John Culp (left) presents the Chairman’s Award to Jim Ward. (Truckload Carriers Affiliation)
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PHOENIX — Greater than 1,300 trucking executives and business suppliers gathered March 15-18 for the Truckload Carriers Affiliation’s Truckload 2025 conference to debate their continued efforts in navigating a troublesome working setting, and to discover challenges and alternatives that lie forward.
“Your attendance at this assembly is a testomony to your resolve and the flexibility to navigate difficult instances,” mentioned TCA President Jim Ward. “The political panorama has taken an entire 180-degree flip, and many people are nonetheless ready in anticipation and doing our best to stay on prime of the weekly, if not every day, modifications coming from the White Home and trying to determine how your small business goes to be impacted by Trump 2.0.”
Dennis Dellinger, CEO of Cargo Transporters and chairman of American Trucking Associations, mentioned the pandemic highlighted the significance of TCA and ATA working collectively.
“As I quick ahead 5 years, we feature with us that have and information gained, guaranteeing that trucking stays sturdy, ready and prepared for no matter comes subsequent, whether or not that’s the fires in Los Angeles, the flooding in western North Carolina, or perhaps a freight recession affecting most of our business,” Dellinger mentioned.
TCA’s skilled drivers of the yr are, from left: Walter Jackson, Toby Wallis, Perry Carter, Scott Lindsey and Gerald Rhoden. (Truckload Carriers Affiliation)
Main matters mentioned on the assembly included the financial system, business finest practices and expertise. The convention included a keynote speech on disruptive pondering from Jeremy Gutsche, a New York Instances best-selling creator and CEO of Pattern Hunter, and a presentation from Emmy Award-winning mentalist Oz Pearlman. There have been a number of provider panel discussions and awards recognizing the laborious work of people within the business and the introduction of the brand new affiliation chairman for the approaching yr.
John Culp, president of Maverick Transportation and TCA’s outgoing board chairman, offered the Chairman’s Award to Ward. Ward’s transportation profession started in 1978, and he served as CEO of D.M. Bowman for 21 years earlier than retiring in 2022.
“He loved his retirement for a complete weekend earlier than starting his position as your affiliation president on Monday, April 4,” Culp mentioned, including that Ward’s management has taken the affiliation to new highs. “He has reworked our employees from the affiliation administration mentality to an energized, productive, customer-focused enterprise machine.”
The convention included a keynote speech on disruptive pondering from Jeremy Gutsche, a New York Instances best-selling creator and CEO of Pattern Hunter. (Truckload Carriers Affiliation)
Shepard Dunn obtained the Previous Chairman’s Award, one of many affiliation’s highest honors. “This award acknowledges business leaders who’ve actually made a major contribution, not solely to the enterprise neighborhood and the trucking business but in addition this affiliation,” mentioned Dave Williams, senior vp of apparatus and authorities relations for Knight-Swift Transportation and TCA’s speedy previous chairman.
Dunn has been a part of the trucking business for greater than 31 years and has served in a number of roles, together with CEO of Finest Approach Categorical for 22 years. He additionally served as TCA’s 2014-2015 chairman and has been energetic on quite a few committees. “He discovered the trucking business by way of his friends and has spent fairly a little bit of time giving again, which is a trademark of this award,” Williams mentioned.
TCA honored 60 Freeway Angels all through 2024, and three have been chosen as Elite Angels by way of a public vote wherein greater than 2,000 votes — an all-time excessive — have been forged. “We now have loads of freeway angels, and most of the people doesn’t at all times know that, however we’re very proud at TCA to have the ability to have this program, and much more happy with the angels,” Culp mentioned.
Emmy Award-winning mentalist Oz Pearlman. (Truckload Carriers Affiliation)
Michael Dorsey of Mercer Transportation was honored for his fast motion whereas loading his flatbed truck at an industrial park. As floodwaters from Hurricane Helene have been rising, Dorsey allowed a number of folks to take refuge on his trailer. He’s credited with saving six lives.
Daljit Sohi of Triple Eight Transport noticed a lady drop her purse at a relaxation cease and adopted her and her household for 3 hours to return it. The purse had $1,100 in money, a gold chain and different necessary private gadgets inside.
Jason Corino of Melton Truck Traces witnessed a street rage incident escalate right into a capturing, with a driver capturing at a police officer. Corino stopped his truck to halt visitors behind him, conserving motorists out of hurt’s approach. Footage of the incident captured on his truck digicam later was used as proof within the investigation.
TCA additionally acknowledged 5 skilled drivers of the yr. These drivers are: Perry Carter with Cargo Transporters, Scott Lindsey with Cheema Freightlines, Walter Jackson with Landstar, Gerald Rhoden with Stevens Transport and Toby Wallis with Freymiller. Every driver obtained $20,000.
The 2024 TCA Fleet Security Award Grand Prize was awarded to Liberty Linehaul West of Montebello, Calif., within the small provider division (whole annual mileage of lower than 25 million) and Nussbaum of Hudson, Ailing., within the giant provider division (whole annual mileage of 25 million or extra).
In the course of the convention, Ward thanked outgoing TCA Chairman Culp for his work all through the previous yr. “John took the problem and made the dedication to proceed to enhance upon TCA’s worth proposition,” Ward mentioned.
Culp was instrumental in TCA’s new Elite Fleet certification and benchmarking program. “John’s ardour for excellence, business information and energy in contributing to this certification program might be remembered and reside on for a few years to come back,” Ward mentioned.
Karen Smerchek, president and proprietor of Veriha Trucking, will function TCA’s chairman for the 2025-2026 time period. Smerchek has practically 20 years of expertise within the truckload sector and attended her first TCA assembly as a 21-year-old junior in school. She mentioned a session on succession planning impressed her. Smerchek’s father based Veriha Trucking in 1978 as a one-truck operation.
All through her chairmanship, Smerchek plans to deal with truck parking growth and predatory towing reform, increasing schooling, championing sensible sustainability, enhancing trucking’s public picture, and coverage enhancements, together with hair follicle testing.
“Moving into the position of TCA chairman, I’m dedicated to making sure that carriers and drivers have the instruments, insurance policies and help wanted to succeed, from regulatory reform and infrastructure enhancements to driver job satisfaction and monetary sustainability,” Smerchek mentioned.
