

Greg Feary, a partner at Scopelitis, believes IC classifi cation

will remain a top issue in trucking this year.

“We are likely to see the U.S. Department of Labor return

to the more entrepreneur-centric view of owner-operators in

trucking as compared to the Biden-era Independent Contractor

Test rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (aka the ‘Biden

Rule’),” he said.

The path back to the 2020 Trump rule is most likely through

one of the fi ve pending court challenges to the Biden Rule,

which Feary says should face less opposition under the Trump

Administration.

“(However), we already see evidence of activity at the state

level with California’s multiple portable benefi ts bills and Iowa’s

transportation network company initiative,” he noted. “While

these state law efforts are at the periphery of the trucking misclassifi

cation legal agenda, they signal that focus remains on

the issue in the transportation space.”

Feary points to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Lori

Chavez-DeRemeer to lead the Department of Labor as a sign

that the administration could take a more pro-union tack than

during his fi rst term.

“Tension remains at both the state and federal level, albeit

the threat of the proliferation of pro-employment ABC test at either

level remains lower during this current legal environment,”

he said.

POTENTIAL FMCSA

REGULATORY CHANGES

Changes at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and

its agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

(FMCSA), are also top of mind, says Chris Eckhart, a

partner at Scopelitis.

“The FMCSA could potentially issue proposed rulemakings

or procedures on a number of important issues (this year),” he

said, pointing to previously proposed changes to the agency’s

Safety Measurement System used to identify carriers for safety

interventions.

Similarly, Eckhart says, the agency is considering changes to

the safety fitness determination procedure. In addition, the FMCSA

announced modifications to its crash preventability determination

program that should start in 2025.

Finally, he says, the FMCSA previously indicated it was considering

implementing a formal appeal process for requests for data

review (Data Qs).

“Under the proposal, eligible Data Qs could be appealed to FMC-

SA if they ‘pertain to significant matters of legal interpretation or

implementation of enforcement policies or regulations,’” Eckhart

said, adding that it’s possible the FMCSA could finalize the appeals

process in 2025.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL

TESTING ISSUES

Motor carriers could face legal challenges regarding drug and

alcohol testing in 2025, particularly with the evolving landscape

of state laws and federal regulations, Eckhart says.

“One key issue is the interplay between state laws that prohibit

adverse action against employees for off-duty marijuana

use and the DOT Drug and Alcohol Regulations,” he said. “Although

the DOT Drug and Alcohol Regulations prohibit any marijuana,

they technically do not require motor carriers to terminate

the driver’s employment if the driver completed a substance

abuse program and the return-to duty-process.”

Some carriers also drug test drivers who operate mid-size

commercial motor vehicles. While these drivers aren’t subject to

the DOT’s drug and alcohol regulations, under 49 C.F.R. Part 391,

they can’t qualify physically if they test positive for marijuana.

“Carriers who terminate non-CDL drivers for testing positive

for marijuana may face legal challenges under state law,”

Eckhart said. “The Department of Justice’s recent decision to

reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the

Controlled Substances Act could further impact these issues.”

BROKER ISSUES

According to Sharma, many motor carriers also maintain property

broker operations — and as plaintiff’s attorneys continue

to seek additional sources of money in accident cases, property

brokers are all too frequently named in litigation. These claims are

often under theories that the broker negligently hired or retained

the carrier involved in the accident.

There has been some success in defending such state law

claims as being preempted under a federal deregulatory statute,

49 U.S.C. 14501(c) (also known as the FAAAA). The U.S. Courts of

Appeals for the Seventh and Eleventh Circuits have found such

claims preempted, he says. However, the Ninth Circuit found that

they are not; such claims fall within a safety regulatory exception

to preemption.

“The Supreme Court has turned down the opportunity to resolve

this difference in opinion, including just this past January,”

Sharma said. “We will be watching the other Courts of Appeals

to see how they decide this important issue and whether the Supreme

Court will ultimately decide the issue.”

In addition, he notes, to the chagrin of many brokers, the FMC-

SA has threatened to dive back into the pool of economic regulation

with a proposed rule on broker transparency. The comment

period for the proposal closed in late January.

As it stands at the time of this writing, brokers are required to

keep records of transactions that include the amount paid to the

broker and the amount the broker pays the carrier. Both the shipper

and the carrier have the right to review the records — but that

right is often waived in the broker’s contracts.

“The FMCSA has proposed making it a non-waivable regulatory

obligation to disclose such information within 48 hours of

a request by a carrier or a shipper,” Sharma said. “If FMCSA’s

dive back into economic regulation is fi nalized, brokers will have

to revisit their agreements to better protect their shipper clients’

confi dential information.”



SPONSORED BY McLEOD SOFTWARE / McLEODSOFTWARE.COM / 877.362.5363


SPONSORED BY

A YEAR TO

REMEMBER

Foreword and Interview by Linda Garner-Bunch

At the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) annual

convention, slated for March 15-18 in Phoenix, chairman John

Culp will pass the torch to incoming chair Karen Smerchek,

president of Veriha Trucking Inc. As he prepares to transition to

the role of immediate past chair, Culp took time to reflect on

his tenure as chairman and share his thoughts on the state of

the trucking industry. “I’ve loved my time as TCA chairman,”

he said during a visit one February afternoon. “I love our

industry. I love to talk about it.” Anyone who’s spent more

than five minutes conversing with Culp would agree that not

only does he love trucking; he is also an expert on the many

aspects of the industry. As his year as chairman comes to an

end, the Truckload Authority team extends a word of thanks to

John Culp for making this a year to remember.



John Culp, picked up the reins as 2024-25 chairman of the board for the Truckload Carriers Association during the organization’s 2024 convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for joining

us today. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since our first visit

and that this is your last Chat with the Chairman! What have

been some of the highlights of the past year for you?

The highlight for me has been working with the team at TCA. It’s been

a great year. It’s been challenging, it’s been fun and it’s been rewarding.

Working with TCA is always a great experience altogether, not just the past

year, but every year.

When I fi rst became chairman, someone asked me, “Well John, what

are you going to do? What do you want to accomplish as chairman?” My

answer was that I want to do keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing

with TCA over the years. I want to continue what we’re doing as an organization,

and I want to work to make it even better — I’ll just be sitting in a

different chair.

And that’s exactly what we’ve done. Note that I said “we.” It’s not just me;

it’s the entire organization, from the staff to the offi cers and members. Our

offi cers this year have been awesome, and our TCA staff is stronger than it’s

ever been. We’re well aligned with the objectives we’re trying to reach, and

we’ve got a lot of momentum. Having the opportunity to work closely with

these people has been amazing.

I have been truly blessed with the relationships I’ve developed and the

friends I’ve made — and it’s been extremely rewarding to be a part of TCA’s

leadership and to continue the efforts to amplify the “voice of truckload” on

Capitol Hill.

Our membership has grown stronger, and together we have worked

through the challenges and uncertainties of the past 12 months. We continue

to grow stronger. It has been an honor to be a part of this team effort. To sum

it up, it’s been a great year to be part of TCA.

What would you say has been your greatest challenge in

the past 12 months, and what accomplishment are you most

proud of?

The biggest challenge is pretty universal: Time. There’s just never

enough of it. But that’s where teamwork comes in, and the TCA staff and

offi cers really stepped up to help make sure all the wonderful educational

offerings and meetings provided the added value our members have come

to appreciate and expect.

Earlier you mentioned amplifying the voice of truckload

on Capitol Hill. During his first few weeks in office, President

Trump has already signed countless executive orders, some of

which relate to the trucking industry. How do you believe the

new Trump administration will impact TCA’s efforts to enact

legislation that will benefit trucking and the supply chain?

Executive orders are great, and they serve an important purpose — but issues

really need to be addressed at the congressional level through legislation.

That’s one of the key benefi ts of TCA membership. We allow the stakeholders

to actually have input on what is presented in Washington. If you

haven’t already, check out the story on Page 6; TCA’s Dave Heller does a

great job of explaining how the association works to make sure our members

have the ear of the nation’s decision-makers.

Any time you have an administration change at the federal level, it’s going

to have an effect on every industry in every sector. TCA’s leadership has

a history of working closely with whoever’s in the Oval Offi ce, or whatever

party has control of the House and Senate, to help promote legislation that

benefi ts our industry.

SEE CHAT, PAGE 29





In addition to serving as the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2024-25

chairman, John Culp is president of Arkansas-based Maverick Transportation.

He is one of the most recent inductees to the TCA Champions Club, a referral

program designed to honor members who help bring new members into the

organization.



CHAT, FROM PAGE 26

We work to bring about changes that will benefi t our members as well as

the rest of the nation. To that end, it doesn’t matter which party is in power

— our goal remains the same: To educate the lawmakers about how different

issues, such as emissions mandates and a lack of truck parking, impact the

transportation industry as a whole, especially the hundreds of thousands of

truck drivers that make sure products are delivered safely every single day.

I’m glad you mentioned the emissions mandates. One of the

first executive orders President Trump signed back in January

called for a halt to what he termed as Environmental Protection

Agency’s “EV mandate.” Since then, the EPA has announced

further changes that could impact the previously-called-for transition

to zero-emission Class 8 trucks. What are your thoughts?

The Advanced Clean Fleet Rule being put to bed, so to speak, is great

news. It offers a reprieve for the industry to develop a realistic, commonsense

approach to addressing the trucking industry’s environmental responsibilities.

One thing you and I have

discussed in the past is the

possibility of using alternative

fuels to achieve zero

emissions for heavy-duty vehicles.

What have you heard

lately on this front?

The industry defi nitely needs

to continue to look at alternative

fuel sources. However, much like

the charging facilities for electric

vehicles, it’s going to take time to

develop the infrastructure to produce

the alternative fuels, such as

renewable diesel, needed to meet

the demands of the trucking industry

and other sectors.

On page 20, there’s a very informative story about the progress of internal

combustion engines designed to burn alternative fuel, along with information

about the fueling infrastructure.

The industry needs to continue to work towards zero emissions and create

a realistic path to our objectives — and it WILL happen; it will just take time.

What other issues do you see facing the trucking industry

in the near future?

Parking is still a huge issue. We’re working with Congress to develop

solutions, and I believe we made great progress last year. I believe there will

be some real movement on parking this year.

Of course, one of the primary goals at TCA is to promote safety on the

roads, and that means safe drivers. We want to see well-trained, drug- and

alcohol-free drivers on the highways. That brings us to the Drug and Alcohol

Clearinghouse and the admission of additional testing methods, including

hair follicle and oral fl uids testing. Progress is still needed on oral fl uids testing,

but the process of approving laboratories to conduct the testing needs

further development. Hair follicle testing results are proven and accurate

— but are still not accepted by the Clearinghouse. The guidelines for this

testing were mandated eight and a half years ago, but we are still fi ghting

shameful bureaucratic red tape that is preventing implementation.

What do you see as some of the top legal issues facing the

trucking industry?

Insurance costs have shot well above the rate of infl ation, and high-dollar

verdicts — often referred to as “nuclear” verdicts — have been the driving

force behind those increases. We need litigation reform to help curtail that,

to ensure reasonable verdicts. Without tort reform, many trucking companies

will be forced out of business, either because they can’t afford insurance or

because of the unreasonably high verdicts themselves. In the end, these skyrocketing

costs are passed along to the consumers in the form of higher prices.

For perspective, the current minimum insurance level is $750,000. That

fi gure was set back in 1980 — 45 years ago — and it hasn’t changed.

Today most carriers carry $1 million policies, but even that isn’t enough to

cover a carrier’s fi nancial responsibility.

As an industry, we carry insurance because it’s the right thing to do.

We’re not trying to shirk any responsibility, but the premiums, as well as

payouts to plaintiffs, should be reasonable.

Executive orders are

great, and they serve

an important purpose

— but issues really need to be

addressed at the congressional

level through legislation.’”

On the plus side, I believe we’re going to see some real effort to have

trucking accidents involving a certain

monetary value being adjudicated

in a federal court, regulated

at the federal level.

— John Culp

TCA CHAIRMAN

Let’s talk about the

freight recession. Many analysts

predict that conditions

will slowly improve over the

course of 2025 after bouncing

along the bottom for

the past two to three years.

What are your thoughts?

I would say we’ve been in a

recession for about two and a

half years now, and it’s been very

painful. Many trucking companies

are struggling to keep their doors

open, and countless others have shut down. The challenges are very real.

We’re hoping to move toward a more robust economy, and that we’ll see

some relief from infl ation. The economy always goes up and down; it’s a

cycle, like a pendulum swing. It’s not a question of IF things will change, it’s

a question of when. I believe there’s reason for optimism, that the pendulum

will swing in our favor this year.

As your time as chairman of the board comes to an end, it’s

tradition to offer a few words of advice to the incoming chair.

What wisdom would you like to share with incoming chairperson

Karen Smerchek?

First of all, let me say how pleased I am that Karen will be succeeding

me as chair of TCA. She is the fi rst woman to lead the board in the association’s

nearly 100-year history.

Rather than offering advice, I’d like to express my support. Karen became

an offi cer on TCA’s board at the same time as I did. We’ve worked

together, and I know how good she is. She’s a strong leader, a smart trucking

industry stakeholder, and she’s going to do a great job leading the association’s

board of directors.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Chairman. It has been an

honor working with you over the past year.


TALKING TCA

inside

Whether she’s scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands or

creating a new educational program in her position

as director of education for the Truckload Carriers

Association (TCA), Elizabeth Nicholson gives her whole

heart into her endeavors.

Nicholson says she had early aspirations of being a marine

biologist.

“I’ve always had a love for animals and nature,” she told

Truckload Authority. I’m an avid scuba diver.”

She hails from Tivoli, New York.

“If you spell the city backwards, it spells ‘I lov(e) it,’ which is

always a funny little tidbit,” she said with a laugh.

In 1996, Nicholson moved to Virginia to work for an

aviation association. After accepting a position at a different

aviation association, Nicholson made a friend who would be

instrumental in her path to the TCA.

“Funnily enough, my first boss at the National Air

Transportation Association was Diane Gleason,” she said,

adding that Gleason is now TCA’s director of meetings — and

the reason Nicholson made the move to the association.

“I’ve known Diane for 25 years,” she said. “Coming here, it

has been kind of a full circle.”

Although the two don’t work together directly, Nicholson says

she’s thrilled to work for the same company as her former boss.

In her role at TCA, Nicholson creates new educational

opportunities for members and works with associate members

to provide content.

She says she particularly enjoys working with TCA’s Veterans

Resource Work Group.

“We are working on a webpage for our members where

they can grab resources to help them become more veteranout

Elizabeth Nicholson

looks forward

to the future as

TCA’s director of

education

By Dana Guthrie

30 Truckload Authority | www.truckload.org TCA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024

friendly,” Nicholson said. “It’s really important, and something

that everyone can agree on.”

Nicholson also thrives as a frontline support person for TCA

members.

“I really enjoy developing content and taking slideshow or

a PDF document and turning it into an interactive educational

piece that is interesting to our members,” Nicholson said. “I’ve

always enjoyed the creativity of the job.”

Nicholson has a number of passions in her life including

her partner Joel and her two children, along with their beagle,

Coco. Family is her top priority.

“My dad lives just 4 miles from me; my mom passed away a

couple years ago,” Nicholson said. “My family is No. 1 in my life.

“I know so many people say that,” she continued. “To give

you an idea of who I am … when people die, their tombstone

doesn’t say ‘Greatest Employee Ever.’ It says, ‘Greatest Mom,’

Greatest Spouse,’ ‘Greatest Daughter’ or ‘Loving Daughter.’

“When you get older, you don’t ever look back and think, ‘I

wish I’d gone to more meetings,’” she added.

Nicholson lives by this code, and she takes every opportunity

she can to explore the world. With an upcoming trip to Africa,

Nicholson will be one step closer to visiting every continent —

only Antarctica will remain on her checklist.

“I strive for a good work/life balance,” she said. “I love to

travel, and I do play golf and of course, I mean, I’m not great at

it, but I do play.

“I just got back from Bali, and I loved it! I also went to the

Galapagos last year, and next year I’m going to Africa,” she

continued. “This year I’m going to Canada to the Hockey Hall of

Fame and some other places. I can just explore the local parks and

driving around and just getting lost and finding new things and

meeting new people.”

As a memento of each place she visits, Nicholson has a collection

of souvenir spoons, a tradition she says was started by her aunt.

“I have probably a little over 200 of them on my dining room

wall,” Nicholson said. “My aunt started when she would travel, and

then I continued it as I traveled around the world.”

Nicholson says she loves that her role TCA leaves her both

professionally and personally fulfilled and still allows her to indulge

her wanderlust.

“I love the collaborative environment at the TCA,” Nicholson said,

adding that she’s looking forward to growing in her role as director

of education.

“I can see my future here,” Nicholson said.

“It’s exciting to pull together brand-new programs for our

members,” she continued. “I have high hopes for these different

programs. I plan to continue to grow our offerings, to improve what

we already have and keep it going.”

QUESTION

ANSWER

Q. What is your guilty pleasure?

Hallmark movies

Q. What is your greatest challenge as a

professional?

This is a tough question! Do people have challenges, or do they

have opportunities? I like to think I have the opportunity to always

learn more.

Q. What is something you would never

wear?

Almost anything you’d see on the red carpet or in Lady Gaga’s

closet (I love her though).

Q. Do you have a phobia?

It’s more of a respect for their space than a phobia: I don’t like

birds. But I do like peacocks and hummingbirds — they don’t count!

Q. If you could be summed up in one word,

what would it be?

Curious. I like to ask questions to learn new things. I love learning

about different places and people from around the world and I also

like to understand the mechanics behind how something works.

Q. What goal do you have that you have

not yet achieved?

I want to be a scuba diving instructor to share my passion with

others.

Q. What was the last movie you saw?

“Gladiator II”

Q. What was the last book you read?

I read at least three to four books a month. I’m currently reading

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz.”

Q. What is your favorite song?

I don’t have one. I love music so it depends on my mood on

what I listen to. Mostly, I lean towards country — but sometimes I

gotta sing Toto’s “Africa” at the top of my lungs while driving.

Q. If you could invite four people, living

or dead, to a dinner party, who would

you invite?

Jacques Cousteau, Princess Diana, Mike Phillips (he led the

effort to reintroduce gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park), and

my mom.


TALKING TCA

POISED for RECOVERY

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS ON

PACE FOR NORMALIZATION IN 2025

By Kris Rutherford

The freight recession that gripped the transportation and

logistics (T&L) industry for the past 32 months is fading,

and analysts in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A)

sector are focusing on one word in 2025: Normalization.

According to the M&A experts at Tenney Group, the market

appeared to loosen in late 2024. During a recent webinar

hosted by the Truckload Carriers Association, attendees were

cautioned that freight recovery is not complete. The process

is ongoing and slower than many analysts anticipated.

THE GOOD NEWS

Early 2025 trends are promising, and a positive trajectory

is evident.

“I think (recovery) is still yet to be determined fully,” said

Beau McGinnis, a senior associate at Tenney Group. “But

from a freight perspective, a rate perspective and an M&A

perspective, things are trending in the right direction.”

A lot of deals made headlines during 2024 the year; however,

most of those M&As occurred in the second half of

the year following a sluggish start, and much of the activity

focused on diversification.

“When a company’s trying to diversify their service offerings

and get into a new sector … it helps to have clear evidence

the company is differentiated,” said Spencer Tenney,

CEO and President at Tenney Group.

The freight recession has had a major impact on the trucking

industry over the past year, as have interest rates and

record inflation. In addition, the residual effects of what analysts

refer to as “traumatic activity” had a profound influence

in the M&A sector during 2024.

However, that began to change in the second half of the

year.

THE PROFIT/LOSS FACTOR

One of the major barriers to finalizing deals earlier in 2024

was the profit and loss (P&L) margin. While P&L was on


course for stabilization, it had to reach the point buyers and

sellers aligned on valuation and structure.

“Sellers and buyers self-elected out of the M&A process

until conditions began to normalize,” Tenney said.

The point is evident in data indicating M&A activity of

$39 billion in the first half of 2024 as compared to nearly

$52 billion in the second half, McGinnis noted. As profit and

loss normalized, company earnings strengthened, leading to

higher deal enterprise values and volume increase.

Elevated operating expenses also impacted 2024 trends.

For instance, the cost of non-production staff positions increased

over 2023. These and other expense categories

made comfort among buyers and sellers rare.

“There’s a direct correlation to rising operational costs

and new buyers getting into the game using acquisitions as

a way to expand their growth playbook,” Tenney said, adding

that a “new formula” is needed to create profits.

Companies that specialized or fit into a specific niche fared

better than traditional OTR carriers when it came to M&A.

These firms survived the volatility of the freight market and

were better positioned for involvement in acquisitions. General

OTR carriers were not excluded from the M&A process,

but they didn’t fare as well as those offering specialization.

“There’s a difference between being specialized (just) to

be specialized and being specialized to present value-added

services for customers in the marketplace for other companies,”

McGinnis said.

M&A OUTLOOK FOR 2025

So, what does all this mean for M&A activity in 2025?

Once again, the industry is looking forward to “normalization.”

Promising trends from 2024 are expected to carry over

to the current year.

However, there’s still call for caution in the M&A sector

this year.

First, analysts caution about the new presidential administration

and the costs of change. Overoptimism is a concern.

“I think it’s positive knowing where we stand from a political

standpoint,” Tenney said. “Most people think there will be

a favorable political and regulatory environment. There will

be specific losers, but most (carriers) will probably perform

pretty well and be insulated.”

Another concern focuses on smaller carriers whose business

is tied up in assets. Many of these companies hope to

ride positive movements brought on by the new administration

with hopes they will advance or enhance a future exit

from the industry.

If too many of these types of operations double down on

expectations, there will be losers. For those seeking acquisitions,

losers will be converted to a positive return.

EXPECT A VOLUME SPIKE

Analysts expect 2025 market conditions to drive a volume

spike. McGinnis says he doesn’t believe conditions have to

get considerably better on the freight market because everything

else is leveling out.

“We don’t need perfect conditions; we just need stable

conditions. That’s what we have right now,” he said. “We

can move forward with the understanding that we have, and

buyers and sellers can align on deal activity.”

This “rush of inventory” will be accompanied by an anticipated

increase in freight volume, something that will further

encourage M&A activity.

With improved M&A conditions, financial buyers — those

who are not in the T&L business — may enter the fray when

they see opportunities to diversify. McGinnis notes that interest

from private equity and other financial buyers has been

substantial of late.

However, it’s important to note that 80% of interest in M&A

comes from buyers purchasing strategically within the existing

space. This statistic is a positive one for those considering

an exit from the T&L sector.

Innovation and “deal fatigue” will also impact the sector in

2025. The progression of innovation in the industry is going

to allow some firms to be more successful than others, and

for those who want to exit, deal fatigue is often an issue.

When combining the costs of nuclear verdicts, cargo theft

and fraud, smaller carriers are going to want to leave the industry

and stand ready to be acquired following a three-year

recession when selling out didn’t seem possible.

Finally, both McGinnis and Tenney agree that 2025 will

bring some big winners on the M&A front.

“One thing I have taken away from the last year is that

trends that started in 2024 will continue in 2025, particularly

in terms of specific sub-verticals within the industry,”

McGinnis said, referring to the specialized market. “We are

poised to have a lot of activity.”


TALKING TCA

CASH IS

KING

PLANNING AND STRUCTURE

ARE KEYS TO THRIVING IN A

RECOVERING ECONOMY

By Kris Rutherford

Economists and industry analysts in the logistics

sector are optimistic these days. After several years

of a freight recession, they see a light at the end of

the tunnel. Analysts say the industry has endured

the recession, and it advises carriers to prepare for a period of

“thriving.”

Daniel Rutherford, virtual CFO for Summit Virtual CFO by

Anders, believes the thriving period of the economic cycle has

already begun.

“Hopefully we’re on the upswing coming out of 2024 and into

2025,” he said. “We are seeing some emerging trends such as

the shipper’s diffusion index, which has been in a 30-month

low. We are fi nally seeing it come to a level that indicates we

are coming out of this recession.”

FOLLOW THE FORECAST

So, after years in a downturn, how does the industry prepare

to come out of the recession and maximize opportunities? Like

in most situations, there’s one important key to dealing with

change.

“You should always have a plan. We counsel our clients to be

ready with a forecast,” Rutherford said.

That forecast should include consideration of the core metrics

of the transportation industry — cash, fi nancials, production

and pipeline or sales. Of those metrics, cash should be at

the forefront of every executive’s mind.

“There are going to be ups and downs in the economy and

your business cycle,” Rutherford said.

When a carrier is preparing to endure the next potential

downturn, forecasting is vital. But when the industry is preparing

to thrive, as it is now, forecasting takes on even greater

importance.

PREPARE TO THRIVE —

WITH CASH

“Now we’re preparing to thrive. Next, we need to know what

we need to do to capture and become highly profi table over the

next two to three years,” Rutherford said, adding that economists

are projecting good things coming as the supply chain is

corrected.

We are fi nally seeing it come to a level that indicates

we are coming out of this recession.”

— Daniel Rutherford

VIRTUAL CFO, SUMMIT VIRTUAL CFO BY ANDERS

34 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024

Right now, he says, “every business owner should be accounting

for their cash.”

Executives must make sure there’s enough cash on hand to operate,

as well as enough in reserve. Those making financial decisions

must ensure financial statements follow generally accepted

accounting principles (GAAP); otherwise, Rutherford says, they’re

operating in the dark in terms of finances.

“You can’t look down the road without a forecast,” he said. “For

instance, if I buy some equipment, what’s that going to do to my

profit and loss and my balance sheet? Is it going to affect my cash

flow?”

Good financial statements allow a company to make those forecasts.

Cash is fuel in the tank in terms of trucking,” Rutherford said.

“We cannot operate without cash.”

The first thing he looks at when dealing with a client is its cash

situation and, with that, receivables and lines of credit. The idea is

to know where cash is going to come from if there’s a downturn.

LOOK AT THE BIGGER

PICTURE

Hannah Hood, senior resource manager for Summit Virtual CFO

by Anders, agrees with the importance of having a good grip on a

company’s cash situation — but, she adds, it’s all part of the bigger

picture.

“We’re not looking at cash in a silo,” she said. “Cash can provide

a false sense of security if you’re not paying attention to what the

other side is telling you.”

Cash can provide a

false sense of security

if you’re not paying

attention to what the other

side is telling you.”

— Hannah Hood

SENIOR RESOURCE MANAGER

SUMMIT VIRTUAL CFO BY ANDERS

Anders clients are encouraged to have a game plan that lines

up sources of cash and seeks out the best loan terms long before

loans are needed.

“The best time to ask for cash is when you don’t need it,” Rutherford

said. “We like to see clients look back at their prior year revenue

and have access to 10% in cash.” It may seem like a lot, he

says, but that includes lines of credit as well.

Rutherford also emphasizes the need to set aside cash funds

for taxes.

The best time to ask

for cash is when you

don’t need it.”

— Daniel Rutherford

VIRTUAL CFO, SUMMIT VIRTUAL CFO BY ANDERS

“We recommend setting aside 40% of forecast net income in a

separate bank account,” he said. “In transportation there is a lot of

depreciation. You may not have a tax issue now, but it’s going to

come down the road.”

KEEP UP WITH

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

Another issue to address is accounts receivable. Executives

should concentrate not only on existing receivables, but also

those that are unbilled.

“It’s not uncommon to have several hundred thousand dollars

of unbilled receivables, depending on the size of your operation,”

Rutherford said. “The stronger your fi nancials are and the

more information you can provide to lenders, the better access

you’re going to have to potentially more cash.”

Accelerating collections and billing are strategies carriers

should consider.

“I feel like carriers are ‘sleeping’ (when it comes to) accelerating

their collections and their billing,” Hood said, noting that

sometimes changing payment terms from 45 to 30 days can

help cash fl ow. “In one case, we realized we actually needed to

bill at net 15 and invoice more frequently.”

CASH IS KING

According to Rutherford, carriers should have multiple cash

accounts.

“Some of the cash accounts we recommend are an operating

account and a cash reserve account for the rainy day,” he said.

“We recommend having a tax reserve account if you can, and

then having a line of credit account set up.”

While not all carriers can achieve this immediately, executives

should begin now to work toward this goal.

“It will make their operations run more smoothly down the

road if they can make sure they have these accounts set up,”

Rutherford said.

Being reliable, conservative and largely confi gured with your

industry are keys to success in planning.

“One of the things we talk about is making sure your cost of

sales and other markers are in the right ‘buckets’ as laid out for

the industry,” Rutherford said. “Look at the TCA’s best practices

groups. They show how they like to look at their fi nancials and

the buckets they like in a way I think is ideal.

“Cash is not only king; it’s queen, too,” Rutherford concluded.


TALKING TCA

the clock

DON’T MISS

TRUCKLOAD 2025: PHOENIX

he 2025 TCA Annual Convention is set for March 15-18 in Phoenix,

and the TCA team is gearing up for an event like no other!

Join executives from the truckload industry and related sectors

for an incredible opportunity to elevate your business, gain valuable

insights and expand your industry connections. The convention

will bring you engaging content, hands-on training and exclusive

networking opportunities designed to keep you at the forefront of

Tthe truckload sector.

Can’t-Miss Agenda Highlights

• Cutting-Edge Panel Discussions

Dive into critical industry topics,

including the impact of a new presidential

administration, with top executives from

carriers of all sizes. Get insights that will

shape your business decisions.

• Exclusive Workshops & Training

Sessions

Gain practical knowledge on improving

operational effi ciency, adopting next-gen

compliance tools, and mastering driver

recruitment and retention strategies.

• Next-Level Networking

Connect with key industry professionals

through roundtables, receptions and

structured networking events. Build

relationships that will drive long-term

success.

• Exhibit Hall with 150 Vendors

Explore the expansive exhibit hall featuring

150 vendors showcasing the latest products,

services, and innovations to help you stay

competitive in the truckload sector.

• Influential Speakers

Be amazed by Oz Pearlman, the worldrenowned

mentalist, and learn new success

strategies from innovation speaker Jeremy

Gutsche.

• Industry Awards Presentation

Celebrate the outstanding leaders, drivers

and fl eets shaping the future of the trucking

industry with an inspiring awards ceremony.

• Entertainment from the Gin Blossoms

Cap off the event with an unforgettable

evening of entertainment as the Gin Blossoms

perform at Tuesday’s Awards Banquet.

Whether you’re looking to streamline

operations, embrace the latest technologies

or connect with top-tier suppliers, this event

has everything you need under one roof.

To register, visit tcaconvention.com.


is ticking

Truckload Strong Casino Night

Join us for the Annual Truckload Strong fundraising event on Monday, March 17, during

TCA’s Annual Convention, and immerse yourself in a night of entertainment, food, drinks

and camaraderie.

This year, we’re turning up the excitement with a Casino Night you won’t want to miss!

Set in the heart of Phoenix, this high-energy event will be held at Warehouse 215, where

you’ll enjoy a night full of fun, food and beverages. Transportation to and from the venue

will be provided.

Attendees will enjoy great food, a full bar with tequila tasting stations and casino games,

including blackjack, craps, Texas hold ’em, roulette and a money wheel.

It’s an unparalleled opportunity to network with fellow leaders and enthusiasts in a

relaxed and enjoyable setting while supporting TCA image campaigns.

Hosted by Daimler Truck, this high-stakes, high-energy event will take place at

Warehouse215 on Monday, March 17, from 6-9:30 p.m.

WHY ATTEND?

Your participation in Truckload Strong goes beyond a fun evening. It’s a chance to directly

contribute to the TCA’s industry image campaigns. By joining us, you support initiatives like:

• TCA Scholarship Fund: Helping students with connections to the truckload industry.

• TCA Highway Angel Program: Honoring professional truck drivers who showcase

exceptional courtesy and courage on our nation’s roadways.

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s The Wall That Heals: Support transporting a

traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, offering healing and education to

communities nationwide.

• U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree: Help bring the US Capitol Christmas Tree to local

communities and provide a great opportunity for families to get exposed to trucking.

• Wreaths Across America: Support the drivers hauling the wreaths that honor our

veterans through nationwide wreath-laying ceremonies.

Your presence and support will help us continue these impactful programs and ensure

the truckload industry remains a vital and respected part of our national community.

Individual tickets for the event are $275 or you can sponsor a gaming table, which

includes eight tickets to the event and other benefi ts for $4,000. Learn more at

tcaconvention.com/truckload-strong.


TALKING TCA

WHAT’S NEW @TCA

CHECK OUT TCA’S NEW EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS!

Trucking professionals looking to advance in their career

will want to check out these new educational offerings from

the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).

ONLINE LEADERSHIP SERIES

The inaugural TCA Online Leadership Series last year was

a huge success, and we’re excited to continue the program

into 2025 with a new hybrid format. The two components

include the recordings from last year within a self-paced

online module, along with the live line-up starting in April

of 2025.

Modules include:

• Cybersecurity Best Practices

• Predatory Towing

• Navigating Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• “Greening” Your Fleet

• Decoding FMCSA

• 2025 Legal Landscape

FUNDAMENTALS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT

This fully self-paced online course is designed to accelerate

the career progression of aspiring safety professionals

or expand the knowledge of other trucking personnel by

providing a comprehensive foundation in essential safety

knowledge and skills. Whether you’re a recent graduate or

a seasoned professional looking to enhance your expertise,

this course will equip you with the tools to excel in your role.

Modules include:

• Introduction to FMCSRs

• DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Protocols

• CSA/CPDP/DataQs/Onboarding

• Driver Orientation/Onboarding

• Medical Regulations, Qualifications & Record Keeping

• Hours of Service

• Creating a DQ file

SEE EDUCATION, PAGE 41


The application deadline for the Truckload Carriers Association’s

(TCA) Scholarship Fund has been extended to March 21, 2025.

The program is open to full-time students attending accredited

two-year programs at junior colleges as well as four-year accredited

colleges. Scholarship monies will be awarded for 2025-2026

academic year.

For nearly 50 years, TCA’s Scholarship Fund has helped students

who have connections to the truckload industry. The fund awards up

to $6,250 per year, per full-time four-year college student, and up to

$2,000 per full-time two-year college student. For the current 2024-

2025 academic year, the TCA Scholarship Fund’s Board of Trustees

awarded 60 students scholarships totaling more than $168,000.

Much of the program’s support comes from within the truckload

TCA family — companies and individuals who are committed to

our truckload community’s future. Any student in good standing

(minimum grade point average of 3.0) who will be attending an

accredited four-year or two-year college or university as a freshman,

sophomore, junior or senior, and who is either the child, grandchild or

spouse of an employee or is an employee of a TCA member company

SEE SCHOLARSHIP, PAGE 41

WHAT’S NEW @TCA

TCA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PERIOD

OPEN THROUGH MARCH 21


WHAT’S NEW @TCA

TCA’S 2025 TRUCKLOAD CORPORATE PARTNERS

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) is pleased to

present the association’s first-ever corporate partners. These

companies have committed to investing significant 2025

marketing dollars in TCA’s sponsorship programs, and TCA is

grateful for their support.

These companies will receive exclusive, no-cost benefits

throughout the year, in addition to the core advantages of

their category-specific sponsorships.

The sponsors include:

• Platinum: Allied Committee for Trucking Industry (ACT1)

• Gold: Daimler Truck North America

• Silver: Cummins Inc., EpicVue, International, Love’s

Travel Stop and Tenstreet

• Bronze: Carrier Transicold, DriverFacts, Drivers Legal

Plan, Netradyne, PrePass Safety Alliance, Pilot Flying J,

Thermo King, TruckRight and Volvo Trucks

“We are thrilled to announce this first round of 2025

Truckload Partners,” said Zander Gambill, vice president of

membership and outreach at TCA. “Their investment and

support are incredibly valuable, and we’re happy to offer

them additional benefits and exposure. We look forward to

adding many more companies to this list throughout the

year.”

WELCOME NEW

AMBASSADOR

CLUB MEMBERS

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)

welcomes four new members to its Ambassador

Club, which currently boasts 160

members.

The club recognizes companies that have

been loyal members of TCA for 25 years or

more, honoring their long-term commitment

and significant contributions to the growth

and success of the trucking industry.

The four new member companies include:

• Southland Transportation, Boonville,

North Carolina

• Big G Express, Shelbyville, Tennessee

• PrePass Safety Alliance, Phoenix,

Arizona

• Koch Companies Inc., Minneapolis,

Minnesota

These new club companies, as well as

all other Ambassador Club members with

significant milestone anniversaries, will be

celebrated at the TCA Annual Convention in

Phoenix March 15-18.

CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW

TCA CHAMPIONS CLUB

MEMBERS

The Truckload Carriers Association

(TCA) is pleased to announce

five new inductees to the TCA

Champions Club.

The TCA Champions Club is

a referral program designed to

honor association members who

help expand our community by

bringing in new members. Members

of the Champions club will

be celebrated during the 2025 annual

convention during an awards

ceremony on Sunday, March 16.

The new inductees include:

• John Culp, president,

Maverick Transportation

• Wes Digmann, vice president, Transportation Group

Cottingham & Butler

• Jason Douglass, vice president of operations, James H.

Cook & Sons

• Chris Kodak, strategic advisor, Emerge

• Andrew Lott, president, Arlo G. Lott Trucking Inc.


WHAT’S NEW @TCA

EDUCATION, FROM PAGE 38

• Accident Protocols & Processing

• Understanding Dispatch

• Creating and Leading a Quality Safety Department

SMALL CARRIER UNIVERSITY (SCU)

SCU is a 12-month program designed to educate

small carriers in the areas of operations, maintenance

and safety performance. This hybrid format exposes

enrollees to virtual live sessions where processes are

shared and best practices are discussed. The program

also includes self-paced modules designed to provide a

deeper understanding of growth strategies, goal setting

and what’s needed to successfully lead a small trucking

company.

To qualify for SCU, companies must operate fewer

than 99 power units across all modes of transportation.

Only 15 carriers will be selected for the program, and

each carrier may enroll up to 5 employees to participate

in various educational components.

ON-DEMAND EDUCATION

TCA delivers more than 175 online on-demand

courses for education in Recruiting, Retention, Human

Resources, Leadership and Fleet Management. Most of

the courses take just one hour to complete and offer TCA

CEUs and NATMI certification renewal points.

The Certificate of Fleet Management course is

temporarily unavailable as we do some maintenance

updates. We apologize for any inconvenience and

appreciate your understanding. We’re working diligently

to improve the course and expect to have it available

again in mid-2025.

SCHOLARSHIP, FROM PAGE 39

or is the child, grandchild, or spouse of an independent

contractor or an independent contractor affiliated with a

TCA member company is encouraged to apply.

“The lasting success of TCA’s scholarship program,

coupled with the generous support from donors and

their dedication to giving back, highlights an additional

benefit of TCA membership,” said Joey Hogan, chairman

of the TCA Scholarship Committee.

“We are truly grateful to the donors, and the inclusion

of Junior Colleges in the program emphasizes the

vital role trades play in our industry,” he continued. “I

encourage all TCA members to share this scholarship

opportunity with their employees as we look forward to

another successful year.”

Truckload Carriers

Association

TCA MARCH/APRIL 2025 41

WHAT’S NEW @TCA

CALL TO ACTION: CARRIERS AND DRIVERS

NEEDED TO HAUL THE WALL THAT HEALS

The trucking industry plays a vital role in delivering The Wall

That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,

each year for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF).

If you’re interested in helping to transport The Wall That

Heals for the 2025 season, and have the necessary capacity,

we invite you to be part of this meaningful program that brings

the memorial to local communities.

To find out more or to sign up, visit vvmf.org/The-Wall-

That-Heals/Haul-The-Wall.

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) encourages

the trucking industry to support this important mission of

transporting The Wall That Heals to veterans and communities

across the nation.

Since 2015, TCA carrier members have transported The Wall

That Heals, an exhibit that includes a three-quarter scale replica

of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education

Center, to communities nationwide. The traveling exhibit honors

the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S.

Armed Forces in the Vietnam War, and it bears the names of

the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice

in Vietnam.


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TALKING TCA

TCA Highway Angels

By Dana Guthrie

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has recognized professional truck drivers

Mohsen Baniyaghoub, Kingsley Ogieva and Daljit Sohi as TCA Highway Angels

because of their acts of heroism while on the road.

In recognition of these drivers’ willingness to help fellow drivers and motorists,

TCA has presented each Highway Angel with a certificate, a lapel pin, patches,

and truck decals. Their employers have also received a certificate highlighting their driver

as a recipient.

Since TCA’s Highway Angels program began in 1997, nearly 1,400 professional truck

drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels because of the exemplary kindness,

courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job. TCA extends special thanks

to the program’s presenting sponsor, EpicVue, and supporting sponsors DriverFacts and

Northland Insurance. To nominate a driver or read more about these and other Highway

Angel award recipients, visit highwayangel.org.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

KINGSLEY OGIEVA

XTL Transport Inc.

Airdrie, Alberta, Canada.

On November 27, 2024, around 7:30 a.m. in

Bowden, Alberta, Canada, Kingsley Ogieva was

driving along Highway 2. As he traveled, he noticed

a tractor-trailer that had rolled over, blocking nearly

the entire southbound highway.

“When I passed through, I saw that the driver

was stuck in his truck and wasn’t able to come

out,” Ogieva said. “I went to park safely up ahead,

and I went to assist.”

He approached the wreck and caught sight of the

driver, who was trapped in the overturned truck.

The driver was kicking at the windshield, unable to

free himself. Ogieva and another bystander climbed

onto the truck and began prying the windshield

away to free the driver from the vehicle.

“We tried to look for how to break his windshield

so he could come out,” Ogieva said. “While we were

trying to get the windshield out, from nowhere we

heard a big bang.”

A cattle hauler had struck the overturned truck,

trapping Kingsley and pinning his legs between the

vehicles.

“I was really in pain; I was screaming,” Ogieva said.

Even in his pain and

panic, Ogieva was alert

enough to notice diesel

fuel spilling onto the

floor.

“I was screaming,

telling everybody they

should not smoke or Kingley Ogoieva

come with anything that

could trigger a fire,” he

said.

Helpless, he waited for emergency responders.

Thankfully, he was calmed by another trucker, who

stayed nearby, praying with him.

Eventually, emergency service personnel arrived

on the scene and lifted the truck up so that Ogieva

could be extracted. Miraculously, he had no broken

bones.

Reflecting on the event, Ogieva says he would

stop if it happened again — but notes that he

would do some things differently.

“I would stop and use my truck as a shield to

make sure that oncoming traffic is aware of the

situation in front before going to help,” he said.

“That day, I saw another driver in distress, and

I knew he needed my help. If we were not there to

help him, it could have been worse,” he concluded.


DALJIT SOHI

Triple Eight Transport Inc.

Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Dalijit Sohi’s story is one of showing kindness to

a stranger.

On November 29, 2024, while traveling from

Banff to Salmon Arm, Shailly James, from High

River, Alberta, stopped at a rest area near Golden,

British Columbia, to help her 4-year-old child.

Unbeknownst to James, her purse fell out of the

vehicle during the stop, landing on the ground. It

contained $1,100, a gold chain, credit cards and

her identification cards.

“I was not aware,” James said.

Sohi, a driver for Triple Eight Transport, witnessed

the event and followed James in his truck

in order to return the purse at her next stop.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MOHSEN BANIYAGHOUB

Kriska Holdings Ltd.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Baniyaghoub was named a TCA Highway Angel

for stopping to help a woman when her battery was

dead in the middle of a massive snowstorm.

On January 19, during a blinding snowstorm,

Baniyaghoub was driving north of Harrisburg,

Pennsylvania, on Interstate 81 in bumper-to-bumper

traffic. He saw a woman stuck on the side of

the road and stopped on the shoulder. At the time,

another truck driver was on the scene trying to

help.

“It was crazy snowing,” Baniyaghoub said.

“There was another truck driver there who said he

couldn’t open the hood,” he continued, referring to

the hood of the woman’s car.

“I followed the lady for

three hours,” Sohi said.

James recalls that she

noticed the truck following

her, and that she was

concerned. When she

stopped to refuel at a

gas station in Sicamous,

Sohi approached James

and informed her that he

had found her lost purse. To her relief, everything

in the handbag was accounted for and nothing was

missing.

“I was so happy that, thank god, he found it,”

James said. “Then I tried to give him $500 as a

reward, but he didn’t take it.”

James says she plans to send a thank-you gift to

Sohi at his company office.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Daljit Sohi

Baniyaghoub was able

to open the vehicle’s

hood. He quickly realized

that not only was her

battery dead, but there

was also a buildup of

battery corrosion on the

terminals.

He went back to his Mohsen Baniyaghoub

truck and fired up his

kettle to bring water to a boil, then went back to

the car — kettle in hand — and cleaned the battery

terminals. Another vehicle provided a quick

jump for her battery, and Baniyaghoub instructed

the driver how to save her battery power until it

started to charge up.

“I can’t forget the woman’s phrase after we

started her car,” Baniyaghoub said. “She was crying

and told me, ‘Bless you, bless you.’”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AND

SUPPORTING SPONSORS


Make your voice

heard on Capitol Hill

Visit truckload.org today to fi nd out how

the Truckload Carriers Association can help

your company succeed and grow.

The Truckload Carriers Association

welcomes carriers and associate

members that joined in

December 2024 and January 2025.

Aurora Parts

Boom Transport Inc.

Em Cargo LLC

Fleetio

Fruehauf Inc.

JLE Truckwash

Kemlo Transport

Pro-Vision Video Systems

Right Weigh Inc.

Smith System Inc.

Transportation Specialty

Underwriters

UFP Transportation Inc.

ZF Group

COVER PHOTOS

Jeremy Gutsche:

Photo courtesy Jeremy Gutsche

Oz Pearlman:

Photo courtesy Oz Pearlman

Nightime Phoenix Cityscape: iStock

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS

Associated Press: 10, 11

Elizabeth Nicholson: 30, 31

iStock: 6, 7,8, 11, 12, 18, 20-21, 22, 32-33,

34, 36-37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44-45, 46

Jeremy Gutsche: 17

Linda Garner-Bunch/The Trucker Media

Group: 24-25, 28, 42

Oz Pearlman: 16

Truckload Carriers Association: 3, 26, 44, 45


Truckload Authority - March/April 2025

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