Alabama Trucker Magazine, 3rd Quarter 2022

Brian Barze, Chris Bisanz, Joe Black, Gary Bond, Leigh Ward Breal, Greg Brown, Will Bruser, Craig Burgess, Dan Carmichael, Fenn Church, J.J. Clemmons, Kimble Coaker, John Collier, Driscoll Colquett, Brent Cook, Chris Cooper, Bo Cross, Jerry Davis, Amy DeFee, Joe Donald, Edmund Doss, Mack Dove, Wesley Dunn, Steve Dupuis, James Eidson, Will Forbes, Jack Fricks, Beau Holmes, Steve Johnson, Bryan Kilpatrick, Terry Kilpatrick, Mark Knotts, Jerry Kocan, Ben Leach, Alphonso Lewis, Andrew Linn, Drew Linn, Hunter Lyons, Jeff McGrady, Barry McGriff, Tom McLeod, Buck Moore, Tommy Neely, Butch Owens, David Padgett, Clay Palm, Tres Parker, Emmett Philyaw, Kelly Robinson, Kevin Savoy, Bill Scruggs, Ben Smith, Ronnie Stephenson, Steve Stinson, Paul Storey, Harold Sumerford, Jr., Gene Sweeney, Gaines Thomas, Bill Ward, Bo Watkins, Wayne Watkins, Taylor White, Keith Wise, Daniel Wright

wanted

Legacy of Leadership

There was never a doubt that Chris Cooper would one day lead the Alabama Trucking Association – it was only a question of when not if. Last June, the 47-year-old CEO of Boyd Companies, the parent company of Boyd Bros. Transportation, became ATA’s first third generation Chairman of the Board.

ATA’s Careers Success

Creating a coordinated campaign involving

company titans and state education officials to foster workforce development in the trucking industry is paying off for Alabama Trucking – and the industry

A Tribute to Mr. Buddy

Over the past 30 years, no one impacted the Alabama Trucking Association more than the late Buddy Moore of Buddy Moore Trucking, Inc. He was a force to be reckoned with to be sure, but only because he worked harder and smarter than everyone else. A brilliant trucking operator who knew his limitations, he didn’t want to be the biggest out there,

the best. He died peacefully at his home July 25th surrounded by his

Opening Remarks

Thanks for Stepping Up for TRUK PAC

As you may have heard by now our recent ATA Golf Classic was extremely successful, raising an astounding $444,000 for our Association’s political action committee, TRUK PAC.

To be clear, that amount is the highest total ever raised by this event and assures that ATA will maintain a million-dollar PAC for the upcoming election cycle. In the world of politics, that’s huge. It places our Association among Alabama’s most influential political organizations.

Tommy Neely Ross Neely Systems, Inc. 2022 ATA Golf Classic Chairman

As you know, TRUK PAC supports state and local political candidates who understand and appreciate trucking’s value and impact on the economy and our quality of life. Our endorsed candidates enjoyed incredible success during last summer’s Primary Election, but we must keep the momentum for the upcoming General Election as several races will impact our industry. Our Classic is a great step in the right direction.

Successful endeavors are guided by great leadership, and this Association lacks no shortage of organizations and individuals who step up when we need them most.

We owe a great debt of thanks to Presidential Sponsor Allan Hicks and Vertical Alliance Group for their generous $15,000 donation, which served as a strong starting point for our fundraising efforts. We also acknowledge the combined horsepower of our Senator Sponsors who each pitched in at least $5,000. Their collective donations totaled well over half of the total amount raised.

I thank the ATA Golf Classic Committee, consisting of Chris Cooper, Chris Bizanz, Joe Black, Will Bruser, John Collier, Steve Dupuis, Ben Leach, Kelvin Ling, Andrew Linn, Andrew Petrofsky, Kelly Robinson, Kevin Savoy, Gene Sweeney, Bill Waechter, Bo Watkins, and Daniel Wright. Those leaders went above and beyond to make this year’s event one for the books.

We also acknowledge the ATA Comp Fund and its wonderful staff for their work and support. And lastly, to the ATA staff, particularly Brandie Norcross, we cannot express our gratitude for your talents and commitment to making this event happen. It gets better and more successful every year!

Thanks to all our supporters both large and small. Everything counts in politics, and we appreciate each of you. We can always count on Alabama’s trucking community no matter the challenge – and you never disappoint. Thank you for stepping up to lead our industry.

For a full list of sponsors, please see page 16.

‘Successful endeavors are guided by great leadership, and this Association lacks no shortage of organizations and individuals who step up when we need them most.’

LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

Boyd Bros CEO Chris Cooper proudly follows two generations of the Boyd family in becoming Alabama Trucking’s newest Chairman of the Board.

dug deep to ensure that ATA can continue to protect and promote what matters most to Alabama truckers.”

Meanwhile, the Association also engaged in the next phase of its successful Careers in High Gear, featuring the Real Faces of Ala bama Trucking. Read about the success of that campaign on page 10.

few years ago.

“My mom is an amazing businesswo man,” Cooper says. “She’s very fiscally conservative and was the perfect balance to my grandfather, who was known as a bit of a wheeler and dealer.”

By Ford Boswell

Photos by Kyle Carpenter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

There was never any doubt that Chris Cooper would one day lead the Ala bama Trucking Association – it was only a question of when not if.

Last summer, the Association experienced history when Cooper became its first thirdgeneration Chairman of the Board during a ceremony on June 14 at ATA’s Headquarters in Montgomery. The 47-yearold businessman follows the footsteps of his mother, Gail, and his late grandfather and Boyd Bros. founder, Dempsey Boyd, both of whom had strong ties to the Association during their long careers in trucking.

A resident of Mountain Brook, Ala., Cooper is CEO of Boyd Companies, the parent company of Boyd Bros. Transpor tation, Inc., a flatbed truckload carrier operating throughout the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., hauling primarily steel products and building materials.

“I am honored and humbled by this ap pointment,” Cooper says. “I’m truly blessed for the opportunities I’ve had to serve this great industry and to follow my mother and my grandfather to lead this great organiza tion is very special to me and my family.”

And he’s already hitting the ground run ning. In only a matter of days after taking the reins of the Association, he assembled a committee for the ATA Golf Classic, led by Ross Neely Systems President Tommy Neely, which grossed $444,000 – the highest amount of any previous Classic.

“Tommy and his committee did a re markable job to bring together an incredi bly successful tournament that will keep our industry moving ahead in Montgomery for years,” he says. “Our efforts this year were critical because most economic experts pre dict a significant market slowdown is head ing our way. We’re still in the midst of ro bust markets so I believe our Classic came at the right time and our members really

Cooper says his goals for his year as Chairman include bolstering the group’s programs for workforce development and industry promotion, while also increasing member participation in ATA events and programs that seek to improve industry safety and professionalism.

Company History

Dempsey Boyd and his brothers Cecil and Hilly started driving trucks in the late 1940s, eventually forming Boyd Bros. Transportation. The company got its start as a small, regional flatbed-trucking opera tion with three tractors hauling flatbed, open trailers for customers who needed delivery on time. Freight consisted of steel products and other building materials for various producers across the state.

Cecil and Hilly left the company in the mid-1960s, and Gail after graduating in three years from then Troy State University came on several years later, working in various positions that familiarized her with all phases of the business. She says the cross-training was more about simply doing what needed to be done to keep the family business going than putting her into a future position to lead the company. She rose to the occasion, however, and would eventually become President and CEO, with her father as chairman of the board. She ran the company until her retirement a

Chris says he was the oldest of five grandkids, and grew up 200 yards from his grandparents, so he spent a lot of time with his grandfather.

“I remember he was always traveling or on his phone working deals,” he says. “He always had a lot of irons in the fire. Along with running a trucking company, he had a farming and warehouse operation, owned and operated hotels, and bought and sold real estate. In fact, he had a knack for buy ing property in areas of the country before they’d get hot. Truth is, he made a lot more money in real estate than he ever did in trucking. In a way, trucking was what he did to stay busy.”

Throughout the 1980s, the company added drivers, trucks and regional centers, creating a network that by the 1990s ex tended its range of operations across the eastern two-thirds of the country. The com pany established its corporate headquarters and principal service center in Clayton, Ala. where it remains today.

“My first recollection of all this was when I was about 5 years old, and granddad got his first long nose truck,” he says. “Up till then, we always ran cab overs. I just re member that being a big deal, and looking back, it was probably around the time the company began to grow quickly.”

As the industry changed with deregula tion, Boyd Bros. grew to one of the nation’s largest and most influential trucking firms. Its scope and reach grew far beyond Ala bama’s borders. And with its merger with

Boyd Bros. founder and longtime ATA supporter and leader, the late Dempsey Boyd at work at the company’s headquarters in Clayton some time in the early 1990s.

Daseke almost a decade ago, the organiza tion now offers terminals serving 49 states, Canada and Mexico.

ATA Family

With his trucking operation’s rapid rise among the leading trucking companies in the state, Dempsey became more involved with ATA out of a need to network. He eventually became one of the ATA’s most influential leaders. He received the Ala bama Trucking Association’s H. Chester Webb Award in 1987, an award he con sidered among his greatest achievements. After his retirement in the early 2000s, he remained loosely involved with the Asso ciation as an advisor.

Meanwhile, Gail started her rise to the top of Alabama Trucking. In 2010, she became the first and only woman in the organization’s 84-year history to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

She remained active with the Alabama Trucking Association for many years working to bolster the Association’s stature among the state’s leading highway and driver safety advocates by investing in and assisting with proven initiatives admini stered by state and federal law enforcement agencies, including Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s fleet and driver safety monitoring program Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) of 2010; and federal and state lawmakers’ efforts to enact across-the-board bans on texting while driving by commercial and non-commercial drivers.

For her own leadership and contribu tions, ATA during its 2014 Convention

honored Gail with a Webb Award.

“To be given a Webb Award was ex tremely humbling,” Gail said. “It was really special. They secretly brought in my family, who were waiting in a nearby room. I was totally shocked.”

Son Also Rises

Growing up, Chris worked at the com pany’s headquarters in Clayton every summer and throughout his college days. Early on, he cleaned trucks and trailers mostly, but over time, he also worked in the office, in the shop, or wherever he could be helpful. He

enrolled at Auburn University in 1993 to earn a degree in accounting, but after graduation, and earning a highly coveted internship at Coopers & Lybrand, one of the oldest accounting firms in the U.S., he realized accounting wasn’t for him.

“I thought I wanted to work my way up to being a partner at a big five accounting firm, but after successfully completing my internship and then discussing my plans and goals with my family, I realized that living out of a suitcase and working alone in an office wasn’t how I wanted to spend the next few years of my life,” he says. “I was grateful for the opportunities and things I learned and experienced while studying accounting, but I think at that time in my life I just needed to try some thing different.”

He was accepted into the MBA pro gram at the University of Alabama focusing on Finance. It was there where things started to come into focus for him.

“My graduate studies added to what I learned at Auburn – I’d say the MBA rounded out my training in business,” he says. “And the change in location allowed me to really settle in and focus on the next chapter of my life.”

A prologue to this new chapter began when he met his future wife Mandi, an un dergrad studying industrial engineering at UA. “Mandy is awesome,” he says. “She was a Top 100 basketball athlete in high school. She’s so smart and driven. When I met her, she was paying her way through college by working at NASA in Huntsville and was about to take a full-time job there. She really loved working there, and to be honest, she still jokes that she sometimes still has a little heartburn for choosing me over NASA.”

After grad school, the couple married, settled in Vestavia, a suburb of Birmingham, and started a family. The couple has been married for 22 years and has two children, a daughter, Cate, 17, a senior in high school, and a son, Boyd, 14, a freshman.

Meanwhile, Chris’s role at Boyd increased as he took on more responsibility, especially after the company’s merger with Daseke in 2013. Throughout the transition from a private entity to a public one, he says he has relied on the experience and talents of great people to grow and improve the operations. Two top executives in particular played key roles in helping shape the new era of Boyd. They are company president Dwight Bas sett and president of WTI Jack Potthoff.

“We have great people here,” he says. “I trust my people to make the right decisions in their fields of expertise, and I kind of fly

Chris and Gail Cooper in 2017

The Cooper family, from left, Boyd, Cate, Mandi and Chris

over the top to keep the train out of the ditch.”

Cooper also touts the company’s drivers as being among the most experienced and professional in the industry. According to him, one in six Boyd drivers has more than 1 million safe miles.

“Our drivers are truly the backbone of our company, and we try very hard to take care of their needs,” he adds. “When I hire someone, I look for someone with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. A lot of times they are former athletes. I like that trait because those people are usually pretty competitive and like to win. To me, hiring great people I can trust to do their jobs is the only way I can have any kind of life outside of work. I am told in some ways I am a lot like my grandfather as a businessman. But I think I am different from him because I always want to be there for my family as much as possible. I can shut it all off when I need to. For me, my mantra is God, family and career.”

He then pauses to smile, and continues, “Well, maybe it’s more like God, family, career, and golf. I jokingly say that because that’s what some people think I do all day, anyways.”

Now finding himself at the helm of ATA, Cooper admits there is a sense of history and tradition with his new appointment. He says he is excited about where this Association is heading since the pandemic, and points to the Association’s strategic plan to raise the trucking industry’s profile in Alabama as a creator of great-paying jobs and as a leader in workplace and highway safety.

“When Mark Colson was hired, I knew he had that spark we needed to navigate a challenging new era for trucking,” Cooper says. “Everything I heard about him has

been on the money. Our Association is finding solutions to the industry’s most pressing needs with research and planning with an organized approach. Mark has ATA going in the right direction.”

Cooper adds that an increased financial commitment from the membership has impressed him even more, particularly the ATA Board of Directors.

“In the last 24 months, you have seen a recharging of the Association’s power to lead – and I am talking about leading at the national level,” he says, “We are engaging in strategic ways to address the issues that have plagued us for years. Our partners in other states are taking notice.”

As an example, Cooper cites the industry’s labor shortage. “With sustained funding from the ATA Foundation and its TITANS supporters’ group,” he explains, “Our efforts in workforce development are leading the charge to guide more people interested in working in trucking to training and path ways to land a job with companies like mine. I have a lot of faith in where we are heading. I also became a TITAN because I believe in ATA’s mission and am proud to be a part of its success. We are going to have a very successful year.”

Chris Cooper at his desk at the company’s Birmingham terminal.

Creating an employee culture of support and respect has served Boyd Bros. well for many years. According to President Chris Cooper, managers seek to recruit and hire talented people and then get out of their way to “make the right decisions in their fields of expertise.”

ALABAMA TRUCKING SEES SUCCESS FROM WORKFORCE INITIATIVES

Grant Crabill is a master service technician who specializes in Cummins engines for FourStar Freightliner in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo by Cary Norton)

Association takes nextgen workforce development into its own hands to build a better, more sustainable labor pool for Alabama.

By Noël Fletcher

Creating a coordinated campaign in volving trucking company titans and state education officials to fos ter workforce development in the trucking industry is paying off for the Alabama Trucking Association.

Mark Colson, President and CEO of the Montgomery-based organization, started talking about workforce development with in the industry when he joined the associa tion in June 2019. He had past expertise on workforce development and soon learned

about shortages in truck drivers and diesel technicians.

“In Alabama, trucking is 1 in 15 jobs, with over 110,000 working people in our state. We’re a top 10 trucking state, and we were spending zero dollars on any coordi nated campaign to improve our workforce,” Colson explained. “Yeah, we complained about the problem of a shortage of drivers. We’re no longer sitting around a table com plaining about a problem. We’re part of a solution, and we’re going to find solutions no matter what it takes because that’s what’s required.”

He looked throughout the country for a program to replicate and found none so he “really had to start from scratch.”

Working with its foundation created a year earlier, Colson led an effort to conduct research to create a more positive image of trucking that not only attracted potential workers but drove them to take action.

The result was the creation of personas — types of people more likely to become diesel technicians and professional drivers.

Research indicated an entry-level driver was more likely to be an adventurer of any age who enjoys freedom on the road or some one about 38 years old seeking a career change or being unemployed. Findings also identified opportunities to recruit women, veterans and minority groups.

Messaging was developed showing the real faces of Alabama trucking “in what we believe is the best way to communicate with those personas to attract them to the indus try,” Colson said. “Our objective is to tell these stories of the amazing men and women who are already working in our in dustry because they have some fantastic sto ries to tell, where they came from, how they got to where they are and how they’re serv ing the industry and the country.”

Using an advertising campaign in two target markets in northern and southern Al abama to attract job candidates, the associa tion created a landing page on its website (www.alabamatrucking.org/careers/) that con tains links to educational training at three community colleges around Huntsville as

well as a technical school and community college in Monroeville.

A spike in interest and applications has resulted in school programs along with a dozen other trucking-related workforce-ini tiatives.

“It’s something I’m passionate about and believe we’re going to make a big differ ence,” Colson noted. “What we learned is we’ve got something that we believe can move the needle over time.”

Partnering with educators led to innova tive new online training curriculum for commercial driver licenses and diesel tech nicians that are now being offered.

Colson said another key step was support from trucking leaders who would help with financial backing.

“We needed the cream-of-the-crop truck ing leaders in this state to be truly behind this effort, because if they’re not, it’s not going to succeed in the long run,” he added. “As a staff person, I just execute and create strategies, but the backbone of this has to be the employers.”

Alabama Trucking TITANS became the brand for 42 “men and women who run companies, who are significant leaders across our state in our industry,” he said.

Each made a three-year commitment of $5,000 per year to sustain the workforce initiative and support its efforts.

Colson said the association had “two huge successes” with Wallace State Com munity College in Hanceville by helping them secure a $1 million grant to imple ment an online diesel-by-distance training program that can be taken from anywhere in the state and a $1 million grant to pay 100% of the costs to educate women diesel technicians.

He is now exploring how to create a vir tual reality career exploration pathway for professional truck drivers for students to ex plore when they go to career fairs. “Truck driving has never been an option. So we’re in the midst of creating that for students,” he said, adding that then career pathways have to be linked for interested students to find schools and resources to enter the pro fessions.

Terry Kilpatrick, President of Billy Barnes Enterprises Inc. and Chairman of the Ala bama Trucking Association Foundation, has been working closely on the initiatives. His company is developing a CDL apprenticeship program with the state Office of Apprentice ship, Monroe County’s school board, Reid

State Technical College and the local Eco nomic Development Board.

For 18- to 21-year-old students, the pro gram allows high school seniors to obtain a CDL learners permit during their last se mester and then enter Reid State’s CDL program. Once a student obtains a CDL , Kilpatrick’s company will hire that student as an apprentice local driver and continue training with a driver mentor for one year from hire date. CDL apprentices already have been hired by Billy Barnes Enterprises.

“Attracting trained skilled workers is a necessity for any transportation company,” he said, noting that his company is short three to four diesel technicians but the ini tiative will help attract people to rewarding transportation industry careers.

This article appears with permission from Transport Topics.

About the Author

Noël Fletcher is a Transport Topics government reporter. Prior to joining Transport Topics, Noël wrote for various U.S. and international business magazines, newspapers, syndicates and wire servic es, including Reuters and The Journal of Com merce. For fun, she writes books, takes photographs and enjoys adventure, travel, history and a good cup of coffee.

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALABAMA TRUCKING LEGEND BUDDY MOORE

By Ford Boswell

Alabama’s trucking industry has lost a giant. On July 25, 2022, E.H. “Buddy” Moore died peacefully at his home near McCalla, Ala. surrounded by his family. He was 88.

The Alabama Trucking Association owes so much to “Mr. Buddy” who served our association with counsel and support for more than 40 years. During that time, he served ATA in nearly every leadership position, including committee member, board member, Board Chairman, and PAC Chairman. He was elected ATA’s Chairman of the Board in 1985, and in 1993, ATA leaders gave him the H. Chester Webb Award, its highest honor for a member of the state industry. He played a role in every major Association decision shaping and cultivating much of our success.

As an industry leader, he was a respected businessman who came from nothing and earned everything he had with deter mination, shrewd business prowess, and an honest approach to everything he did. Many Alabama Trucking leaders will miss his wise counsel, character and friendship.

BECOMING A LEGEND

Moore grew up in McCalla, Ala., a small farming community west of Birmingham. His dad, E.H. Moore, Sr. and an uncle owned and operated a general store with a feed mill and several trucks to haul feed and hay to local farmers. Buddy grew up watching his Dad operate the store, and, along the way, learned the value of working hard and maintaining a business.

After high school, he enrolled at Auburn University, but after a couple of years, he felt it was in his best interest to return home to McCalla to start his own business. Meanwhile, he married his high school sweetheart, Paddy, in July 1954. The couple remained in McCalla while Moore operated a service station in Bessemer for several years.

Sometime around 1959, a customer who’d bought a set of tires from him on credit, showed up with his rig and told Buddy that he couldn’t pay his account and offered the keys to his 1957 R-190 International Harvester truck as payment.

“I didn’t know what to do with a truck,” Moore told ATA’s mem bership publication, Alabama Trucker in 2020. “My family had done business with Deaton Inc. for many years, so I called James Sizemore, who was its vice president at that time to ask if I could lease the truck to them. He explained that they would only lease the truck if I was driving it. I had reservations about driving a truck, but agreed to give it a try.”

And, thus, began a long, successful relationship with Deaton.

DEATON DAYS

Moore drove as an independent operator for Deaton for a decade and was made highway safety supervisor by then-owner Bud Conaway. The company during that time owned 450 tractors and more than 1,000 trailers, making it one of the largest flatbed operators in the U.S.

He continued working his way up the ranks assuming more man agerial responsibility with each title change. Eventually, he was tapped president of the company in 1979, shortly after North Carolina-based LTL carrier Old Dominion Freight Lines assumed ownership.

“Buddy Moore was a key figure in the continued growth of the com pany when Old Dominion had it,” Conaway told the Birmingham Business Journal back in 2003. “He was one heck of a trucking opera tor, and took it to the next level.”

Moore led the company for a decade before he was approached with the prospect of buying it. According to Moore, the owners at the time wanted to take the company public and needed additional capital to do so. “They essentially said, ‘Make us an offer, and we’ll give you first shot at it,’” Moore said back in 2020.

He assembled a group of investors, and in 1991, bought Deaton. However, there were two factions within the group: Moore’s, which included former Alabama Trucking Association Chairman Harold Sorrells, and former Auburn University football coach Pat Dye, who combined for a minority interest while another group held a 55percent majority. The partnership soured quickly, and ultimately Buddy and his group were forced out of the company he’d been involved with for nearly 40 years. The company folded a few years later.

BACK IN BUSINESS

Finally free of the legal obstacles, in December 1999, Moore in corporated Buddy Moore Trucking and set up operations in a small building with a nice yard located off Finley Ave. in North Birmingham. He recruited a handful of veteran truck drivers, some of whom had worked at Deaton as owner-operators, and purchased a small fleet of International trucks from Southland Transportation Group.

His children Susan Kirkpatrick and Buck Moore left good-paying jobs to help launch the business. Susan left a successful banking career to manage the financials and bookkeeping. She’d spent nearly two decades building an impressive resume in banking with the former AmSouth Bank, now Regions, from 1985 until 2000. There she held positions in corporate accounting and spearheaded various teams on mergers and acquisitions, a skill that would benefit Buddy Moore Trucking as it grew. She now serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the operation.

Buck left a successful 20-year career working in fleet management with some of the state’s largest and most successful fleets. He brought additional real-world trucking and fleet management experience to the

team. Today, he’s the company’s President and COO overseeing all daily operations.

More recently, son Alan joined the company’s brokerage division in 2016 after retiring from a long career at U.S. Steel, and his daughter, Melissa, remains a shareholder.

In recent years, Buddy stepped back to let the younger generation lead the way, but everyone admits his influence was still strong even in his last years. “I guess if you had to give me a title, just say I am the Chief Second Guesser, and leave it at that,” he joked back in 2020.

INDUSTRY REACTION

By all accounts, Buddy Moore was a legend in the trucking industry, and his counsel was sought by many. The following comments are only a small selection we have received since the news spread of his passing.

Mark Colson, President & CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association in Montgomery, Ala.

“From day one at the Alabama Trucking Association, Mr. Buddy helped shape my view of the industry. He loved talking trucking and politics, and those conversations are rich memories I will cherish forever. He is the epitome of an Alabama Trucking legend, and we are all standing taller thanks to the legacy foundation he laid.”

Chris Cooper, ATA Chairman of the Board and CEO of Boyd Transportation in Birmingham, Ala.

“Mr. Buddy was the epitome of a truly great American. He believed in keeping a close family, and I always respected that about him. I’ve learned so much from watching his example and legacy in this area of life. In business, he was a trucker first! As much as anyone he understood that life. No other way to explain it, except that he got up early every morning, put on his boots, and got after it. I hope when my day has come that people will have the respect and admiration they have for Buddy Moore as a businessman, grandfather, husband, and father.”

Bill Scruggs, longtime ATA Board Member, former Chairman, and Vice President of Trailer Operation, Southland Transportation Group in Birmingham, Ala.

“Buddy and I were great friends for many years. He was among the most loyal and honest people I knew, and he will be missed. In our, industry Buddy is greatly admired and has had a significant positive influence on many of us. He was a pillar of strength for the ATA for many decades. His influence there is unmatched.”

Frank Filgo, former President and CEO of Alabama Trucking Association in Montgomery, Ala.

“Trucking lost an industry giant this morning, but on a personal note, I lost a dear friend and mentor. For over 24 years, I was fortunate to work closely with Buddy on trucking industry issues. He served the Alabama Trucking Association in every leadership role be it committee member, board member, Board Chairman, PAC Chairman, etc. Over that span of time, he played a role in every major Association decision. Early on, I realized that Buddy was unique. He thrived on competition, loved the trucking industry, and he had a heart of gold. That com bination made him the go-to industry leader that he was. His many accomplishments will forever be remembered by those who knew him. I will forever be indebted for his counsel and friendship.”

The Moore family requests memorial gifts in Buddy Moore’s honor be given to Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, the Buddy Moore Trucking Supply Chain Management Scholarship at Auburn University, or the Alabama Trucking Association Foundation.

Al Lewis takes 3rd Place in at National Truck Driving Championships

ATA board member and veteran truck driver for Yellow Al Lewis of Montgomery took third place in 5-axle Division at the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships held August 15-19, 2022 in Indianapolis.

Lewis was the only Alabama driver to make it to the final round. As a side note, he’s competed at Nationals several times and was a National Grand Champion back in 2007.

ATA also congratulates the rest of Team Alabama for putting in the work to get to nationals. They are William Brandon, FedEx (4-Axle); John Carter, FedEx Freight (Tank); Thomas Garner, FedEx Freight (Flatbed); David Hawk, FedEx Freight (Straight); Tony Johnson, TForce Freight (3-Axle); Jason Web ber, LB3 LLC (Sleeper Berth); and Dan Thompson, FedEx (Twins).

Meanwhile, Roland Bolduc, a professional driver with FedEx Express, was named Bendix Grand Champion. Competing in the sleeper berth category, he bested a field of 408 drivers with nearly 730 million combined accidentfree miles to claim the coveted title of Grand Champion at this year’s Super Bowl of Safety.

“NTDC was a tremendous success thanks to all the drivers, staff and volunteers who made it happen,” said ATA Chairman Harold Sumerford Jr., president of J&M Tank Lines Inc. “After two long years, it was great to be back and see this competition in person, get ting to observe the professionalism and dedi cation to the safety of these drivers was a great privilege.”

Truckworx opens Graysville location

Truckworx, Alabama’s longtime Kenworth truck dealer, has opened its newest location in Graysville, Ala. The new 110,000-squareft. facility houses an expanded and improved commercial body shop, in addition to a parts department, road-ready service center, onsite fueling station and PacLease leasing and rental operations.

The facility is located at 1100 Bankhead Highway in Graysville, Ala., about a mile off Interstate-22 in Jefferson County.

SAFETY & MAINTENANCE

“We are thrilled to be opening a new location in Graysville and are excited about the opportunity it will give us to improve our level of service,” said Truckworx owner and CEO Will Bruser. “Not only will this be the largest commercial body shop in the state, but Graysville’s proximity to Birmingham will also allow Truckworx to use this space to get trucks road ready as they arrive, freeing up some muchneeded space in our Birmingham shop. We will also be able to serve our northwest Jefferson County and Walker County customers much better out of the new location.”

The body shop will occupy roughly 70% of the total square footage at TruckworxGraysville and features three brand-new,

state-of-the-art paint booths. Other body shop services include complete collision repair, refurbishing equipment to meet trade terms, complete or spot/area painting, frame repair, front end alignment, cab

ATA’s Road Team is back and ready to spread the message of safety

With schools across Alabama now in full swing, there are more teenagers on the road driving to and from school. Driving is an empowering privilege and among the first steps to adulthood for young people but there are tremendous risks.

According to the CDC, in 2019, almost 2,400 teens in the U.S. aged 13–19 were killed and about 258,000 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. That means that every day, about seven teens died due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more were injured.

The Alabama Trucking Association’s number one mission is promoting highway safety among all drivers, and that’s why for more than 20 years, we have assembled a team of the best commercial drivers from our member fleets to visit high school driver’s ed classes to teach safe driving techniques and to warn students of the dangers of impaired and dis tracted driving.

The team includes veteran drivers who have each logged millions of safe miles in successful trucking careers. They’re also dads and understand exactly what is at stake at each presentation they make.

Alabama Trucking’s Road Team is a free service to the public available upon request to any group needing a speaker to inform or entertain. Presentations include Share the Road demonstrations, driver safety, industry promotion, and a variety of other topics.

For more information, contact Tim Frazier at 334-834-3983 or tfrazier@alabama trucking.org.

Al Lewis

Richard Pratt

Lloyd Howell

Charlie Salter Dan Thompson

Trukworx’s revamped Graysville location is open and ready for business.

MANAGEMENT COUNCIL NEWS

repair or replacement, aluminum box repair, cargo box panel, door and floor repair, fiberglass repair, fabrication, glass replacement and cosmetic upgrades.

“This new facility for our body shop gives us the ability to better serve our customers,” said body shop manager David Morgan. “The new body shop features some truly incredible technology. One of our paint booths is the largest in the southeast and includes man-lifts to aid in painting complete trucks and trailers.”

Truckworx-Graysville also houses a 17,000-square foot parts warehouse, as well as 45 service bays. Truckworx will use this newly-expanded facility to get trucks roadready, completing DOT inspections and PDI processes, including checking serial numbers, removing tape and coating, turning out exhaust stacks, filling DEF and fuel tanks, engaging road tests, washing and more.

The Graysville location is also equipped to handle any upfitting, such as wet line kit and headache rack installation, and will also house a 12,000-gallon onsite fuel tank.

“At Truckworx-Graysville, our job is going to be getting our customers roadready,” said Vice President of service Richard Williamson. “This new building is another step to ensure we are doing everything we can to provide convenient and excellent service to anyone who walks in our doors.”

The newly-expanded PacLease leasing and rental division will also be out of Truckworx-Graysville. PacLease offers both short-term rentals and long-term leasing, providing the customer with both financial and operational benefits. This allows clients to focus on the core functions of their businesses, while Truckworx handles everything else, maximizing uptime and productivity.

“We are proud to offer PacLease customers in the northwest Jefferson and Walker County areas a more convenient location to store equipment, drop off and pick up rental equipment and access other features like our new on-site fueling station,” said Vice President of Leasing and Rental Kyle Stewart.

Truckworx currently employs approxi mately 450 people over 16 locations.

ATA Comp Fund’s Safety Blitz is set for October/November 2022

ATA Comp Fund is putting pressure on noncompliance in October with its annual Safety Blitz campaign. The purpose of this Blitz is to create situational awareness for another challenging safety concern and a leading cause of work-related injuries: Motor Vehicle Accidents.

This year we will stretch out the Safety Blitz during the month of October, focus ing on different causes of MVAs for each week: October 3-7: Distracted Driving; October 10-14: Speeding; October 17-21:

Continued on page 22

News

Fatigue; October 24-28: Tailgating; and October 31 - November 4th: Weather. Check the Fund’s social media accounts for more information in the coming weeks regarding training, information, surprise visits, prizes, and special guests!

For more information visit, www.ata compfund.org.

FMCSA fields request to report hair drug testing results to Clearinghouse

While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration cannot grant an exemption regarding hair follicle drug testing until fur ther action is taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the agency is accepting public comments on a request from the Trucking Alliance to amend federal regulations surrounding drug testing.

In an exemption request published in the

Federal Register Tuesday, the Trucking Alliance requests that FMCSA “amend the definition of actual knowledge to include the employer’s knowledge of a driver’s positive hair test, which would require such results be reported to the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and to inquiring carriers.” Trucking companies who have “actual knowledge” of a driver’s positive urine drug test are currently required to report that test result to the Clearinghouse.

Currently, federal law requires truck drivers to be tested via a urine sample, and FMCSA said it lacks the authority to grant the exemption until HHS has taken certain action regarding hair follicle drug testing.

The FAST Act transportation bill, signed into law by President Obama in December 2015, allows for hair follicle drug testing as a DOT-approved method, but not until HHS establishes guidelines for testing. The FAST Act mandated that those guidelines be developed within a year of the FAST Act becoming law, but HHS did not publish proposed guidelines until September 2020. HHS has not yet issued a final version of those guidelines.

Hair testing generally offers a longer “look back” window of drug use compared to urine testing – about 90 days versus a range of a few days to a few weeks

depending on the drug – and yields more positive tests for hard drugs like cocaine, opioids and meth. Fleets can use the results of hair testing internally to screen drivers but are prohibited from reporting those results at the Federal level.

Despite not currently being able to take action, FMCSA is still requesting public comment on the Trucking Alliance’s request, which can be made here through Sept. 23.

The Trucking Alliance is made up of a group of large carriers, including Cargo Transporters, Dupré Logistics, Frozen Food Express, J.B. Hunt, KLLM, Knight Trans portation, Maverick Transportation, Schnei der, Swift Transportation, U.S. Xpress, and May Trucking Company. A study from the Trucking Alliance and the University of Central Arkansas released earlier this year claimed hair drug testing results from Trucking Alliance member carriers suggest that drivers actually use cocaine more than marijuana, and that hair testing would essentially double the number of drivers disqualified for drug use.

As of July 1, there are more than 135,000 drivers in FMCSA’s Clearinghouse and 100,000 of them are still in prohibited status. More than 75,000 drivers haven’t started the return to duty process.

RNDUSTRY ROUNDUP OUNDUP

Alabama Trucking leader

Benny Whitehead dies

Longtime ATA member and industry supporter Benny Whitehead died peacefully Tues day, August 30, 2022, with his wife and family by his side.

Mr. White head was the founder of Benny Whitehead Inc., a family-owned trucking company and freight carrier based in Eufaula, Ala. operating from the Southeast to the West Coast, hauling refrigerated and dry goods for more than 50 years. By all ac counts, he was one of a kind and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Former ATA Chairman and current Board Member Gary Bond said Mr. White head leaves an amazing legacy of a wonder ful family and a long career as a trucking leader who touched many lives.

“Benny was a true friend of mine for many years, and I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to spend quality time with him. His life was devoted to faith, family, and trucking.”

Bond adds that Whitehead was a master at getting the most from his equipment through constant experimentation. “He could get more miles out of a gallon of fuel than just about anybody. He was a brilliant businessman.”

ATA Vice President of Safety & Com pliance Tim Frazier knew Mr. Whitehead for more than two decades. During that time, he also came to appreciate Mr. White head’s talent and obsession with getting the most from his equipment.

“He was one of the most knowledgeable vehicle specifications men I’ve ever been acquainted with in my many years in truck ing,’ he said. “Our conversations eventually shifted to truck maintenance and vehicle specs. I remember one conversation that lasted for at least an hour comparing specs for tires and fuel mileage. He was incredibly knowledgeable. He knew specs better than a lot of the vendor engineers.”

Federal court rules Rhode Island’s proposed truck-only toll unconstitutional

On September 21, 2022, a U.S. District Court ruled Rhode Island’s predatory truckonly tolling plan RhodeWorks unconstitutional, ending a legal battle between the state and several industry players.

“We told Rhode Island’s leaders from the start that their crazy scheme was not only discriminatory but illegal,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “We’re pleased the court agreed. To any state looking to target our industry, you better bring your A-game… because we’re not rolling over.”

National ATA, along with Cumberland Farms Inc., M&M Transport Services Inc., and New England Motor Freight, sued Rhode Island, arguing that the RhodeWorks plan violates the Constitution’s Commerce Clause by discriminating against out-of-state economic interests in order to favor in-state interests, and by designing the tolls in a way that does not fairly approximate motorists’ use of the roads.

“It has been a long road to get to this point,” said Rhode Island Trucking Association President Chris Maxwell, “But this is a tremendous day for our industry – not just here in Rhode Island, but across the country. Had we not prevailed, these tolls would have spread across the country and this ruling sends a strong signal to other states that trucking is not to be targeted as a piggy bank.”

“This is a strong ruling that provides our industry a significant win on a critical issue,” said ATA General Counsel Rich Pianka. “This ruling vindicates ATA’s contention that the Constitution prohibits states from tolling schemes targeted at the trucking industry, at the expense of interstate commerce.”

The ruling sends a signal to other states that have considered similar plans to fund infrastructure projects. “Singling out a specific group to fund much-needed infrastructure projects goes against everything our country stands for, and we will fight any proposal that does that,” said Alabama Trucking Association president Mark Colson, whose own organization was instrumental in successfully lobbying against similar truck-only toll proposals for the Mobile’s I-10 Bridge project, which now seeks to spread costs evenly to all users.

Benny Whitehead

R ROUNDUP

ATRI report focuses on young worker recruitment

Over the summer, the American Trans portation Research Institute (ATRI) re leased a new report investigating how to best integrate younger adults aged 18 to 25 into trucking careers.

The research, a top priority of ATRI’s R esearch Advisory Committee in 2021, syn thesizes a variety of data and analyses including younger driver surveys, carrier interviews, and the latest workforce sta tistics. The research also documents motor carrier perspectives on participating in the new FMCSA Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program.

Four Star Freightliner donates more than $10,000 to local teachers

A new school year always brings ex citement for students, parents, and teachers alike. But in the midst of the excitement, teachers find themselves digging deep into their personal pockets to purchase classroom supplies.

Four Star Freightliner’s mission statement specifies that the company has a responsi bility to be good stewards and leaders. Recognizing the teachers’ need for assistance, Four Star Freightliner wanted to honor its commitment to the communities where its businesses are located which includes seven cities in three states.

Jerry Kocan, Four Star Freightliner’s dealer principal, authorized the donation of more than $10,000 worth of gift cards to local teachers in school systems near Montgomery, Dothan, Valley, Ala., Albany, Valdosta, Tifton, Ga., and Midway, Fla. Forty-two teachers were selected in total, and each given a $250 gift card.

Kocan’s goal was to help local teachers and students but to also honor educators in his own family that made an impact on so many people.

Younger technicials, especially ones with specialized skills, are in high demand with trucking businesses.

The ATRI research found that, while Millennial and Gen Z drivers are partially motivated by pay, the majority of them consider other factors equally or even more important when it comes to joining or remaining with a motor carrier. Eighty-four percent of younger drivers consider com pany culture important. The report goes on to describe initiatives, such as rewarding veteran drivers for informal mentorship, which can build the community-centered cultures that younger drivers seek.

Structured feedback was found to be a key factor in successfully training Millennial and Gen Z drivers, who desire coaching – a continual process of short, frequent, and more personal meetings – in addition to more traditional evaluations. Similarly, younger adults are more likely to enter the industry when fleets produce transparent recruitment and marketing materials that highlight both younger employees and ex panded career paths.

The research also outlines three pathways

“My wife’s grandfather, Stacey Hughes was a teacher and principal, Kocan recalls. “His daughter and my mother-in-law, Bon nie Ely, was an educator and so was my godmother, Charlotte Sirianni. I know the personal dedication that it takes in the way of time, resources, and their own money to supply their classrooms.”

Laura Hartley, who is entering her 15th year of teaching, said she is thankful for what she describes as “much-needed help”.

“School funding is always limited, and a lot of the expense of class room supplies and cleaning products fall on the teachers and parents,” Hartley said.

“Having this help from Four Star Freightliner will do so much with providing a safe, clean environment for the students along with the supplies they need to learn and enjoy learning.”

Teachers completed a form online and were randomly selected as winners. Four Star was also able to help teachers who have a personal connection to Four Star Freightliner.

Laura Hartley is a Pre-K teacher at Brewbaker Pri mary School in Montgomery, Ala.

Baley Fowler is a fourth-year kindergarten teacher at Cottonwood Elementary School in Cottonwood, Ala.

Four Star Freightliner employee Lee Barnard presents Lynn Etheredge, Mary Beth Morris, and Michelle Brooks with $250 gift cards. They are all teach ers at Baconton Community Charter School in Baconton, Ga.

toward creating high school trucking and logistics clubs to promote industry aware ness among teenagers who are still exploring their career interests.

“ATRI has provided a one-stop resource for creating work environments where younger employees are both productive and fulfilled,” said DriverReach Founder and CEO Jeremy Reymer. “Carriers looking to increase their number of younger employees or participate in the new Safe Driver Ap prenticeship Program will find this report very useful.”

ATA Comp Fund’s Debra Calhoun retires

June 28th was a bittersweet day at the ATA Comp Fund. Longtime employee Debra Calhoun hung up her hat after 26 years of work with the Fund to spend more time with family.

When CEO Kimble Coaker took over the Fund in 1995, he knew he needed to hire the right person to help him navigate

his vision to rebuild and grow the Fund. Calhoun was his first hire in March 1996 and was instrumental in the early years laying the groundwork to place the Fund’s programs where

they are today. For years, she and Coaker were the only two staffers on payroll, and the duo forged a deep bond and trust over the years that was the secret ingredient in the organization’s early success and growth. Her dedication to her work, bubbly personality, and business savvy served the Fund and its customers’ interests well for nearly three decades.

An official announcement from Fund officials on Calhoun’s retirement stated, “Thank you, Debra, for your loyalty and dedication to our Fund and our team.

Thank you for being the sweetest, most compassionate co-worker, always willing to give words of encouragement and endearm ent. We will miss your warm smile and bubbly personality day in and day out.”

Coworkers, friends and family celebrated her retirement at a dinner and presentation in August at The Club in Birmingham,

ATRI’s newest operational costs research documents costliest year ever in trucking

Atlanta, Georgia – The American Trans portation Research Institute (ATRI) today released the findings of its 2022 update to An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Truck ing. A record number of motor carriers con tributed their 2021 financial data for this year’s research. The “Ops Costs” report pro vides detailed breakdowns of numerous lineitem costs by fleet size and sector, allowing for tailored benchmarking.

The total marginal cost of trucking grew by 12.7 percent in 2021 to $1.855 per mile, the highest on record. Leading contributors to this increase were fuel (35.4% higher than in 2020), repair and maintenance (18.2% higher than in 2020), and driver wages (10.8% higher than in 2020). On a cost-per-hour basis, costs increased to $74.65.

The trucking industry experienced many new, atypical market conditions in 2021 and their effects can clearly be seen in the Ops Costs data. Overall, fleets with 100 or fewer

Continued on page 30

Ala., where she and her husband Duane will reside to be closer to family.

Debra Calhoun

R ROUNDUP

trucks spent 4.9 cents more per mile than fleets with more than 100 trucks – closing the 2020 gap with larger fleets by 70 percent. While larger fleets spent less than smaller fleets on insurance premiums per mile, the advantage was offset by higher out-of-pocket incident costs per mile for large fleets.

In response to the truck driver shortage, total driver compensation at $0.809 per mile was 10 percent higher than in 2020.

The full report is available at https:// truckingresearch.org

AAA Cooper named among the country’s best employers

Dothan-based AAA Cooper Transpor tation has been recognized as a Forbes 2022 Best Midsize Employer. For six consecutive years, AAA Cooper Transportation® has been on Forbes Best Midsize Employers’ list. Forbes partnered with Statista to dis cover which businesses are best at making their employees feel happy, inspired, and well-compensated. Statista surveyed 60,000

people working for companies with 1,000 plus employees.

The respondents were asked how likely they would be to recommend their employer to others, and then were asked to nominate organizations in industries outside of their own. The final list ranks the 500 mid-size companies that received the most recommendations.

AAA Cooper Transportation’s Vice Pres ident of Human Resources and Risk Man agement, Scott Bowers said in a release, “ AAA Cooper Transportation is thrilled to be on the 2022 Forbes Best Mid-Size Em ployers list. Being recognized for a sixth consecutive year reflects a commitment to creating strong relationships based on re spect, trust, and decency. I am grateful to all our team members that exhibit these values, making this recognition possible.”

AAA Cooper Transportation is among the top 50 largest ground transportation companies in the U.S.

Alabama Trucking celebrates America’s 3.5 million truck drivers

In September, America’s trucking indus try celebrated America’s more than 3.5 mil

lion truck drivers with National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 1117, 2022.

Commercial drivers deliver a world of items and supplies we need to feed, clothe and care for our families. Almost everything you see at your local supermarket or retail outlet at some point made it to the shelf be cause a professional truck driver delivered it.

It should go without saying that these men and women are the backbone of our Nation’s economy, and because of them, our lives are more comfortable and in finitely better because of their efforts. Yet, the role truckers play in our daily lives is often taken for granted.

Whether you’re buying medicine for your family, grabbing dinner at your favorite local spot, or filling the tank for a weekend getaway, nearly all aspects of our lives are impacted by professional truck drivers.

The trucking industry hauls more than 10 billion tons of freight every year, which accounts for 70 percent of total U.S. ton nage. Further, 80 percent of U.S. com munities rely exclusively on trucks to de liver food, clothing, fuel, medicines and all sort of other things. We also contribute jobs and stability for thousands of families. Here in Alabama, the trucking industry accounts

Continued on page 32

R

for 1 in 14 jobs in the state employing more than 111,000 Alabamians.

Chris Cooper, CEO of Boyd Companies and current Chairman of the Board for the Alabama Trucking Association, stated in a press release that professional truck drivers are also committed to doing their jobs safely because they too are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, and friends and neighbors.

“Imagine what our lives would be like if groceries, medicine, or gasoline weren’t readily available,” he said. “Because of the many hours of hard work and sacrifices truckers and their families make every day, we will never have to find out. Like other brave frontline workers, like doctors, nurses, and law enforcement officers, it is important to acknowledge those who step up daily to help ensure our way of life remains intact.”

ATA leaders, along with the entire trucking industry, recognize the important role that truckers play in keeping our communities supplied and stocked with the critical goods that we sometimes take for granted.

“Showing our appreciation for some of the most vital workers in the country

shouldn’t only happen once a year,” Cooper said. “I know at my own company, we al ways try to make sure our drivers know how important and respected they are for us. They are our most valuable team mem bers. As leader of ATA, I want to carry that sentiment all year long.”

Chris Cooper

Application

Schedule of Membership Dues

A. For-Hire Motor Carriers (Membership dues are based on truck count; maximum of $4,000)

$500 plus $20 per truck

B. Private Carriers (Schedule based on miles traveled in Alabama)

$300

up to 1 million miles

$600 for 1,000,000 up to 4 million miles

$900 for 4,000,001 up to 7 million miles

$1,200

7,000,001 up to 10 million miles

$1,500 for 10,000,001 up to 13 million miles

$1,800 for 13,000,001 miles up to 16 million miles

$2,100

16,000,001 up to 19 million miles

$2,400 for 19,000,000 up to 21 million miles

$2,800 for 21,000,000 up to 24 million miles

$3,100

C. Household Goods Carriers

over 24 million miles

(Schedule based on intrastate revenue only)

$420

$480

under $100,000

$100,001 up to $150,000

$540 for $150,000 up to $200,000

$660

$780

$201,001 up to $250,000

$250,001 up to $300,000

$900 for $300,001 up to $400,000

$1,200

D. Allied Industry

$400,001 and over

(Those who service and equip the trucking industry)

$600 annually

CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

The amount of dues paid by individual members of the Alabama Trucking Association is confidential informa tion and is not subject to publication. Dues information can only be released by ATA to the principal representative of the member in question, and requests by other persons or parties will not be honored. Members are strongly urged to honor this privacy statement and to not share their confidential dues information with other ATA members or the general public.

2022

Buyer’s Guide

ADVERTISING/PUBLISHING

Pitts Media (205) 792-1280 www.pittsmedia.com

AUTO DEALER (SERVICE OR REPAIR)

Faucett Motors of Boaz, Inc. (256) 593-7162

BUS SALES & SERVICE

Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com

Transportation South, Inc. (205) 663-2287 www.thebuscenter.com

Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com

CHEMICAL PRODUCTS

Rushing Enterprises, Inc. (334) 693-3318 www.rushingenterprises.com

COMMUNICATIONS/ELECTRONICS

ISAAC Instruments LLC (888) 658-7520 www.isaacinstruments.com

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

Omnitracs, LLC (615) 594-7565 www.omnitracs.com

ORBCOMM, Inc. (833) 232-1986 www.orbcomm.com

PrePass Safety Alliance (602) 601-4779 www.prepass.com

Trimble Transportation (407) 347-5121 www.mobility.trimble.com

DRIVER STAFFING

Transportation Support, Inc. (205) 833-6336 www.transportationsupport.com

EDUCATION/ TRAINING/ CONSULTING

Central Alabama Community College (256) 215-4301 www.cacc.edu

J. Guthrie Consultants L.L.C. (205) 544-9124

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

JP Transportation Safety Consulting, LLC (205) 329-8182 (205) 945-8550 www.jptsc.com

Roadmaster Driver School (800) 831-1300 www.roadmaster.com

Transafe, LLC (601) 425-2703 www.transafeusa.com

Transportation Compliance Services, USA (877) 268-7347 www.dottrucksafety.com

TRW Solutions, LLC (251) 362-2275

Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. (205) 585-3895 www.infinitiworkforce.com

ENGINE MANUFACTURERS

Cummins Sales & Service (901) 490-5232

EQUIPMENT LEASING

CB Equipment, Inc. (205) 338-0943

KLLM/Equipment Solutions LLC (205) 515-1478 www.equipmentsolution.com

Metro Trailer Rental (205) 985-8701 www.metrotrailer.com

Reliable Trailer Sales, Inc. (205) 808-0042 www.storagetrailersal.com

REPOWR

(205) 908-0540 www.repowrtransport.com

Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net

Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com

Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com

Trailer Sales of Tennessee A Fleet Equipment Co. (615) 259-3301 www.trailersalesoftennessee.com

Transport Enterprise Leasing, LLC (423) 214-4027 www.teleasing.com

Vacuum Truck Rentals, LLC (205) 277-6190 www.vactruckrental.com

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING

Allison Transmission, Inc. (678) 367-7011

Eaton Corp./Roadranger Field Marketing (334) 398-1410 www.roadranger.com

EQUIPMENT PARTS/ACCESSORIES

Ancra Cargo (859) 446-3804 www.ancracargo.com

Dothan Tarpaulin Products, Inc. (800) 844-8277 www.dothantarp.com

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems (334) 798-0080 www.arvinmeritor.com

Paccar Parts/Kenworth (206) 898-5541 www.paccarparts.com www.trpparts.com

Rockland Flooring (865) 982-8377 www.rocklandflooring.com

Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net

Star Truck Parts (205) 324-4681

Thermo King of B’ham-Dothan-MobileMontgomery-Chattanooga (334) 263-5782 www.midstatetk.com

W.W. Williams (205) 252-9025 (334) 279-6083 www.wwwilliams.com

Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc. (205) 238-9277 www.wertswelding.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Alabama Farm Credit (256) 737-7128 www.alabamafarmcredit.com

Arvest Equipment Finance (866) 745-1487 www.arvest.com

Bank of America Merrill Lynch (205) 298-7467 www.fa.ml.com/RPM

BMO Transportation Finance (770) 960-6307 www.BMOTF.com

Colony Bank (205) 603-2998 www.colony.bank

Comdata (615) 376-6917 www.comdata.com

Commercial Credit Group, Inc. (704) 731-0031 www.commercialcreditgroup.com

CorpFinancial, LLC (334) 215-4499 www.cfs401k.com

Crestmark Bank 615-620-3509 www.crestmark.com

Electronic Funds Source, LLC (615) 777-4619 www.efsllc.com

Fifth Third Bank (770) 510-8123 www.53.com

FirstBank (256) 970-1618 www.firstbankonline.com

First Horizon Bank (615) 734-6046 www.firsthorizon.com

Hancock Whitney Bank (251) 665-1667 www.hancockwhitney.com

IBERIABANK (251) 345-9676 www.IBERIABANK.com

People’s Capital & Leasing Corp. (205) 856-9354 www.peoples.com

People’s United Equipment Finance Corp. (205) 664-9374 www.puefc.com

PNC Bank N.A. (205) 421-2764 www.pnc.com

ProBilling and Funding Service (256) 736-4349 www.probfs.com

Progress Bank (205) 527-5692 www.myprogressbank.com

Renasant Bank (334) 301-5955 www.renasantbank.com

ServisFirst Bank (205) 949-3433 www.servisfirstbank.com

Signature Financial (615) 982-4375 www.signatureny.com

South State Bank (205) 422-7111

Trustmark Bank (205) 995-4615 www.trustmark.com

Wells Fargo Equipment Finance (314) 374-2165 www.wellsfargo.com

INSURANCE

Aon Risk Services (865) 722-1209 www.aon.com/transportation

BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. (334) 386-3317 www.bxsi.com

Benton & Parker Insurance Services (770) 536-8340 www.bentonandparker.com

Caribou Insurance Agency, Inc. (205) 822-7577 www.caribouins.com

Cottingham and Butler (563) 587-5521 www.cottinghambutler.com

DMC Insurance, Inc. (317) 436-4909 www.dmcinsurance.com

Farris Evans Insurance Agency, Inc. (901) 274-5424 www.farrisevans.com

Great West Casualty Co. (865) 392-3752 www.gwccnet.com

Hudson Insurance Group (317) 810-0056 www.hudsoninsgroup.com

Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance (251) 473-4600 www.lyonfrycaden.com

McGriff Insurance Services (334) 674-9810 www.mcgriffinsurance.com (205) 583-9641 www.mcgriff.com

Joe Morten & Sons, Inc. (865) 392-3844 www.joemorten.com

Palomar Insurance Corp. (334) 270-0105 www.palomarins.com

PR Companies (334) 836-1377 www.partnerwiththeexperts.com

Reliance Group, LLC (205) 504-4841 www.reliancegroupins.com

Reliance Partners, LLC (877) 668-1704 www.reliancepartners.com

Starr Insurance Group, LLC (334) 401-0218 www.starrgroupllc.com

The Baxter Agency (334) 678-6800 www.baxteragency.com

TransRisk, LLC (334) 403-4114 www.transriskllc.com

TrueNorth Companies (616) 690-5856 www.truenorthcompanies.com

Turner & Hamrick L.L.C. (334) 566-7665 www.turnerhamrick.com

MEDICAL/DRUG & ALCOHOL SERVICES

Alabama Specialty Clinic (256) 736-1460 www.ascoccupationalhealth.com

Carlisle Medical, Inc. (251) 344-7988 www.carlislemedical.com

ErgoScience, Inc. (205) 879-6447 www.ergoscience.com

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

Safety First-Div. of Behavioral Health Systems (205) 443-5433 www.safetyfirstdrugtesting.com

PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

Davison Fuels & Oil (251) 544-4511 www.davisonoil.com

Jack Green Oil Co., Inc. (256) 831-1038

Myers Oil Company, Inc. (954) 938-7211

RelaDyne (205) 384-3422 www.reladyne.com

W.H. Thomas Oil Co., Inc. (205) 755-2610 www.whthomasoil.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Accounting Firms: Aldridge, Borden & Co. (334) 834-6640 www.aldridgeborden.com

Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP (317) 580-2068 www.ksmcpa.com

Warren Averett (256) 739-0312 www.warrenaverett.com

Attorneys: Adams and Reese LLP (251) 650-0861 www.adamsandreese.com

Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A. 334-387-7680 www.ball-ball.com

Bradley Arant (205) 521-8837 www.bradley.com

Carr, Allison, P.C. (251) 626-9340 www.carrallison.com

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophette, LLP (205) 252-9321 www.constangy.com

DeLashmet & Marchand, P.C. (251) 433-1577 www.delmar-law.com

Drivers Legal Plan (405) 948-6576 www.driverslegalplan.com

Friedman, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C. (205) 278-7000 www.friedman-lawyers.com

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC (251) 432-5511 www.handarendall.com

Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black, P.C. (334) 834-7600 www.hillhillcarter.com

MGM (601) 255-0262 www.mgmlaw.com

Moore, Young, Foster & Hazelton, LLP (205) 879-8722 www.mydefense.com

Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, Ireland PA (205) 980-5000 www.phm-law.com

Speegle, Hoffman, Holman & Holifield, LLC (251) 694-1700 www.speeglehoffman.com

Starnes Davis Florie LLP (205) 868-6000 www.starneslaw.com

Other Services: Alignment Simple Solutions, LLC (205) 475-2419 www.alignmentsimplesolutions.com

Allstate Beverage (251) 476-9600 Ext. 1231

AMG Driver Recruitment (205) 325-2446 www.amgdriverrecruitment.com

C Cross Logistics, LLC (205) 759-1818

Corporate Billing, LLC (256) 584-3600 www.corpbill.com

Davis Direct, Inc. (334) 277-0878 www.davisdirect.com

DriverReach, LLC (317) 610-0080 www.driverreach.com

Drivewyze (780) 461-3355 www.drivewyze.com

Enterprise Holdings, Inc. (205) 823-4599 www.enterpriseholdings.com

EXT-Logistics (256) 468-8749

HHO Carbon Clean Systems –South Alabama (251) 376-1170 www.hhocarboncleansystems.com

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

JP Transportation Safety Consulting, LLC (205) 329-8182 www.jptsc.com

M & N Transport, Inc. (256) 657-5161

Max Coating, Inc. (205) 849-2737 www.maxcoating.com

MCG Workforce (251) 652-5244 www.mcgworkforce.com

McLeod Software (205) 823-5100 www.mcleodsoftware.com

Pitts Media (205) 792-1280 www.pittsmedia.com

Porter Billing Services LLC (205) 397-4079 www.porterbillingservices.com

Power South Energy Cooperative (334) 427-3207 www.powersouth.com

PR Companies (334) 836-1377 www.partnerwiththeexperts.com

PrePass Safety Alliance (602) 601-4779 www.prepass.com

QuikQ LLC (678) 591-4675 www.quikq.com

Randall-Reilly (205) 349-2990 www.randallreilly.com

Rand McNally (877) 446-4863 www.randmcnally.com

RapidScale (251) 533-2009 www.rapidscale.net

REPOWR (205) 908-0540 www.repowrtransport.com

SET Logistics, Inc. (205) 849-6309 www.setlogistics.net

Spectrum Environmental Services, Inc. (205) 664-2000 www.specenviro.com

Swift Supply, Inc. (251) 929-9399 www.swiftsupply.com

Tax2290.com/ThinkTrade Inc. (866) 245-3918 www.tax2290.com

TeamOne Logistics (770) 232-9902 www.teamonelogistics.com

The National Transportation Institute (612) 263-9983 www.driverwages.com

TMW Systems, Inc. (440) 721-2260 www.tmwsystems.com

Transportation and Logistical Services, Inc (205) 226-5500 www.tlsincorp.com

Transportation Billing Solutions, LLC (205) 788-4000

Transportation Compliance Services, USA (877) 268-7347 www.dottrucksafety.com

Whiting Systems (205) 239-8014 www.whitingsystems.com

Repairs:

Big Moe Spring & Alignment of B’ham, Inc. (205) 780-0290 www.bigmoespring.com

Birmingham Frame & Alignment, LLC (205) 322-4844 www.birminghamframe@gmail.com

BTTS (Ben’s Truck & Trailer Service) (205) 635-9286

Childersburg Truck Service, Inc. (256) 378-3101 www.childersburg-truck.com

Coffman International Trucks (334) 794-4111 www.coffmaninternationaltrucks.com

Lazzari Truck Repair, Inc. (251) 626-5121 www.lazzaritruckrepair.com

Mann Automotive Diesel, Inc. (334) 792-0456 www.mannautomotivediesel.com

MHC Carrier Transicold (404) 968-3130 www.ctsouth.com

Rowe Management Corp. (205) 486-9235 www.rowemachinery.com

Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com

Thompson Tractor Company (205) 244-7812 www.thompsontractor.com

W.W. Williams (205) 252-9025 (334) 279-6083 www.wwwilliams.com

TIRE DEALERS & MANUFACTURERS

Best One Tire & Service (615) 244-9611 www.bestonetire.com

Bridgestone Commercial Solutions (205) 514-8341 www.commercial.bridgestone.com

Butler Industrial Tire Center, Inc. (334) 376-0178

Columbus Tire Company dba Complete Tire and Service (706) 321-8133 www.ctstires.com

Continental Tire North America (662) 549-7570 www.continental-truck.com

Love’s Truck Tire Care and Speedco (800) OK-LOVES www.loves.com

McGriff Tire Co. (256) 739-0710 www.mcgrifftire.com

McGriff Treading Co., Inc. (256) 734-4298 www.mcgriffindustries.com

Michelin North America (859) 661-0855 www.michelintruck.com

Wilks Tire & Battery Service, Inc. (256) 878-0211 www.wilkstire.com

Snider Fleet Solutions (336) 691-5499 www.sniderfleet.com

Southern Tire Mart (251) 457-9915 www.stmtires.com

Yokohama Tire Corp. (317) 385-2611 www.yokohamatire.com

TRAILER DEALERS/ MANUFACTURERS

C & C Trailers, Inc. (334) 897-2202

Dorsey Trailer, LLC (334) 897-2525 www.dorseytrailer.net

Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 933-5190 www.empiretruck.com

Fleetco, Inc. (615) 256-0600 www.fleetco.net

Fontaine Fifth Wheel NA (205) 421-4300 www.fifthwheel.com

Great Dane (205) 324-3491 www.greatdane.com

Gulf City Body & Trailer Works, Inc. (251) 438-5521 www.gulfcity.com

Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. (251) 476-2744 www.gulfcoasttruck.com

MAC LTT (330) 474-3795 www.macltt.com

Manac Trailers, Inc. (404) 775-2619 www.manac.com

R C Trailer Sales & Service Co., Inc. (205) 680-0924 www.rctrailersales.net

Reliable Trailer Sales, Inc. DBA Storage Trailers of Alabama (205) 808-0042 www.storagetrailersal.com

Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com

Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com

Transport Trailer Center (334) 299-3573 www.transportttailercenter.com

Transtex (877) 332-3519 www.transtex-llc.com

Utility Trailer Sales of Alabama LLC (334) 794-7345 www.utilityalabama.com

Wabash National Corp. (270) 206-1877 www.wabashnational.com

Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc. (205) 238-9277 www.wertswelding.com

TRUCK DEALERS, MANUFACTURERS

Action Truck Center (334) 794-8505 www.actiontruckcenter.com

Alabama Freightliner (205) 322-6695 www.birminghamfreightliner.com Birmingham Freightliner (205) 322-6695 www.birminghamfreightliner.com

Capital Volvo Truck & Trailer (334) 262-8856 www.capitalvolvo.com

Coffman International Trucks (334) 794-4111 www.coffmaninternationaltrucks.com

Daimler Trucks NA LLC (803) 554-4831 www.freightliner.com

Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 939-1000 www.empiretruck.com

Fitzgerald Peterbilt (205) 379-8300 www.fitzgeraldpeterbilt.com

Four Star Freightliner (Dothan) (334) 793-4455 www.fourstarfreightliner.com

Four Star Freightliner (334) 263-1085 (Montgomery) www.fourstarfreightliner.com

Mack Trucks, Inc. (678) 201-4770 www.macktrucks.com

Navistar (813) 382-3113 www.internationaldelivers.com

Nextran Truck Centers (205) 841-4450 www.nextrancorp.com

Rush Truck Center-Mobile (251) 459-7300 www.rushofmobile.com

Ryder Vehicle Sales LLC (205) 492-2428 www.usedtrucks.ryder.com

SelecTrucks of Alabama (205) 322-6695 www.selectrucksofalabama.com Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com

Taylor & Martin, Inc. (402) 721-4500 www.taylorandmartin.com

Trojan Industries, Inc. dba Lyncoach Truck Bodies (334) 566-4330 www.lyncoach.com

Truckworx Kenworth - Birmingham (205) 326-6170 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Dothan (334) 712-4900 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Montgomery (334) 263-3101 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Mobile (251) 957-4000 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Huntsville (256) 308-0162 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Thomasville (334) 636-4380 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Velocity Truck Centers (256) 350-1630 www.velocitytruckcenters.com

Volvo Trucks North America (336) 508-4950 www.volvotrucks.volvo.com

Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com

TRUCK & EQUIPMENT AUCTIONEERS

Taylor & Martin, Inc. (662) 262-4613 www.taylorandmartin.com

TRUCKSTOPS

Love’s Travel Stops, Inc. (904) 738-4019 www.loves.com

Pilot Flying J Centers (865) 207-3874 www.pilotflyingj.com

TravelCenters of America/Petro Shopping Centers (678) 591-4675 www.Ta-Petro.com

VEHICLE LEASING Interstate Nationalease (334) 270-8387 www.inlleasing.com

Penske Truck Leasing (757) 603-2853 www.gopenske.com

Penske Truck Leasing –Birmingham, AL (205) 942-6985 www.penske.com

Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com

Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com

ATA

New Members 6-21-22 through 9-22-22

All My Sons of Mobile, LLC Mobile, Ala.

Jeff Wolf 251-313-5898

Central Alabama Electric Cooperative Prattville, Ala. Michael Kelley 800-545-5735

Colony Bank Birmingham, Ala. Warren Giardina 800-873-6404

& &

Duncan Leasing, LLC Nauvoo, Ala. Bridgett Duncan 205-433-6174

HHO Carbon Clean Systems (South Ala bama) Titus, Ala. Jordyn Wasden 251-463-9007

Interstate NationaLease Montgomery, Ala. Jay Katz 334-270-8387

RapidScale Raleigh, NC Stephen Elms 866-377-1355

This Side Up Moving Huntsville, Ala. Colby Robinson 256-653-7612

WKC Trucking, LLC Albertville, Ala. William Kinley 256-736-4595

Events

Please contact Brandie Norcross at bnorcross@alabamatrucking.org or visit www.alabamatrucking.org for updates and changes.

SMMC Fall Courtesy Roadside Inspection October 13, 2022 TBD

SMMC Regional Meeting - Birmingham November 7, 2022 Birmingham, Ala.

SMMC Regional Meeting - Wiregrass November 10, 2022 Montgomery, Ala.

SMMC Regional MeetingGulf Coast November 17, 2022 Mobile, Ala.

SMMC Christmas Celebration December 16, 2022 TopGolf, Birmingham, Ala.

*Dates subject to change

Alabama Trucker (AT), the official publica tion of the Alabama Trucking Association (ATA), is an award-winning trade publication highlighting the Association's activities while documenting the business environment of the day.

AT is published quarterly and distributed to more than 2,500 trucking executives, reg ulatory officials, and political figures.

Want to reach decision makers at more than 1,500 Alabama-based trucking firms? Consider this: Advertising in AT reaches the most concentrated readership of trucking professionals in the state. Our rates are af fordable, but on top of that, you’re helping ATA send positive messages about one of the state's largest employers.

Contact Ford Boswell at fboswell@alabamatrucking.org or 877-277-TRUK (8785) For More Information

ADVERTISER

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WEB ADDRESS

(888) 385-0186 www.turnerhamrick.com

(334) 834-7911 www.atacompfund.org

(800) 873-8494 www.baxteragency.com

(205) 322-6695 www.birminghamfreightliner.com Corp Financial

Freightliner

(334) 215-4499 www.corpfinancial.com Cummins Inc.

INL Leasing

www.cummins.com

(334) 549-4036 www.INLLeasing.com

(800) 844-4102 www.navistar.com McGriff Insurance

Trucks

(334) 674-9803 www.McGriffInsurance.com McGriff Tire

(334) 674-9803 www.McGriffInsurance.com

Nextran Truck Center

(800) 489-0105 www.palomarins.com

(800) 292-8685 www.nextrancorp.com Palomar Insurance

Garrison

(877) STM-TIRE STMTires.com

(800) 643-3472 www.regarrison.com Southern Tire Mart

Southland Transportation Group

(800) 444-6170 www.truckworx.com

(205) 254-1821 southlandtransportationgroup.com Threat Advice/Cyber Security 13 (205) 705-2716 www.threatadvice.com Truckworx Kenworth

(256) 352-8063 wallacestate.edu WH Thomas Oil Co. 20-21 (205) 755-2610 www.thomasoil.com

Wallace State