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Truckers Led Pandemic Recovery Published quarterly by the Alabama Trucking Assn., P.O. Box 242337, Montgomery, AL 36124-2337.
In his address at the American Trucking Associations’ annual MC&E, Chris Spears said truckers led the path to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout this difficult year, truckers heroically restocked depleted store shelves and delivered medical supplies and test kits to those who needed them most.
www.alabamatrucking.org or call 334-834-3983 EDITOR Ford Boswell fboswell@alabamatrucking.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cindy Segrest csparks67@gmail.com
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Rolling Success
PRODUCTION EDITOR Brandie Norcross
After some tough years on the family farm, Brian and Valerie Lindley dove headfirst into trucking with faith and determination to start a successful business close to the home. Today, the growing business is recognized among Alabama’s safest and best-managed fleets.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tim Frazier, Terry Kilpatrick, Dan Shell, Chris Spear ADVERTISING Ford Boswell fboswell@alabamatrucking.org
ALABAMA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION
Heritage Delivers the Vote
PRESIDENT & CEO Mark Colson
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For 20 years, the Sylacauga-based Heritage Freight Warehousing & Logistics has helped get out the vote by delivering all of Alabama’s paper voting ballots -- and a few in other states, too.
VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE Tim Frazier DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS Brandie Norcross DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Cindy York SENIOR ADVISOR Ford Boswell ATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Steve Aronhalt, Dennis Bailey, Nic Balanis, Brian Barze, Chris Bisanz, Joe Black, Gary Bond, Lacy Brakefield, Leigh Ward Breal, Jack Brim, Greg Brown, Will Bruser, Craig Burgess, Billy Campbell, Dan Carmichael, Fenn Church, J.J. Clemmons, Kimble Coaker, Mark Coffman, John Collier, Driscoll Colquett, Brent Cook, Chris Cooper, Bo Cross, Jerry Davis, Amy DeFee, Joe Donald, Edmund Doss, Mack Dove, Wesley Dunn, Steve Dupuis, Jack Fricks, Beau Holmes, Jim Jenkins, Steve Johnson, Bryan Kilpatrick, Terry Kilpatrick, Mark Knotts, Jerry Kocan, Ben Leach, Alphonso Lewis, Andrew Linn, Drew Linn, Hunter Lyons, Bruce MacDonald, Jeff McGrady, Barry McGriff, Tom McLeod, Buck Moore, E.H. Moore, Jr., Tommy Neely, Butch Owens, David Padgett, Clay Palm, Kelly Robinson, Kevin Savoy, Bill Scruggs, 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.
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E P A R T M E N T S
President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Safety Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 SMMC Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Trucking News Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Buyers’ Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 ATA Events and New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Advertising rates are available upon request. An Affiliate of the American Trucking Associations
A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
334-834-3983 • www.alabamatrucking.org 1
President’s Message
Trucking answered the Nation’s call in 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE: The following text is an edited version of the 2020 State of the Industry address that American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear presented to his federation during National ATA’s 2020 Management Conference & Exhibition, which was held digitally last October due to the coronavirus pandemic. The text has been edited for space, style and content.
T Chris Spear President and CEO American Trucking Associations
‘Trucking isn’t just the backbone of our economy – it’s the heartbeat of this nation.’
his has been a year of endless challenges. But like our great industry, the American Trucking Associations hasn’t shut down, backed down, or sat things out. We have rolled up our sleeves and we’re getting the job done. We began this year with tremendous optimism. The passage of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement and over half of a new agreement with China secured, these trade deals gave us confidence that 2020 would feel more like 2018. Two months later, those hopes were dashed, replaced by a global pandemic that brought swift responses from all levels of government. The following national economic shutdown quickly spilled into the supply chain. Governors and mayors, many of whom have never worked directly with the trucking industry, issued decrees that prevented our members from serving customers, communities and those most in need. And we all felt the result, with nearly 15 percent of our nation out of work — the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. ATA and our state association executives responded, securing federal “essential” status from the Dept. of Homeland Security, and temporary FMCSA exemptions from Hours of Service requirements. We were able to secure the reopening of public rest areas shuttered by several Governors. And we were successful in getting state DMV extensions on the issuance and renewal of CDLs, CLPs and medical certificates as well as federal COVID relief for our industry and customers. While others in DC panicked, the ATA led, giving direction and certainty to our members when it mattered most. We got loud, taking our story about the vital importance of trucking to the national airwaves, drawing the attention and respect of our nation’s elected officials. Our efforts brought ATA and its members to the table, including the President’s Great American Economic Revival advisory group. Our Chairman, Randy Guillot, testified before the House and Senate on the critical importance and timing of passing an infrastructure bill. And the ATA engaged on federal regulatory relief and permanent flexibilities, all while underscoring the safety and health of our industry. Our combined efforts have helped put America on a path to full recovery, and the numbers prove it. Unemployment insurance claims dropped from a peak of 6.9 million in March to 860,000 just last month, while the unemployment rate has been cut nearly in half. There’s more work ahead, but the results and trends are encouraging. Our association is not only strong, it’s now battle-hardened. We’re meeting these seemingly endless challenges because of you, our members, and our drivers. Thank you. Your support, direction and unwavering commitment to a unified voice inspire each of us at ATA to excel on your behalf. And you have my personal commitment that these efforts will only continue. Throughout this pandemic, trucking has done what it does best – care. Reflected in the mission of the Trucking Cares Foundation, we restocked depleted shelves and delivered medical supplies and test kits to first responders. At the same time, we kept our own safe… distributing nearly 1,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, 250,000 KN-95 masks and helped FMCSA distribute over one million more, free of charge. And we again answered the call when disasters struck, immediately responding to Hurricanes Laura, Sally and Delta, bringing truckloads of relief to those displaced by damaging winds and floods. America is paying attention to trucking. From ACT 1’s continued support of Trucking Moves America Forward to ATA’s new trucking.org website, our image has benefited, soaring to unimagined heights. In April, our drivers returned to the South Lawn of the White House, receiving the appreciation they deserve. The President and Secretary of Transportation “thanked God for truckers,” and Americans agreed. More than 480 million social media impressions poured in, spurring a flood of earned thanks to the 3.6 million drivers for a job well done. Four of our female America’s Road Team Captains, with a combined 7.6 million accident-free miles, took things further, drawing Continued on page 26
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A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
Growing O Brian and Valerie Lindley
Article and Photography by Ford Boswell
dove headfirst into
WEDOWEE, Ala. — Nestled among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, not far from Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama at 2,411 feet above sea level, sits LB3 Trucking, LLC’s new driver and maintenance facility — an attractive building just off U.S. Highway 431 that from the outside looks more like a modern hunting lodge than a trucking operation. But inside the facility offers a maintenance shop and a driver’s lounge equipped with a kitchen, laundry room, and bunkhouse that serve as a base for company drivers as they start or finish runs or wait for repairs and routine equipment maintenance. LB3 isn’t a large fleet. It operates 20 trucks hauling general freight, refrigerated items, and paper products across the southeastern U.S. Not all trucking businesses in Alabama are the size of the state’s largest operations, behemoths such as Boyd Bros. Transportation, AAA Cooper Transportation or P&S Transportation. But LB3 does represent a good portion of the Alabama Trucking Association membership base, especially those lured by affordable insurance services from the ATA Comp Fund,
trucking with a single hauling contract, an old Mack truck, and the faith and determination to grow a successful trucking business close to the home. Today, the growing business is recognized among the state’s safest and best-managed fleets.
Brian and Valerie Lindley
which account for more than a third of the ATA membership. So, the new building represents a significant milestone for LB3 owners Brian and Valerie Lindley. For them, it’s a testament to their faith and resilience and the hard work of drivers and employees who have pushed the steady growth that their small trucking company has enjoyed the past several years. But the heart and soul of the operation resides only a few miles away in a modest, white mid-century farmhouse that’s been in the Lindley family for decades. Even with Google Maps trained on the address, I passed it three times — once even pulling into the gravel driveway to check coordinates. After a few minutes, a large, black pickup arrived, and Brian stepped from it to wave me to the back porch. I had indeed arrived at LB3 Trucking’s corporate headquarters, the Royvis House, named for his grandparents, Roy and Evis Lindley. “Welcome to LB3 Trucking,” he said as he unlocked the back door where inside it still looks like a grandparent’s home with a large family room that holds a couple of comfortable looking recliners facing a centrally located television and adjacent to a well-preserved kitchen of 1970s decor that’s
peration fully functional and nicely equipped even by today’s standards. A closer look reveals that other rooms have been repurposed for a busy trucking operation. A dining room is now a conference room and the three bedrooms are now offices for the Lindleys, their fleet managers and other office staff. Operating a trucking business from an old farmhouse is poetic for Brian, who spent most of his childhood and early adult life working on the adjacent farmland. The area’s good soil, long summers, plenty of water, and an abundance of other natural resources make it perfect for farming, and that’s what Lindley’s family did here for years. But before the Lindleys started LB3, Brian worked a decade as a mortgage broker for a couple of large banks until the downturn of 2006, and Valerie was a reading coach and teacher for many years. As a side business, the couple raised chickens on the family’s property. After the financial downturn, they transitioned to raising chickens full time — but after three straight difficult years with bad chicken flocks, farming nearly broke them. He focused on hauling litter for area farms, but Brian admits that he was ready to give up. He was then 38 years old with a
wife and a couple of young children and had also just built a new house. He was struggling and wanted something, anything, to revive his career. On one wall of the makeshift conference room at the Royvis House displays a plaque with the scripture Matthew 16:9, which states, “Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up?” Brian recalls the verse was part of a Sunday sermon he had heard when he was dealing with the impending failure of his farming business. The lesson describes the pitfalls of lacking faith in the plan the Lord has for his followers. The message Brian took from it, particularly in that scripture, is that the Lord had brought him and his family too far to let them fail. The words gave him strength and purpose to keep going when he needed them most. “It struck me because I deal constantly with a feeling of (I am) about to fail and lose everything. We are very blessed to be where we are. God has placed us right where he wants us, and he has provided every step of this journey.” During his time raising chickens, he occasionally hauled litter (organic waste and
Alabama is hillier than you think. Nestled among the foothills of the Appalachians sits LB3 Trucking’s new driver facility and maintenance shop.
byproducts that can be reprocessed into fertilizer, feed or biofuel). As a way to move away from raising chickens, he focused more on the operation’s litter hauling. “We were picking up and delivering loads of litter to area farms,” he explains. “Honestly, it was only supposed to be a short, seasonal thing, but before we knew it we had two trucks and two full-time drivers.” Not long after that, a customer asked if he had any littler to sell him. “I ended up selling him $30,000 worth of chicken litter that I didn’t have, but I knew where to get it,” he says. “I was just listening to him and answering his questions, and, just like that, I had this new contract that I didn’t even really know how to price, but it got us trucking full time.” That business model worked for a couple of years, but because of the cyclical nature of farming, Brian knew he needed to diversify his client base. “One day, I was taking the kids to my in-laws, and I watched a couple of reefer trucks drive by,” he recalls. “I got to thinking, and I went back to the office and made some calls,” he says. “After a few weeks of that, I landed some new accounts that diversified the products we were hauling. We started growing quickly, and then in 2014 we (rebranded as) LB3 Trucking, Inc.”
Operation Today, the company runs all dedicated freight for customers across the Southeast. Drivers travel about 1.7 million miles annually and generate about $5 million in revenue. The operation delivers general freight, refrigerated poultry and paper products. Drivers run routes five days a week and are generally home on weekends. “We only run on a Saturday if it’s a special job or a customer has a specific need,” Lindley says. The company leases its entire fleet from Penske Truck Leasing out of Pell City, which keeps drivers in newer, top-of-the-line trucks. According to the owners, leasing equipment allows them to lower carrying costs to free up capital and combat downtime. Other advantages include custom truck specs for individual drivers, comprehensive preventive maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance, quick access to rental trucks at preferred rates, vehicle licensing, permits, tax reporting and regulatory compliance. “We transitioned to leasing trucks when we started serving all dedicated freight,” he says. “As a smaller operation, we can’t afford to have trucks go down and spend our time and resources fixing them. This keeps us in newer equipment, which keeps the operation up and running. We also can’t afford to keep five 6
LB3 owner Brian Lindley stands with one of his Penske-leased trucks. To focus on business growth and little downtime, the company leases its entire 20-truck fleet.
spare trucks sitting in the yard. If one of my trucks goes down, I just call Penske to fix it or put the driver in another one. This works for us now while we focus on growing the business.” Modern, well-maintained equipment is also great for driver recruitment and retention. “The truck is a driver’s second home, so they take a lot of pride in what they drive,” he adds. As added incentives, the company offers
full-time employees competitive pay, health, dental and vision insurance, and a close-knit, family vibe that drivers appreciate. “One of the things I am most proud of is that we still have our two original drivers, Stacy Langford and Bobby Joe Kerr,” Lindley adds. He says people are the most important asset for a small operator. “They are what makes us successful, and we focus on treating our employees fairly — they are part of our family,” he says. “In this A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
business, you are always going to have turnover, but excellent, more experienced drivers aren’t going to be as easily impressed with promises they know a company can’t or won’t keep just to get them in the truck. But more importantly, you have to want to take the time to get to know your drivers. They appreciate it.” He adds, “We’ve had a few guys leave us and come back. When I asked one of them if there were things we could learn from the other company to improve what we’re doing for our drivers, he told me, ‘Boss, there’s probably more they could learn from you.’ That really meant a lot to me.” LB3’s management team includes transportation manager Jimmy Price; maintenance manager Todd Martin, who was added in January to service trailers and handle routine maintenance.
Alabama’s Safest Fleet In April, The Alabama Trucking Association, as part of its annual Fleet Safety Awards, gave LB3 its President’s Award as the Association’s safest overall fleet for miles driven within the state of Alabama. The award is sponsored by McGriff Tire & Service of Cullman. To win the award, the company operated the most miles in Alabama in 2019 with no accidents. The award is an affirmation for the Lindleys of how far they have come since startup. Focused on growing the business, Brian admits that in the early phases the operation was winging it with its safety program. Wisely, however, he made it a practice to only hire veteran drivers who brought with them many years of experience and professionalism. That added experience carried the operation for years, but as the company grew, the
Valerie Lindley at her desk at the company’s converted farmhouse headquarters, the Royvis House.
need for a polished safety program emerged. The Lindleys became more involved with the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety & Maintenance Management Council, and as a result, they made professional connections that helped them completely overhaul the operation’s safety culture. “Honestly, we joined the ATA Comp Fund just to have workers’ comp insurance, but we soon realized the value of having all of those resources available to improve our program,” he says. “Candy Woodruff with the Fund and Tim Fraizer with the Association have both been invaluable to us. We’ve learned so much from each of them. Both of them have worked in the industry as safety directors, so they know what we’re up against with the DOT and driver issues.” Valerie handles the day-to-day office management and human resources chores, and part of that is maintaining paperwork for the
Veteran service technician Todd Martin was recently hired to manage the company’s new maintenance shop.
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safety program. She also plans and schedules safety meetings and driver training events. Those monthly safety meetings, regular training sessions, plus offering driver incentives for clean inspections, have made a huge impact on the company’s safety rating. The Lindleys also hire third-party safety service provider Allan Hicks of Vertical Alliance for the big picture fleet safety planning and development.
Pandemic Effects, Future Earlier this year, the operation lost a large contract to another carrier that undercut their rates. It was a heavy blow, especially since the operation had just added a new maintenance manager. Reeling from the loss of a major revenue stream, the couple looked for ways to cut costs but insisted on keeping the payroll steady. A few new accounts trickled in, but the coronavirus pandemic unexpectedly created an increase in freight, particularly for food, paper goods and PPEs. “What the pandemic has done is force me to step from my comfort zone and focus on markets I normally wouldn’t have,” Brian says. “The pandemic has presented challenges for us, but on the other hand, it’s also had its positive impacts. Plus, with the help of some financial assistance (CARES Act), we haven’t laid anyone off.” Looking ahead, Brian believes the next step for his company is to expand its reach a bit, but keep runs within 700 miles. “As far as fleet size, I think we could comfortably expand to 50 trucks,” he says. “We had a lot of help building this company, and we think we have the right pieces in place. We’re excited about the next phase.” A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
Heritage Helps Get For 20 years, this Sylacauga-based carrier has delivered all of Alabama’s paper voting ballots — and a few in other states, too. By Dan Shell SYLACAUGA, Ala. — Now more than a month after the 2020 Presidential Election, most Americans are either still celebrating or recovering or otherwise moving ahead with their lives. Meanwhile, Jeff McGrady is still out there delivering ballots! Runoff ballots, that is, to several Alabama counties that are still completing elections. “I enjoy it, but thank goodness it’s not every day,” says McGrady, founder and CEO of Heritage Freight Warehousing & Logistics in Sylacauga. The company has handled statewide ballot shipping for its Jefferson Countybased printer customer for 20 years, and each election 10
Heritage founder and CEO and long-time ATA Board Member Jeff McGrady A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
The Vote Out year brings a flurry of activity that includes primary, runoff and general election ballots delivered in a timely and efficient manner. It’s a well-coordinated effort that requires accommodating county officials’ schedules and locations: Some ballots are shipped to warehouses, some are dropped at offices or other facilities, some counties have tow motors or other equipment and every county is a bit different. “When we’re arranging deliveries, we always try to meet the expectations of each county,” McGrady says, even if it results in some bypassing and zig-zagging to get the ballots to the right county and the right location when officials will be there to sign off. The delivery order includes every county in the state except one (Jefferson County officials pick their ballots up since they are local.) and takes just four days to complete. Then there are the follow-up deliveries, usually when a county believes it may need additional absentee ballots. That was defiA LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
nitely the case this year, as the combination of Alabama relaxing its absentee ballot procedures because of the virus pandemic and the tremendous turnout in a highly contested election led to high demand for absentee ballots across the state. McGrady adds the 2020 election required multiple deliveries to lots of counties, definitely more than usual. “This year was a challenge,” he says. “But you can’t have a voter show up and not have a ballot for them.” The company tries to use the same drivers for each county election-to-election, establishing relationships and making the process run as smoothly as possible. Most call and give an ETA when they leave the printer and arrange for county or city officials to meet the truck at the drop location and sign off on each shipment. Trailers are sealed, and individual pallets also have tape seals that cover all sides and top and bottom of each pallet. Trailers and pallets are closely inspected, and
elections officials sign off on the delivery. McGrady says it’s an account that he works on personally. It’s certainly not one of the company’s largest, but with the importance of the cargo and all the expectations that go along with ballots—from the earliest primaries to final inauguration—he wants to stay closely involved. “It’s an important account to me, and it makes me proud to play a role in the election,” he says. Heritage Freight Warehousing & Logistics operates a 125-truck fleet and 225 trailers. Its main distribution center in Sylacauga features more than 425,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space and includes rail access. Heritage Freight received the 2020 ATA “Excellence in Safety” award and received a Platinum Award as part of Great West Casualty Co.’s 2016 National Safety Awards program. Dan Shell is a freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, Ala. He may be reached at dan@hattonbrown.com. 11
SAFETY & MAINTENANCE Safety Insights
Despite challenges, SMMC enjoyed a successful year
A
Tim Frazier Vice President of Safety & Compliance
‘The SMMC membership is vitally important to ATA as the “boots on the ground” for keeping member fleets operating efficiently and safely.’
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s we come to the close of what most of us would declare as one of the most challenging years in our careers, let’s take a look back at some of the obstacles we faced and how, as you would expect, our members responded and overcame them. First, we were disappointed we could not conduct the SMMC Annual Safety Awards banquet in person and enjoy the normal presentations and fellowship that the event affords. It’s always one of the highlights of our year so it was a tough one to cancel. But, due to the opportunities the virtual world offers us, we were able to conduct our company awards and share them via social media. Considering the social distancing orders that were in place at the time, this was our best option to keep everyone safe. Overall, our digital awards presentation proved to be a great success. Over time, our member companies allowed us to their facilities for special, socially distanced luncheons, manager meetings and company gatherings to present those professional awards in person. Those proved to be some very special times with our members. Best of all, we were able to have a day with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey at the State Capitol steps for ATA Driver of the Year Rosko Craig of Montgomery Transport. We also made an official trophy presentation for him at the ATA Golf Classic last September. All in all, our safety award presentations worked out great, and we were able to appreciate and share some special times with most of the winners. Probably the biggest disappointment this year was canceling our prestigious Alabama Truck Driving Championships. Most of the other state trucking associations also canceled their events after the American Trucking Associations canceled its national competition. But we are already in the planning stages for our 2021 event, and I assure you, it’s going to be bigger and better than ever before. The Alabama TDC committee will be meeting very soon to put some concrete plans in place for some great activities along with the ATA staff. There has even been some discussion of a vendor fair to coincide with the event. We do not have all the details nailed down yet, but we’re going to do our best to make 2021 super special. Meanwhile, all SMMC meetings and training sessions basically came to a halt. These meetings are vital for SMMC members, as they provide valuable educational subjects and most of all great networking opportunities. We conducted a couple of virtual meetings over the summer, and finally, in October, we held our first on-site training class since the pandemic in Montgomery with limited attendance. It proved to be a huge success, and it will most likely be repeated in the first quarter 2021. As we try to wrap up this year of unheard of challenges, it’s a comfort to know that our members can face obstacles and overcome many issues with a little creative thinking. That is how it is done in the trucking business. Now that we are putting plans in place for 2021, it will require all of us to step back and refocus our goals and objectives. We may see the first part of the year as a virtual opportunity. If that’s the case, your continued participation will be more important than ever. Let’s keep our contacts close and our communication lines open. We may need to adjust on the fly, and our members are fully capable of making it happen. The SMMC membership is vitally important to the ATA as the “boots on the ground” for keeping member fleets operating efficiently and safely. I challenge all our SMMC members to commit to participating when called upon and to also reach out for new additions to our councils. Some of us are getting a little long in the tooth, and we need to recruit some of these talented, upcoming managers to get involved with our group. New ideas, training opportunities, networking, mentorships, etc., are just a few of the areas new members can help push our council forward. Lastly, thank you all for what you do every day to keep our fleets up and running, and especially for helping to keep our families and highways safe. Moving ahead, let’s all dig in to make 2021 one of the best years our group has ever seen! A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
MANAGEMENT COUNCIL NEWS ATA Safety Council earns national recognition for excellence The American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council has recognized the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety & Maintenance Management Council (SMMC) for outstanding leadership in fleet safety development and promotion. National ATA’s Safety Management Council’s Summa Cum Laude Safety Award, sponsored by Great West Casualty, recognizes state trucking associations (STA) for effective implementation and execution of proATA staffers Brandie Norcross, left, and grams to proTim Frazier show off the SMMC’s mote and foster newest award industry safety standards and best practices throughout the state’s trucking sector. It’s the 20th straight year SMMC has received the distinction. SMMC’s recent fleet, workplace and highway safety successes include fielding three separate chapters (Birmingham, Wiregrass and Gulf Coast) with more than 200 fleet safety and maintenance managers working for ATA-member firms; developing and implementing initiatives that train and certify fleet safety managers; hosting award programs that recognize members’ and their employees’ outstanding safety records; and offering numerous training and educational events throughout the year to promote best practices at all levels of the industry. “Our safety council has been a leading organization for fleet safety for more than three decades,” said ATA Vice President of Safety and Compliance Tim Frazier. “Our members’ top concern is reducing fatal accidents on state roadways while raising public awareness that the trucking industry is leading the way for industry and public safety. We’re proud to be recognized for our continuing efforts.” The American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council is the only national organization dedicated to advancing safe policies, practices and technology; and effective risk management and accident/injury prevention in the A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
trucking industry. SMC also addresses trucking’s unique human resource challenges, health and wellness issues, as well as recruitment and retention strategies.
FMCSA Drug Clearinghouse already recorded 46,000 violations Nearly 46,000 driver drug-related violations have been recorded in the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse during its first 10 months of operation, but only about 4,400 drivers have completed their return-to-duty requirements, according to a recent report by Eric Miller of Transport Topics. The leading number of drug test failures, 24,000, was for marijuana, said David Yessen, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s compliance division chief. There were more than 6,650 failed tests for cocaine use, and 4,280 for amphetamines. Also included in the total were about 2,000 drug tests that were suspected attempts to cheat, Yessen said. The Clearinghouse is a database containing information on commercial driver license holders’ drug and alcohol violations. Carriers, state driver licensing agencies and law enforcement officials use the Clearinghouse to check a driver’s violations. “The worrying number for me is the 38,000 drivers who had a violation that haven’t completed the return-to-duty process,” Yessen said. “That’s something that we will be keeping an eye on.” Those are drivers who have been flagged for violations but have not completed their treatment or been hired back to operate in a safety-sensitive job. “I don’t ever want to say violations are healthy,” Yessen said. “But it’s not unexpected. From our perspective, it’s good to see that the system is working.” He added, “This has been a sobering number because it does represent violations. Ideally, we want to see that at zero, but that’s not going to happen.” Yessen gave the Clearinghouse update to trucking executives attending a Dec. 4 virtual presentation during American Trucking Associations’ Safety, Security and Human Resources National Conference. So far, about 1.3 million drivers and 153,000 employers have registered on the Clearinghouse. “Ideally, that’s a number we would like to see go higher because we
know that number [of carriers] is a lot higher than that,” Yessen said. About 53,000 of the employers registered have identified themselves as owner-operators, according to FMCSA. Of the 2.3 million queries conducted, more than 1.1 million have been for preemployment checks, with the remainder being limited queries, according to FMCSA. The agency is asking employers to make their required employee checks as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the last hours to get in before the Jan. 6 inquiry deadline. Besides making preemployment checks, employers are required to make checks on the database annually to ensure none of their employees has any drug violations. All employers who are subject to the regulations have to conduct the limited queries of their driving pool by January 5, 2021. Industry experts warn that a lastminute rush could stress the system and possibly shut it down at various times.
Employers must conduct annual queries by January 5 If an employer has already conducted a query on all currently-employed CDL drivers, that employer has met the annual query requirement, and is not required to conduct a query for one year from the query date. Employers may also designate a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA) to conduct these queries on their behalf. Employers can log in to their Clearinghouse accounts and access their Query History page (under My Dashboard > Queries) to verify which drivers have been queried, and when each completed query was conducted. If an employer has not yet conducted a query on each currently-employed CDL driver, the employer must conduct this annual check to meet the compliance requirement. What do employers need to do to satisfy the annual query requirement? Per § 382.701, employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query of the Clearinghouse at least once per year for each CDL driver they employ. A limited query satisfies the annual query requirement. Employers must obtain a general consent from CDL drivers they employ before conContinued on page 14 13
Four Star opens diesel tech training center
News ducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse to view these drivers’ information (you can download a sample limited query consent form). You can log in to the Clearinghouse and conduct your annual queries today at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov Frequently asked questions: What if an employer conducted a preemployment query this year? The pre-employment query will satisfy the annual query requirement for that driver. You are not required to query that driver until one year after that preemployment query. What is a query plan? Before an employer can conduct queries in the Clearinghouse, the employer must purchase a query plan. Download the “How to Purchase a Query Plan” job aid for full instructions at the Clearinghouse website. To register for the Clearinghouse visit https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/Register
An increase in ALEA troopers equals decrease in holiday traffic fatalities, agency says Troopers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division saw nearly a 30 percent decrease in overall traffic fatalities during the extended 2020 Thanksgiving travel period. ALEA Troopers investigated only eight trafficrelated deaths as compared to 11 during the same holiday travel period in 2019. ALEA’s Secretary Hal Taylor said troopers are truly committed to saving lives, particularly during popular holiday travel periods such as Thanksgiving. “Investigating three fewer traffic deaths this past weekend is certainly an achievement, however, we are continuously striving to reach the point where we celebrate a holiday weekend without any loss of life. It is ALEA’s mission to ensure everyone makes it home alive and well. Through our campaigns, initiatives and proactive patrolling, we believe this goal will soon become a reality.” This year’s Thanksgiving travel period began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and ended at midnight Sunday, Nov. 29.
The ribbon cutting: Chuck Curles, Four Star Freightliner Dealer Trainer, Mark Saliba, Dothan Mayor, Jerry Kocan, Four Star Freightliner Dealer Principal, David Carroll, Four Star Freightliner Training Manager, Scott Coleson, Four Star Freightliner CFO
Four Star Freightliner, Inc. has completed construction on a 6,500 square-foot training center for diesel technicians. The facility, located in Dothan, Ala., features a drivethrough bay and two classrooms with modern training equipment. Daimler Trucks of North America has partnered with Four Star Freightliner to provide the latest training aids so technicians can gain hands-on experience. This will allow them to provide customers with quick and accurate diagnosis and faster repairs in order to get them out of the shop and back on the road. “The training aids cover every aspect of the truck,” said David Carroll, Four Star Freightliner Training Manager. “They range from clutch and brake simulators to dash assemblies for four different truck models. There are also tear down and running engines with after treatment systems on training stands.” Freightliner and Western Star dealer technicians travel from across the country to become part of the classes offered at the Chuck Curles, Four Star Freightliner Dealer Trainer & David Carroll, training center. The trainers will Four Star Freightliner Training Manager take a system certified technician through the process of becoming a professional certified technician, and later the opportunity to become an expert-certified technician. According to company officials, the training center was a $300,000 investment at the Dothan facility. It is the first of seven locations that owner Jerry Kocan opened back in 2000. He now operates truck dealerships in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. “We get to reinvest where our roots started,” said Kocan. “Over the next year or so we’re going to invest more in this facility to bring it up to the standards of our other locations.” Carroll is the Four Star Freightliner Training Manager while Chuck Curles serves as the Dealer Trainer. David has been in the diesel technology industry for nearly 30 years and has worked for Four Star Freightliner for 20 years. Last year, Chuck Curles was promoted from diesel technician to Dealer Trainer. He has 20 years experience in this industry.
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News The fatal traffic crashes occurred in Colbert, Coosa, Jefferson, Morgan, Russell, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties. One pedestrian and a motorcyclist were among the eight individuals killed. Of the six who were killed while traveling in vehicles equipped with seat belts, three were not wearing them at the time of the crash. During the past two major holiday travel periods, Labor Day and Thanksgiving, ALEA Troopers have seen a decrease in traffic-related deaths. “We saw over a 60 percent decrease in traffic fatalities over Labor Day weekend and with nearly a 30 percent decrease during Thanksgiving, we are hoping to see that trend continue with more Troopers on Alabama roadways,” Secretary Taylor said. Thanks to the continued support from Governor Kay Ivey and the legislature, ALEA has hired 118 Troopers since Jan. 1. The agency graduated one of the largest
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classes in recent history on Nov. 4, adding 52 new ALEA Troopers throughout the state. Secretary Taylor said, “We greatly value the assistance from citizens and other motorists who work with ALEA to make our roads safer. We ask everyone to continue to help us promote traffic safety in a joint effort to prevent crashes, injuries and fatalities throughout the remainder of the holiday season. Let’s all work together toward a holiday season with zero trafficrelated deaths.”
FMCSA grants exemption for addition rear lights FMCSA has granted a five-year exemption that will allow motor carriers operating trailers and van body trucks to install amber brake-activated pulsating warning lamps on the rear of the trailers and trucks. FMCSA’s decision to grant Madison, Ind.-based Grote Industries’ exemption request was published in the Federal Register on Monday, Dec. 7. The exemption allows trucking companies to install the warning lamps in addition to the steady-burning brake lights that federal regulations require.
“Rear-end crashes generally account for approximately 30% of all crashes,” FMCSA wrote in the notice. “These types of crashes often result from a failure to respond to a stopped or decelerating lead vehicle. Data between 2010 and 2016 show that large trucks are consistently three times more likely than other vehicles to be struck in the rear in two-vehicle fatal crashes.” The Agency has determined that granting the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulation.
Feds extend Emergency Declaration for COVID-19 relief The FMCSA has announced it has expanded and extended the Emergency Declaration set to expire on December 31st to February 28, 2021. The extension includes the same regulatory relief for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to COVID-19, as included in the September 11th modified and extended declaration. The primary change with this current declaration is the inclusion of vaccine transportation. The expanded declaration published
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today is limited to the transportation of: l Livestock and livestock feed; l Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; l Vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19; l Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants; and l Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores. As with previous declarations, emergency regulatory relief is provided from parts 390 through 399 of the FMCSRs, including the hours-of-service regulations. Emergency relief does not include certain FMCSR’s related to the safe operation of CMVs, such as controlled substance and alcohol testing, financial responsibility requirements, CDL requirements, operation of a CMV while ill or fatigued, size and weight requirements, and additional FMCSR’s which are outlined in the declaration. As with previous declarations, emergency
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regulatory relief is provided from parts 390 through 399 of the FMCSRs, including the hours-of-service regulations. Emergency relief does not include certain FMCSR’s related to the safe operation of CMVs, such as controlled substance and alcohol testing, financial responsibility requirements, CDL requirements, operation of a CMV while ill or fatigued, size and weight requirements, and additional FMCSR’s which are outlined in the declaration. We encourage everyone to review the applicability, restrictions, and limitations which are included in the exemption posted to the FMCSA’s website.
Industry cites truckers’ essential role in vaccine distribution and national supply chain The American Trucking Associations has called on policymakers to remember the trucking industry’s essential status as a national vaccine distribution strategy is being formulated by officials across various levels of government. In letters sent to the White House, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, President-elect Biden and the National Governors Association, ATA asked that the trucking industry’s workforce be included in
prioritized access pools along with other essential workers. “Our workforce represents a central and critical link in the nation’s supply chain and will play an essential role in the imminent COVID-19 vaccine distribution process,” stated ATA’s executive vice president for advocacy, Bill Sullivan. “As the trucking industry is called upon to deliver vaccines across the country, it is imperative that truck drivers have prioritized access to the vaccine to minimize the potential for supply chain delays and disruptions.” Since the onset of the pandemic, the trucking industry has been crucial throughout all phases of the national response effort, providing direct and indispensable support to workers of every category across the frontline – from healthcare professionals and first responders to grocers and pharmacists. This invaluable role now expands further as the nation begins mobilizing for the largest vaccine distribution campaign in our history. The letters cite the industry’s designation as essential by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, noting that more than 80 percent of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks to receive necessary goods.
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Driver concerns, insurance costs top ATRI’s annual list of industry issues EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks to those ATA members who responded to our survey requests. There were nearly 100 members who took part (Top 7 finish among all state trucking associations). Your participation helps ATA focus on the issues that matter most to your business, and provides us a road map to respond on your behalf in Congress or at the State House. The American Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization, recently released its 16th Top Industry Issues report, which identifies a number of the industry’s key concerns including the driver shortage, truck parking, driver compensation and retention and for the first time since 2005, rising insurance costs. “For a number of reasons, 2020 has been a tremendously challenging one for our industry and our country, but as ATRI’s survey lays out, there are a number of issues we must address in addition to the ones put in front of us by this pandemic,” said ATA Chairman Randy Guillot, president and CEO of Southeastern Motor Freight and Triple G Express Inc. “From finding and keeping qualified drivers to the increased costs of insurance and burdens imposed on our industry by unwarranted lawsuits, ATRI has identified the issues our industry cares most about and outlines plans for how we can solve them.” For the fourth year in a row, the driver shortage was the top industry issue overall, as well as topping the motor carrier list of concerns, highlighting the challenges fleets face in recruiting new talent and keeping their current drivers. In fact, driver retention was carriers’ number two issue, and sixth on the combined list. Among the 1,000+ truck drivers who responded to the survey, truck parking, driver compensation and detention issues were their top concerns. In all, ATRI received responses from 3,122 truck drivers, motor carriers, and other industry stakeholders – an all-time record for the 16-year-old survey. “Having such a robust sample gives us a very accurate picture of what issues are of most concern to the trucking industry,” said ATRI President and COO Rebecca Brewster. “With this information, the industry can best target its resources to address trucking’s concerns.” This year, for the first time since 2005, insurance cost and availability appeared in the top concerns – hitting fifth in the combined top 10 and fourth in the carrier concern list. In addition, tort reform appeared in the survey’s top 10 for the first time since 2011 – hitting seventh in the combined list and fifth in the carrier list. “The impacts of litigation and growth of nuclear verdicts in the trucking industry was really apparent in this year’s list of concerns,” Brewster said. “Earlier this year, ATRI quantified the growth in nuclear verdicts in the trucking industry, but even without that critical research, the fact that tort reform and insurance issues have resurfaced in the survey are a clear sign the industry is being impacted by rising costs related to litigation and insurance.” The complete results of the annual survey were released as part of 2020 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition. The full report can be found at ATRI’s website – TruckingResearch.org.
Sherri Brumbaugh becomes second woman to lead National ATA The Board of Directors of American Trucking Associations elected Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president and CEO of Garner Transportation Group of Findlay, Ohio as the 76th chair of its federation. 20
Brumbaugh has almost 35 years of experience in the trucking industry, beginning her career at her family-owned and operated truckload carrier in 1991. She became owner of Garner Transportation Group in July 2012. The company, which began business with one truck and was founded as Vern Garner
Trucking, currently has 100 power units and 400 dry van trailers. The company’s average length of haul is 350 miles and services primarily the Midwest. “I am humbled and honored to be chosen by my fellow Sherri Garner Brumbaugh truckers to be chair of ATA,” Garner Brumbaugh said. “Despite the unprecedented challenges we face, I look forward to representing ATA and telling the country just how important and essential our industry is. The past seven months have shown just how much our country relies on trucking, and that is a message I want to shout loudly and proudly as your chair.” Garner Brumbaugh succeeds Randy Guillot, president of Triple G Express Inc. and Southeastern Motor Freight Inc. “Sherri has been a tireless booster of trucking, not just in Ohio, but across the country,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “As a second-generation trucker and ATA leader, she has deep roots in our industry and association and I congratulate her on this honor.” Garner Brumbaugh is the second member of her family to be elected ATA chair, following her father Vern Garner who led the federation from 2002-2003. In addition to her work with ATA, she has been active with the Ohio Trucking Association, Truckload Carriers Association, Truckers Against Trafficking and Wreaths Across America. Sherri graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Education in Music and received her Master of Education from Bowling Green State University. She is married to Jerry Brumbaugh, and they have three sons. The Board also elected Harold Sumerford Jr., CEO of J&M Tank Lines Inc., Birmingham, Ala., as ATA first vice chairman and Dan Van Alstine, president and COO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Des Moines, Iowa, as ATA second vice chairman. In addition, the Board named Andrew Boyle, co-president of Boyle Transportation, Billerica, Mass., and Darren Hawkins, CEO of YRC Worldwide Inc., Overland Park, A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
Kan., as ATA vice chairmen. In addition, the Board re-elected John M. Smith, chairman of Admiralty Holdings Inc., as secretary and John A. Smith, president and CEO of FedEx Freight, as treasurer.
Hornady Transportation merges with Builders Transportation Co. Hornady Transportation, LLC recently announced it has completed an successful operational merger with Builders Transportation Co. (BTC) of Memphis, Tenn. The deal went into effect October 1. Both companies are part of Daseke, Inc., of Addison, Tex., the largest owner of flatbed, open-deck and specialty trucking capacity in North America. The merger was announced by Daseke in August 2019 as part of a company-wide operational plan. Headquartered in Monroeville, Ala., Hornady has been in operation since 1925, with a familial legacy. Its terminal in Birmingham supports the building materials and steel industries east of the Rockies with the merger resulting in a second terminal in Memphis. The merger with BTC’s operations has enabled Hornady to further diversify its freight mix and double in size while strengthening its service of the building materials, steel, oil and gas industries with a fleet of 406 late-model tractors and 605 flatbed trailers. In joining two companies with a combined service record of nearly 150 years, Hornady embraces a future of continued stability and growth as they further honor their commitment to quality and reliability. The added freight mix has also allowed for additional capacity and added staff in Monroeville, expanding drivers’ career opportunities with Hornady as they continue to prioritize individual customer needs. Drivers can enjoy updated equipment, collaborative teams and unmatched support while making an impact within their communities and beyond. “The merger goes beyond numbers,” said Hornady CEO Chris Hornady. “We’re bringing together two innovative organizations that have a shared vision and trust in one another. We look forward to the positive changes to come and value our team members’ support in this transition.” As such, Hornady’s mission remains to succeed in operational excellence and provide industry-leading customer satisfaction. Hornady Transportation builds lasting customer relationships through our pledge of professional and ethical business practices with customers, vendors and employees. It is committed to continuous improvement of service, safety, and personnel while providing A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
Alabama Trucking member uses cancer diagnosis to show gratitude
By Ford Boswell David Turner, a sales manager for Montgomery, Ala.-based Four Star Freightliner, and a familiar face among the Alabama Trucking family learned last summer he had cancer. But despite feeling scared and alone at the prospect of undergoing multiple, soul-crushing chemotherapy treatments to fight his disease, he knew he had to muster a way to turn a negative situation into a positive. So he and his wife, Julie, decided to ex- Julie and David Turner pand their annual giving this holiday season by donating 20 children’s bicycles to a local charity — one for each of David’s treatments for testicular cancer. For them, their gift was a way to show gratitude for David’s on-going battle, and for the people who supported them during a difficult time. “It was Julie’s idea to do a bicycle per chemo treatment,” David says. “When I was a kid, we always got clothes for Christmas. But I got a bicycle one time, and I learned to take care of that bicycle. It made me appreciate the things I have.” A bout with a serious disease will make you take stock of what really matters — your family, your friends, your neighbors, the community where you live, and the people there who may not be as blessed as you are. So, through a partnership with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Turners made their donation to the Heart to Heart organization located in Montgomery. The DA’s office is helping gather gifts for the organization that will be distributed to children in foster care this Christmas. “We promised each other that as we went through this, we would find a way to make it positive,” Julie says. And they did. But now it’s their turn for a blessing: On Dec. 3, the same day the bike donation, David learned his cancer was in remission. outstanding trucking careers for CDL Class A drivers. For more information visit drivehornady.com
Spear touts industry’s resolve to lead in annual address In October, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear addressed the federation’s 2020 Management Conference, highlighting the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and detailing ATA’s successful efforts to keep trucks moving throughout the national crisis. “While others in DC panicked, the American Trucking Association led, giving direction and certainty to our members when it mattered most,” Spear said in his annual State of the Industry address, citing ATA’s successful efforts in securing federal “essential” status for carriers and keeping facilities open for drivers—both of which were critical to maintaining the flow of interstate commerce while the county locked down. “Our combined efforts have helped put
America on a path to full recovery,” he said. Spear said the challenges of 2020 have served to strengthen the ATA Federation, calling it “battle-hardened” as it looks to tackle a number of priority issues in the consequential year ahead. Among them, he said ATA will continue pursuing tort and legal reform, addressing the shortage of drivers and technicians and fighting for longterm funding for our national infrastructure. “Our efforts this year on infrastructure produced a comprehensive bill in the House of Representatives — a movement that paves way for passing comprehensive reform next year, regardless of who voters elect next week,” he said. Success, Spear said, depends on funding that “cannot and will not be done via truckonly tolls,” emphasizing the paramount importance of ATA’s suit against Rhode Island to block the state’s truck-only toll scheme. Spear also said expanding the industry’s workforce remains a top priority. This includes continued support for the Drive SAFE Act and the FMCSA pilot program for Continued on page 22 21
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drivers under the age of 21, but also a new focus on expanded outreach to minority communities. “2020 opened our eyes to the importance of diversity, and the trucking industry is no exception. To that end, ATA established a diversity working group in direct support of the Workforce Development Policy Committee,” he said. “This group will shine a brighter light on our efforts to expand urban hiring, including people of color and women; and, look at initiatives that increase the number of minorities in our executive ranks, including partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” In closing, Spear said because of the industry’s response to 2020’s challenges, it is “no surprise that America has awakened to the trucking industry.” “Together, we inspire others. Together, we will win and grow. And we’ll always answer the call when our country needs us the most. Trucking isn’t just the backbone of our economy – it’s the heartbeat of this nation,” he said.
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ATRI’s releases new Operational Costs of Trucking survey results The American Transportation Research Institute has released the findings of its 2020 update to “An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking.” Using detailed financial data provided directly by motor carriers of all sectors and fleet sizes, this “Ops Cost” research annually documents and analyzes detailed trucking costs from 2008 through 2019. ATRI’s analysis provides industry stakeholders with an essential benchmarking tool, and government agencies with input on industry finances necessary for comprehensive transportation planning and infrastructure improvement analyses. ATRI’s newest 2020 Ops Cost report documents the slowdown of freight which occurred in the second half of 2019. The economic softening, combined with a number of independent factors including lower fuel prices, decreased the marginal cost of trucking. The average marginal cost per mile incurred by motor carriers in 2019 decreased 9.3 percent to $1.65. The lineitem costs for almost every major line item experienced some level of decrease. In
comparison to the last freight softening, which took place in 2016, marginal costs were still 6 cents higher, indicating the persistence of generally higher costs. Combined driver wage and benefits decreased slightly in 2019 – from 77.6 cents per mile in 2018 to 69.3 cents per mile – a counterintuitive decrease given the driver shortage. However, bonuses for drivers universally increased, with retention bonuses showing increases of over 80 percent. While the cost per mile for total driver compensation fell, carriers are clearly addressing the driver shortage through other mechanisms. ATRI’s 2020 report includes a targeted analysis on “Driving the Trucking Industry: Small Carrier Spotlight,” which compares fleets of 100 or fewer trucks to fleets with greater than 100 trucks. “Given the chaos and volatility of freight markets these days, it is more critical than ever that trucking fleets closely monitor their cost centers,” said Brandon Knight, Principal of Transportation for CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. “ATRI’s Operational Costs report is an important benchmarking tool for fleets of all sizes and sectors.” Since its original publication in 2008, ATRI has received over 20,000 requests for Continued on page 24
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the Operational Costs reports. A copy of this report is available at www.truckingresearch.org.
Louisiana Trucking names Renee Amar as executive director The Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) has appointed Renee Amar to serve as the association’s executive director. The announcement concludes a three-month effort by the association’s executive search committee to fill the position. “I’m incredibly honored and excited to be working for one of the most critical industries in the state of Louisiana,” said Amar. “I can’t wait to bring my experience and passion for the business community and the LMTA to Baton Rouge and Washington DC to protect, serve and grow the membership.” Renee Amar is currently vice president for policy and government affairs for the Pelican Institute for Public Policy. Amar crafts the Pelican Institute’s legislative strategy, directs its government affairs
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activities, and oversees major public policy projects for the institute. She collaborates with lawmakers and coalition partners to develop and advance free-market legislation and public education initiatives. Previously she served as director of LABI’s Small Business and Healthcare Councils and deputy director of Political Action. Amar gave Louisiana small and independent businesses a voice in government policy making and encouraged a cost-effective, competitive health care market for Louisiana’s employers. Amar also fundraised for LABI’s four PACs— NORTHPAC, EASTPAC, SOUTHPAC and WESTPAC – recruited candidates for office, and developed endorsements. Prior to joining LABI in November 2013, Amar spent eight years identifying and building relationships with legislators who work diligently to protect small business as the state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. She also worked for the Louisiana Hospital Association for four years in the governmental affairs department. Amar founded and co-chairs a Policy Circle in Baton Rouge in 2018 where her and her colleague received an award in 2019 for Circle Experience just one year after creation. She serves on the state
council for the Women’s Public Leadership Network. Amar started the Louisiana Women Lead organization in 2020 to recruit and train women to run for office. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University and pursued her master’s degree at Louisiana State University.
Alabama Trucking joins fight against Rhode Island’s ‘truckonly” tolls Alabama Trucking Association announced that it has joined the American Trucking Associations and other state trucking associations to fight the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation proposed truck-only tolling program on Interstates traveling through its boundaries. According to ATA President and CEO Mark Colson, his organization has pledged its support, finances and resources to bolster ongoing legal efforts to block the plan. “Alabama Trucking is proud to support the fight in Rhode Island against truck-only tolls,” Colson said. “When our industry is attacked (at home) or in any other state, our industry must stand united. Trucking moves America, and when governments forget that, it’s our job to remind them and fight back.”
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Your support is needed as the trucking industry’s lawsuit against Rhode Island’s unconstitutional, truck-only tolling scheme heads to federal court. We understand that National ATA membership is not for all, but your contribution to National ATA’s Litigation Center is earmarked specifically for this litigation. For more information, visit https://www.trucking.org/lawlitigation.
End of Year Giving drive underway for ATA Foundation By Terry Kilpatrick President, ATA Foundation With the close of 2020 upon us, I reflect on the many wonderful things the Alabama Trucking Association Foundation has accomplished over the past two years, and I couldn’t be more excited for Alabama Trucking. I am overwhelmed by the strong support from our members as we continue to build a Foundation that improves and strengthens our industry. From industry promotion, job creation, and safety awareness, the ATA Foundation
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Terry Kilpatrick
has already made a very real, substantive impact on the lives of so many Alabamians. Through the Foundation, ATA awards several scholarships to deserving students at state community colleges, and we have raised awareness of the outstanding work of our industry’s professional truck drivers
throughout the pandemic. Our work signifies Alabama Trucking’s ongoing objective to promote and protect the trucking industry. In the coming weeks, we will unveil a long-term industry jobs campaign that will seek to identify and connect qualified applicants to great paying truck drivers and service technicians positions at thousands of Alabama trucking businesses. We have high hopes for this new program, and we can’t wait to share its complete mission and the team we have assembled to facilitate it. We plan to do more, but we need your continued support. In this season of giving, I hope you or your company will renew your commitment or become a new Foundation donor. If you’re interested in doing so or want more information, please email Mark Colson at mcolson@alabama trucking.org. Your contribution is taxdeductible to the extent allowed by law. It’s been an incredible year for the ATA Foundation. Despite the challenges we faced, we drove good things for Alabama, and I look forward to building this great organization together. Collectively, ATA and its Foundation are making a difference as they continue to serve the membership in a variety of ways, as well as advancing the trucking industry in Alabama.
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President’s Message Continued from page 2
national attention when they drove our ATA Image truck and a specially wrapped trailer from the steps of our nation’s Capital to Laramie, Wyo., where Louisa Swain cast the first vote by a woman 150 years ago. ATA doubled-down on its media efforts, receiving widespread national coverage, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Evening News, Tucker Carlson, Fox & Friends, and a Wall Street Journal editorial, just to name a few. In the last year, earned media reached 25.2 million viewers. Our social media reach also grew thanks in part to multiple retweets by the President, Vice President and Department of Transportation officials. Total impressions surged in 2020 from 1.9 million to 8.2 million. And over the last four years, the number of ATA social media subscribers has tripled, with Facebook doubling, LinkedIn jumping eight-fold and Twitter growing 60 percent. Our image is what we make of it. These gains are significant. ATA, members and drivers earned them all — and we did it, not by seeking undue credit or attention, but by simply doing what’s right. Flanked by sound ATRI data, we’re now leveraging our image for the benefit of ATA’s strategic priorities. A year ago, tort and legal reform were elevated to be a tier-one priority. Since then, ATA has led an army of honest, safety-minded industry stakeholders to victory in Louisiana, Iowa and Missouri, dealing countless blows to the plaintiffs’ bar on issues ranging from seat belt gag rules to phantom damages. Trial attorneys are now paying attention, some even claiming that they’re the defenders of safety. Really? Where were they when ELD’s, cameras and technology entered our trucks? I don’t recall seeing one trial attorney walking the halls of Congress when that was up for a vote. Where are they as we advocate for more tools to combat the nation’s war on opioid use and the widespread legalization of recreational marijuana — tools like federal hair testing authority, expanding FMCSA’s drug clearinghouse or fixing the CSA program. The truth is, they haven’t lifted a finger for safety. Instead, they hide behind frivolous lawsuits aimed at destroying companies, jobs and families. But thanks to you, we are taking them to the woodshed. So to this parasitic profession, let me share some Wyoming wisdom: “If your horse drops dead, it’s best to get off.” 26
Meanwhile, ATA is well-positioned and prepared for 2021, and beyond. Our efforts this year on infrastructure produced a comprehensive bill in the House of Representatives. A movement that paves way for passing comprehensive reform next year. Success depends mostly on how infrastructure is funded, and it cannot, and will not be done via truck-only tolls. ATA has successfully litigated the Rhode Island tolling scheme to a federal trial. This is a “must-win” case. Other states are watching, salivating over the notion of tolling our trucks. But this effort cannot be won on the backs of local and regional carriers. As a national association representing the interests of all sectors of trucking, it’s everyone’s responsibility to fight and win. Large or small, your help preventing the anticipated surge of flawed federal and state funding schemes rests in Rhode Island. I ask that you generously support the Lit Center and help send a message to federal, state and local officials alike – we’re not your personal slush fund. As the economy strengthens and capacity tightens, the shortage of drivers and technicians will return. Efforts to grow our talent pool continue, with an added focus on better pay, benefits and programs. We must continue our focus on hiring more veterans and exiting servicemen and women. And with strong, bipartisan support from Congress, FMCSA’s new pilot program to train 18- to 20-year-olds how to safely and responsibly operate equipment, with training measures beyond anything 49 states currently require, is a major win for safety. 2020 opened our eyes to the importance of diversity, and the trucking industry is no exception. To that end, ATA established a diverse working group in direct support of the Workforce Development Policy Committee. This group will shine a brighter light on our efforts to expand urban hiring, including people of color and women; and, look at initiatives that increase the number of minorities in our executive ranks, including partnerships with historically black colleges and universities. ATA will also be reaching internally, creating a new Law Enforcement Advisory Committee to further develop and strengthen our working relationships with federal, state and local officials. Our industry relies on close partnerships with law enforcement, and this new advisory committee will help improve our efforts to combat cargo theft, fraud, and defeating the scourge of human trafficking, an issue our incoming Chair, Sherri Garner Brumbaugh is quite passionate about. Like most businesses this year, ATA tightened its belt, including a 16 percent cost re-
duction. We did it without compromising your priority agenda nor undermining our talent pool. And with support from your elected ATA officers, we will end 2020 in the black. Going forward, ATA will resource and steer issues that impact our industry. We will continue to represent our association’s strategic priorities, from tax and trade policy to infrastructure and legal reform. And ATA will now lead our industry in the debate over minimum insurance levels. Leadership and results. This is what you expect from your national association. And these are the reasons ATA grew its membership, reach and voice in 2020. ATA proudly welcomes the moving and storage industry back into its federation, housed in a newly built ATA Moving and Storage Conference. While other associations struggle to find their voice, ours just got considerably louder. In 2020, we’ve all had to “get used to different.” Serving ATA while our four kids attend four schools virtually, my family and I have managed to stretch the outer limits of our home’s internet bandwidth. There’s no question this year impacted each of us, professionally and personally. For me, in the midst of all the challenges, I lost three true friends this year prohibited from being by their side or getting closure by attending a funeral service. And, my family and I experienced firsthand the threat of a major wildfire, as it indiscriminately destroyed more square miles than all of New York City, along with countless homes and dreams in its path. As if 2020 wasn’t hard enough, this is my fifth MC&E address as your ATA President and CEO. And each time I write my remarks, I’m reminded of the many reasons I love this job. We treat people with respect, loving each other as if members of our own family. We’re unapologetic about our faith in God. We care deeply about our country. And we work hard, harder than most. So why dwell on the negatives when given reasons like these? To see so many of you call on me and my family when we were most low. To see these same reasons inspire our eldest son to stand on that fire line, protecting his community, neighbors and home. To know that you have my back, as I have yours. It’s no surprise that America has awakened to the trucking industry. Together, we inspire others. Together, we will win and grow. And we’ll always answer the call when our country needs us most. Trucking isn’t just the backbone of our economy… it’s the heartbeat of this nation. Thank you. A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
PO Box 242337 • Montgomery, AL 36124 • Phone: (334) 834-3983 • Fax: (334) 262-6504
Application For Membership Motor Carrier: ___
Private: ___
Household Goods: ___
Allied Industry: ___
Your Dues Amount: $ __________________ (please fill in by using dues chart) Firm Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Address: (Box)________________________________(Street) ____________________________________________ City, State & Zip: ________________________________________________________________________________ DOT Number: ______________________________________ Number of Trucks: __________________ __________ Telephone: (______) ____________________ Fax (______) ____________________ 800/ ______________________ Website Address:
________________________________________________________________________________
Type of Business: ________________________________________________________________________________ Official Representative : ________________________________Title: ______________________________________ Email address:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Alternate Representative: ________________________________Title: ______________________________________ Email address:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Signed: ________________________________Date: ________Referred by: ________________________________ CONTRIBUTIONS OR GIFTS TO THE ALABAMA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION, INC., ARE NOT DEDUCTIBLE AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. HOWEVER, A PORTION OF YOUR DUES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AS ORDINARY AND NECESSARY BUSINESS EXPENSES.
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY CODE # _________________ Date _________________________
Mbr Type ____________________
Nxt Bill Date __________________
Check # ______________________
Dues Cat _____________________
AL Sen ______________________
Dues Amt ____________________
Freq _________________________
AL Hse ______________________
Mbr Class ____________________
Exp Date _____________________
CG Dist ______________________
MAG ______ MC ______ GC ______ YR ______ LTR/PLQ ______ RSL ______ BC ______
A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020
27
Schedule of Membership Dues (Effective July 1, 2017)
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 ..............................for 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 ...........................for 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 ...........................for 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 ...........................for over 24 million miles
C. Household Goods Carriers (Schedule based on intrastate revenue only) $420 ..............................for under $100,000 $480 ..............................for $100,001 up to $150,000 $540 ..............................for $150,000 up to $200,000 $660 ..............................for $201,001 up to $250,000 $780 ..............................for $250,001 up to $300,000 $900 ..............................for $300,001 up to $400,000 $1,200 ...........................for $400,001 and over
D. Allied Industry (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 information 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.
2020 ATA Buyer’s Guide
We make every effort to ensure this list is correct. For changes or corrections to your company’s listing, contact
Alabama Trucking Assn.’s Buyer’s Guide lists those companies that have taken an active role in supporting Alabama’s trucking industry by becoming members of the Association. We ask that each time you plan a purchase that you consult this guide and give ATA members the opportunity to gain your business. These companies proudly support your association and deserve your support, as well. ADVERTISING/PUBLISHING Pitts Media (205) 792-1280 www.pittsmedia.com AUTO DEALER (SERVICE OR REPAIR) Faucett Motors of Boaz, Inc. (256) 593-7162
EQUIPMENT LEASING CB Repair & Trailer Maintenance, Inc. (205) 338-0943 KLLM/Equipment Solutions LLC (205) 515-1478 www.equipmentsolution.com Metro Trailer Rental (205) 985-8701 www.metrotrailer.com
BUS SALES & SERVICE Southland Transportation Group Premier Trailer Leasing (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com (205) 680-3184 www.premiertrailerleasing.com Transportation South, Inc. Reliable Trailer Sales, Inc. (205) 663-2287 DBA Storage Trailers of Alabama www.thebuscenter.com (205) 808-0042 www.storagetrailersal.com Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. www.wardintltrucks.com (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net CHEMICAL PRODUCTS Rushing Enterprises, Inc. Southland Transportation Group (334) 693-3318 (205) 942-6226 www.rushingenterprises.com www.southlandtransportationgroup.com COMMUNICATIONS/ELECTRONICS Star Leasing Co. J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (205) 763-1280 (920) 722-2848 www.starleasing.com www.jjkellerservices.com Trailer Sales of Tennessee Netradyne A Fleet Equipment Co. (833) 476-9663 (615) 259-3301 www.netradyne.com www.trailersalesoftennessee.com
CenterState Bank (205) 422-7111 Comdata (615) 376-6917 www.comdata.com Commercial Credit Group, Inc. (704) 731-0031 www.commercialcreditgroup.com Corcentric (856) 406-3745 www.corcentric.com Corporate Financial Services, 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 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
Omnitracs, LLC (615) 594-7565 www.omnitracs.com
Vacuum Truck Rentals, LLC (205) 277-6190 www.vactruckrental.com
Orbcomm, Inc. (703) 433-7763 www.orbcomm.com
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING Daehan Solution Alabama, LLC (334) 301-3498
SmartDrive Systems (858) 225-5551 www.smartdrive.net
Eaton Corp./Roadranger Field Marketing People’s United Equipment (334) 398-1410 Finance Corp. www.roadranger.com (205) 664-9374 EQUIPMENT PARTS/ACCESSORIES www.puefc.com Dothan Tarpaulin Products, Inc. PNC Bank N.A. (800) 844-8277 (205) 421-2764 www.dothantarp.com www.pnc.com Imperial Supplies LLC ProBilling and Funding Service (920) 490-6707 (256) 736-4349 www.imperialsupplies.com www.probfs.com Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Progress Bank 334/798-0080 (205) 527-5692 www.arvinmeritor.com www.myprogressbank.com Paccar Parts/Kenworth Renasant Bank (206) 898-5541 (334) 301-5955 www.paccarparts.com www.renasantbank.com www.trpparts.com
Trimble Transportation (407) 347-5121 www.mobility.trimble.com
DRIVER STAFFING Transportation Support, Inc. (205) 833-6336 www.transportationsupport.com EDUCATION & TRAINING Central Alabama Community College (256) 215-4301 www.cacc.edu 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 Transportation Safety Services (251) 661-9700 www.transportationsafetyservices.com TRW Solutions, LLC (251) 362-2275 Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. (205) 585-3895 www.infinitiworkforce.com
ENGINE MANUFACTURERS Cummins Sales & Service (901) 488-8033 www.salesandservice.cummins.com
IBERIABANK (251) 345-9676 www.IBERIABANK.com People’s Capital & Leasing Corp. (205) 856-9354 www.peoples.com
Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net
ServisFirst Bank (205) 949-3433 www.servisfirstbank.com
Star Truck Parts (205) 324-4681
Trustmark Bank (205) 995-4615 www.trustmark.com
Thermo King of B’ham-Dothan-MobileMontgomery-Chattanooga (334) 263-5782 www.midstatetk.com
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance (314) 374-2165 www.wellsfargo.com
W.W. Williams (205) 252-9025 (334) 279-6083 www.wwwilliams.com
INSURANCE Aon Risk Solutions (501) 374-9300 www.aon.com/transportation
FINANCIAL SERVICES Bank of America Merrill Lynch (205) 298-7467 www.fa.ml.com/RPM BMO Transportation Finance (770) 960-6307 www.BMOTF.com
Aronov Insurance, Inc. (205) 414-9575 www.aronovinsurance.com BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. (334) 386-3317 www.bxsi.com
The Baxter Agency (334) 678-6800 www.baxteragency.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 Farris Evans Insurance Agency, Inc. (901) 274-5424 www.farrisevans.com Great West Casualty Co. (865) 392-3752 www.gwccnet.com Hudson Insurance Company (317) 810-2038 www.hudsoninsgroup.com Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance (251) 473-4600 www.lyonfrycaden.com McGriff Insurance Services (334) 674-9810 www.mcgriffinsurance.com McGriff, Siebels & Williams, Inc. (205) 583-9641 www.mcgriff.com Joe Morten & Sons, Inc. (865) 392-3844 www.joemorten.com Palomar Insurance Corp. (334) 270-0105 www.palomarinsurance.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 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 York Risk Services Group (205) 581-9488 www.yorkrsg.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
NON-PETROLEUM FUEL PRODUCTS Pivotal LNG (404) 783-3550 www.pivotallng.com PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Citgo Petroleum Corporation (941) 981-2588 www.citgolubes.com Davison Fuels & Oil (251) 544-4511 www.davisonoil.com Jack Green Oil Co., Inc. (256) 831-1038 Major Oil Company, Inc. (334) 263-9070 www.unitedfoodandfuel.com Myers Oil Company, Inc. (954) 938-7211 RelaDyne (205) 384-3422 www.reladyne.com Shell Oil Products US (601) 529-7244 www.shell.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 Burr-Forman LLP (205) 458-3393 www.burr.com Carr, Allison, Pugh, Howard, Oliver & Sisson, 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 Ferguson, Frost, Moore & Young LLP (205) 879-8722 www.ffmylaw.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
(Current as of 12-15-20)
Brandie Norcross at bnorcross@alabamatrucking.org. 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: Allstate Beverage (251) 476-9600 Ext. 1231 AMG Driver Recruitment (256) 683-4499 www.amgdriverrecruitment.com AngelTrax (334) 692-4600 www.angeltrax.com C Cross Logistics, LLC (205) 759-1818 Corporate Billing, LLC (256) 584-3600 www.corpbill.com Enterprise Holdings, Inc. (205) 823-4599 www.enterpriseholdings.com Drivewyze (780) 461-3355 www.drivewyze.com J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com JP Transportation Safety Consulting, LLC (205) 329-8182 (205) 329-8183 www.jptsc.com Lytx DriveCam, Inc. (858) 430-4000 www.lytx.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 Motor Carrier Safety Consulting (205) 871-4455 Pitts Media (205) 792-1280 www.pittsmedia.com PM Environmental, Inc. (205) 986-0270 www.pmenv.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 (931) 520-7170 www.prepass.com
QuikQ LLC (678) 591-4675 www.quikq.com
Southern Truck Center, Inc. (205) 226-0880 www.southerntruckcenter.com
Great Dane (205) 324-3491 www.greatdane.com
Nextran Truck Centers (205) 841-4450 www.nextrancorp.com
SET Logistics, Inc. (205) 849-6309 www.setlogistics.net
Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com
Gulf City Body & Trailer Works, Inc. (251) 438-5521 www.gulfcity.com
Rush Truck Center-Mobile (251) 459-7300 www.rushofmobile.com
Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. (251) 476-2744 www.gulfcoasttruck.com
Ryder Vehicle Sales LLC (205) 492-2428 www.usedtrucks.ryder.com
R C Trailer Sales & Service Co., Inc. (205) 680-0924 www.rctrailersales.net
SelecTrucks of Alabama (205) 322-6695 www.selectrucksofalabama.com
Reliable Trailer Sales, Inc. DBA Storage Trailers of Alabama (205) 808-0042 www.storagetrailersal.com
Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com
Soar Payments LLC Thompson Tractor Company (888) 225-9405 (205) 244-7812 https://www.soarpay.com/moving-com- www.thompsontractor.com pany-merchant-account/ W.W. Williams Southern Mississippi Trading LLC (205) 252-9025 (601) 671-3211 (334) 279-6083 www.smtmiss.com www.wwwilliams.com Spectrum Environmental Services, Inc. (205) 664-2000 www.specenviro.com Stamps Transport, LLC (205) 233-5326 www.stampstransport.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 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 (228) 872-7160 www.dottrucksafety.com Transportation Safety Services (251) 661-9700 www.transportationsafetyservices.com Vomela Specialty Company (651) 228-2200 www.Vomela.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 Carrier Transicold South (404) 968-3130 www.ctsouth.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.columbustireco.com Continental Tire North America (662) 549-7570 www.continental-truck.com Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (708) 557-3406 www.goodyeartrucktires.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
Southeast Trailer Mart, Inc. (404) 361-6411 www.stmtrailers.com
Trojan Industries, Inc. Southland Transportation Group dba Lyncoach Truck Bodies (205) 942-6226 (334) 566-4330 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com www.lyncoach.com Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com
Truckworx Kenworth - Birmingham (205) 326-6170 www.TRUCKWORX.com
Transport Trailer Center (334) 299-3573 www.transporttc.com
Truckworx Kenworth – Dothan (334) 712-4900 www.TRUCKWORX.com
Utility Trailer Sales of Alabama LLC (334) 794-7345 www.utilityalabama.com
Truckworx Kenworth – Montgomery (334) 263-3101 www.TRUCKWORX.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
Truckworx Kenworth – Thomasville (334) 636-4380 www.TRUCKWORX.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
Fitzgerald Peterbilt (205) 379-8300 www.fitzgeraldpeterbilt.com
Pilot Flying J Centers (865) 207-3874 www.pilotflyingj.com TravelCenters of America/Petro Shopping Centers (678) 591-4675 www.Ta-Petro.com
Four Star Freightliner (Dothan) (334) 793-4455 www.fourstarfreightliner.com
Coffman International Trucks (334) 794-4111 www.coffmaninternationaltrucks.com
Dorsey Trailer, LLC (334) 897-2525 www.dorseytrailer.net
Four Star Freightliner (334) 263-1085 (Montgomery) www.fourstarfreightliner.com
Eufaula Trucking Co., Inc. (334) 689-8586
Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 933-5190 www.empiretruck.com
Long Lewis Western Star (205) 428-0161 www.longlewistrucks.com
Fleetco, Inc. (615) 256-0600 www.fleetco.net
Mack Trucks, Inc. (678) 201-4770 www.macktrucks.com
Fontaine Fifth Wheel NA (205) 421-4300 www.fifthwheel.com
Navistar (813) 382-3113 www.internationaldelivers.com
Rowe Management Corp. (205) 486-9235 www.rowemachinery.com
Truckworx Kenworth – Huntsville (256) 308-0162 www.TRUCKWORX.com
TRUCKSTOPS Love’s Travel Stops, Inc. (405) 202-4451 www.loves.com
TRAILER DEALERS/ MANUFACTURERS C & C Trailers, Inc. (334) 897-2202
Mann Automotive Diesel, Inc. (334) 792-0456 www.mannautomotivediesel.com
Truckworx Kenworth – Mobile (251) 957-4000 www.TRUCKWORX.com
Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 939-1000 www.empiretruck.com
Childersburg Truck Service, Inc. (256) 378-3101 www.childersburg-truck.com
Lazzari Truck Repair, Inc. (251) 626-5121 www.lazzaritruckrepair.com
Taylor & Martin, Inc. (662) 262-4613 www.taylorandmartin.com
Neely Coble Co. (256) 350-1630 www.neelycoble.com
VEHICLE LEASING Penske Truck Leasing (757) 603-2853 www.gopenske.com Southland Transportation Group (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtransportationgroup.com Vacuum Truck Rentals, LLC (205) 277-6190 www.vactruckrental.com Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com
ATA
NEW MEMBERS & EVENTS
New Members (as of 12-15-20) BHH Services, LLC Chattanooga, Tenn. Dustin Carlton
FT&L Specialized, LLC Creola, Ala. Stuart Dysart
J Wayne, Inc. Alpharetta, Ga. Janet Lemons
Van Pelt Transportation, LLC Gaylesville, Ala. Jim Van Pelt
Byars | Wright Insurance Jasper, Ala. Andy Byars
Southern Trucking Aliceville, Ala. Garry Ferguson
Shades Mountain Logistics, Inc. Vestavia Hills, Ala. David Barkhurst
Veterans Disaster Services, LLC Fairhope, Ala. Rick Rottgers
Events Please note: Due to restrictions on large gatherings caused by the coronavirus pandemic, event locations and dates are subject to change. Please contact Brandie Norcross at bnorcross@alabama trucking.org or visit www.alabamatrucking.org for updates and changes. ATA Board of Directors Meeting January 26, 2021 Virtual Event Capital Leadership Day February 2021(TBD) Montgomery, Ala.
SMMC Fleet Safety Awards Banquet March 22, 2021 Pelham, Ala.
ATA Officer Installation June 22, 2021 Montgomery, Ala.
82nd ATA Annual Convention April 22-25, 2021 Destin, Fla.
National Truck Driving Championships August 11-14, 2021 Minneapolis, Minn.
Washington Fly In November 2021 (TBA) Washington D.C.
ATA Board of Directors Meeting April 24, 2021 Destin, Fla.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week September 12-18, 2021 Nationwide
ATA SMMC Holiday Celebration December 13, 2021 Pelham, Ala.
Alabama Truck Driving Championships May 28, 2021 Pelham, Ala.
ATA Golf Classic September 21, 2021 Prattville, Ala.
A
D V E R T I S I N G
ADVERTISER Alabama Trucker (AT), the official publication 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, regulatory 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 affordable, but on top of that, your 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
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American Trucking Associations MC&E October 23-27, 2021 Nashville, Tenn.
I
N D E X
PG. NO.
PH. NO.
ATA Comp Fund
BC
(334) 834-7911
www.atacompfund.org
The Baxter Agency
22
(800) 873-8494
www.baxteragency.com
IBC
(205) 322-6695
www.birminghamfreightliner.com
Great West Casualty
15
(800) 228-8053
www.gwccnet.com
International Trucks
IFC
(800) 844-4102
www.navistar.com
McGriff Insurance
25
(334) 674-9803
www.McGriffInsurance.com
Nextran Truck Center
7
(800) 292-8685
www.nextrancorp.com
Palomar Insurance
29
(800) 489-0105
www.palomarins.com
R.E. Garrison
18
(800) 643-3472
www.regarrison.com
Southern Tire Mart
9
(877) STM-TIRE
Southland Transportation Group
24
(205) 254-1821 southlandtransportationgroup.com
Truckworx Kenworth
3
(800) 444-6170
www.truckworx.com
Turner & Hamrick
19
(888) 385-0186
www.turnerhamrick.com
16-17
(205) 755-2610
www.thomasoil.com
Birmingham Freightliner
WH Thomas Oil Co.
WEB ADDRESS
STMTires.com
A LABAMA T RUCKER • 4 TH Q UARTER 2020