Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Most of you probably know of the passing of Rick Hoogendoorn. He was a great voice for this organization and this industry. His shoes will be difficult to fill. Rest in peace, my friend.
We have some great events coming up soon. On August 21–24, the National TDCs will be held in Indianapolis, IN. I hope that all the participants have a good showing. On September 25–27, our annual convention will be held in Deadwood. We are planning a jam-packed few days, full of valuable information and a lot of fun activities. I always look forward to this event because it provides me with insightful information and a chance to visit with friends.
As you all know, my term as chairman will be over at the end of the convention. I’ll serve as past chair for another two years, but I’m still wondering where the last eight years have gone. It’s time for the old guard to pass the gavel to the next generation. I think we are in good hands as I look at the next three chairs. In closing, I ask everyone to stay safe, and I hope to see you in September.
Safe travels,
Bob Willey
Bob Willey Trucking bwilleytrucking@gmail.com
JUSTIN LARSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
KURT SWANSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
TACHA ARTZ (605) 737-7865
RAPID CITY, SD
JORDAN GAU (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD
GREG BALDWIN (605) 336-2795 SIOUX FALLS, SD
WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION
NICK BACKLUND (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD
RUSS STOUGH (605) 336-4444
SIOUX FALLS, SD
Fischer, Rounds & Associates truck insurance consultants are experts in the coverage of all size trucks and farm equipment, so we know the risks and liabilities to make sure you are fully covered. We have four locations in South Dakota to serve you and your truck insurance needs—Pierre, Mitchell, Rapid City and Sioux Falls.
SDTA STAFF
Christine Vinatieri-Erickson President christine@southdakotatrucking.com
Michelle Wells Member Manager michelle@southdakotatrucking.com
With Independence Day behind us, we are halfway through the summer. I enjoyed a few days in Indianapolis, IN, visiting my brother and his family with my boys. We had fun playing bean bags and shooting off massive amounts of fireworks from his property. The highlight was watching my boys reconnect with their cousins after several years. It doesn’t get any better than that.
There’s not much to report this month as we’ve been focused on convention planning and catching our breath after two very busy months of events for SDTA and SDADA. We’ve released several episodes of our Driveline podcast and have some exciting guests lined up for August.
We continue to monitor various issues impacting the trucking industry and are preparing for the upcoming legislative session. We want to hear from you to understand the issues affecting your business. Mark your calendars for the legislative receptions on November 19th in Rapid City and November 21st in Sioux Falls, both at Minervas. This is our time to connect with elected officials to communicate our priorities and the impact their decisions have on the trucking industry.
Lastly, the early bird special for the convention expires soon. To take advantage of this discount, make sure to register before August 1, 2024. A tentative agenda can be found on page 18 of this publication, as well as a registration form on page 19. We’re planning a convention that you won’t want to miss.
Onward,
Christine M. Vinatieri-Erickson
James“Jimmy”Snipes
James “Jimmy” Snipes, Rude Transportation, Co., Rapid City, SD was selected as the July 2024 Driver of the Month by the South Dakota Safety Management Council.
Jimmy has been a professional truck driver for 28 years, the last 18 with Rude Transportation. He has logged over 750,000 miles with no accidents.
Jimmy is their go-to guy for everything at the terminal. In addition to serving as Rude’s driver trainer, he has also taken on the role of terminal supervisor. He always makes the customer and safety his priority. Jimmy has perfect attendance and is willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Other drivers go to him when they have questions or need help, and he always does it.
Jimmy and his wife, Trista, reside in Summerset, SD. They have three children: Takeyah (25), Jaleel (24) and Jazzy (13).
The South Dakota Trucking Association joins the Safety Management Council in congratulating Jimmy Snipes, for being selected as the July 2024 Driver of the Month.
We offer high-quality, low-cost CDL training options in the South Dakota region that are available online from any device. Our curriculum is fully compliant with the current FMCSA ELDT Training standards, and we are a member in good standing of the Training Provider Registry as a Theory provider.
To learn about our fully-online, FMCSA-compliant CDL Theory program and how you can join our trainee to employee pipeline, call the SDTA office at 605-334-8871 or go to www.southdakotatrucking.com
AUGUST 21-24, 2024
National Truck Driving Championships Indianapolis, IN
SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2024
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2024
SDTA 89th Annual Convention
Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel & Casino Deadwood, SD
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
SDTA & SDADA Annual Pheasant Hunt
8:00 a.m.
Meet at Hutch’s Cafe Presho, SD
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
SDTA Fall Executive Committee Meeting
8:00 a.m.
AmericInn Fort Pierre, SD
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
SDTA Fall Board of Directors Meeting 10:00 a.m.
AmericInn Fort Pierre, SD
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
West River Legislative Reception
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Minervas | Lincoln Room Rapid City, SD
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
East River Legislative Reception
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Minervas | Lower Level Sioux Falls, SD
FEBRUARY 10, 2025
Annual Legislative Reception and Sundae Bar 6:00 p.m.
Truckers Report Email Scam Aimed At Hijacking Authority
Mark Schremmer | Senior Editor | Land Line
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is alerting truckers about fraudulent emails purported to be from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
OOIDA, which represents small-business truckers, has received several reports from members about an email scam that attempts to hijack a motor carrier’s authority.
The email, which appears to come from FMCSA, includes attachments of forms MCSA-5889 or MCS-150 and asks carriers for their USDOT PIN.
“Although the emails come from a .gov domain, these emails are not from FMCSA,” said Crystal Minardi of OOIDA’s Business Services. “FMCSA will never ask you for your PIN on a manual form. We are advising our members not to reply.”
Incidents of the scam have already been reported to FMCSA.
Anyone who receives the email is advised not to complete the attached form and not to reply.
Those who suspect that their company has been a victim of fraud or identity theft can report the incident by going to FMCSA’s website and clicking on its Fraud Advisory link. Victims of such activity also are advised to contact the DOT Office of Inspector General by calling 800-424-9071 or by emailing hotline@oig.dot.gov.
Scams Prevalent
This is not the first scam involving emails that appear to come from FMCSA or other transportation-related agencies.
In February, scammers released a phishing scam disguised as a safety audit.
As part of this scam, the email said that the carrier needed to schedule a safety audit. An attached link appeared to have a SAFER URL and mirrored the agency’s MCS-150 form. However, the scam email requested input of the recipient’s personal identification number, employer identification number and Social Security number. That information would allow access to the recipient’s FMCSA account by the unauthorized party.
In addition to the FMCSA email scam in February, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation warned of a text messaging scam in June.
The state DOT said that scammers were claiming to represent the state’s tolling agency and were requesting payments for unpaid tolls.
The Business Services Department at OOIDA can assist with potential scams as well as federal regulations, warranty issues, lease agreements and more. Visit OOIDA.com/business-services for more information.
Reprinted from Land Line
WITH YOU FOR THE LONG HAUL
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Letters
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Averting Nuclear Disaster: Trucking Industry Fights Back Against Company-killing Lawsuits
Dwain Hebda | The Trucker
We’ve all seen them: the screaming billboards along America’s highways promising justice — and a big check — following a traffic accident involving a big rig, or the sleazy late-night commercial asking, “Have you been injured by a trucking company’s carelessness?”
Such advertising efforts by the lawsuit industry have become so common, not to mention lucrative, that it has almost become passé — even though any of those massive settlement checks could be the death-knell of all but the very largest trucking companies coast to coast.
Dr. Alix Miller, president and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association (FTA), is wellversed in the ways of the personal injury world. Florida has long been considered ground zero for such litigation.
“Take any drive down an interstate in Florida, or any other side road, and you will see billboard after billboard after billboard, usually with a giant truck on them,” she said. “We are the industry that personal injury attorneys, especially the nefarious ones, have been targeting for many, many years.”
Given this, it seems fitting that the latest win in the continuing battle for meaningful tort reform took place in the Sunshine State. Last year, the FTA saw its sweeping bill, HB837, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, ushering in major changes to the state’s civil litigation statutes.
Adoption of the new state law represented the end of a long campaign, and the thrill of the win still rings in Miller’s voice.
“Most people say, ‘Look, the trucking association got comprehensive tort reform in three weeks.’ And I always respond that it took 20 years and three weeks,” she said.
“We came up with a formal strategy three years ago,” she explained. “We knew the time was not right in 2020. It wasn’t right in 2021. It wasn’t right in 2022. But that didn’t stop us from preparing for 2023, when we thought the stars might align with leadership and support from the governor.”
Some of the more notable changes the bill brought into law include protecting small businesses from paying massive damages when they are not primarily at fault. Under the old law, companies could be pressured to settle even if evidence showed the plaintiff was 99% to blame for the event. Another change is the elimination of oneway attorney fee shifting, which allowed plaintiffs’ lawyers to recover attorneys’ fees without paying defendants’ costs after filing abusive lawsuits.
Signage of the bill was a victory felt both inside and outside of the trucking industry. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called it “the biggest legal reform bill in decades” in a 2024 report detailing legal reform measures passed in the previous year.
“Obviously, this is a significant problem,” Miller said. “There are significant problems in many states — some worse than others. Before 2023, Florida was one of the worst.”
Tort reform is a state-by-state issue, but all tend to have the same goals in common, such as eliminating spurious lawsuits and limiting so-called nuclear verdicts, a term applied to judgements $10 million and up. Such reforms are often difficult to pass on emotional grounds since the level of damage resulting from an accident involving a semi accident tends to be prejudicial to lawmakers over determining who was actually at fault.
Miller says that, while huge awards tend to attract the most headlines, a runaway system that allows multiple smaller awards is just as damaging to the financial health of the industry.
“It’s about the settlement mills, that’s what we call them,” she said. “People talk about a nuclear verdict putting a trucking company out of business, and of course many will, but when you have most trucking companies at 20 trucks or less, just a couple of settlements are going put a trucking company out of business.”
Rob Moseley, founding partner of South Carolina-based law firm Moseley Marcinak Group, says there’s another concern to consider, regardless of judgement size.
“I think that it’s more likely to put somebody out of business, not because they get hit with a verdict as much as they can’t afford the insurance because of where the market is,” he said.
“The odds of you getting hit with some sort of huge award are not that great, but the odds of having to pay a lot for your insurance are 100%,” he continued. “I think that’s a bigger issue than anything else. The verdicts are driving insurance costs up so much that we’re seeing those types of issues.”
Moseley, who’s handled cases for transportation industry stakeholders for more than 30 years, says variances in legal statutes from place to place will continue to make tort reform a matter for the states, although there are federal measures that could also help.
He believes broadening federal jurisdiction to allow cases involved in interstate motor carriers to be brought in federal court would be a good start. Until that happens, the issue lies in state legislatures’ hands. On this front, Moseley says he’s seen good progress in many areas of the country.
“West Virginia’s legislature passed a cap on damages. Wisconsin’s legislature passed a cap on damages, even though the governor vetoed it,” he said. “We have had some significant changes in Iowa and Florida and Texas in the last few years. Those have been some good things.
“We absolutely need to continue this stateby-state tort reform to put the brakes on these big judgements — no pun intended,” he noted. “Something’s gotta give whether it means your products in the store costing double because it costs that much to get them there or something else. Interstate commerce can’t withstand this continuing barrage of large verdicts.”
Reprinted from The Trucker
MEMBER REVIEW
The 2024 Wheel Jam Truck Show: An Unforgettable Experience!
The 2024 Wheel Jam Truck Show was held from June 6th to 9th in Huron, SD, marking its 21st year. Just before the show, Scot Marone, the founder, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver. To complicate matters, he also suffered a brain bleed and a stroke. Despite these challenges, the 18 Wheel Truck Promotions crew stepped up to ensure the show went on as Scot would have wanted.
Event Highlights
Kickoff Dinner: The event started with a complimentary steak dinner for drivers and vendors at Scot Marone’s house, accompanied by live music.
Friday Night Concert: Urbandale Lane performed a free concert, sponsored by 18 Wheel Truck Promotions.
Saturday Night Light Show: A spectacular light show that everyone should experience.
Media Coverage: Andy’s Drone Service captured videos and still shots of the amazing trucks throughout the event.
Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented to Mike Habeck of Habeck Trucking, Belle Fourche, SD. Mike has been a steadfast supporter of the Wheel Jam Truck Show for many years, serving on the board of directors for SDTA and as a past Chairman of the board. This award is presented annually by 18 Wheel Truck Promotions LLC to someone who has had remarkable success in the trucking industry.
Legacy Award: Presented to the family of Dawn Lorang. Known as a “renegade,” Dawn was admired for her outspoken nature and unwavering beliefs. She spent nearly 45 years in the trucking industry and was renowned for her skills and dedication.
Fundraising and Support
This year’s show was different without Scot at the helm, but the 18 Wheel Truck Promotions crew delivered an outstanding event. Many prayers were offered for Scot and his family. A raffle was held for an AR-15, two shotguns, and a 10-22, and Andy’s Drone Service donated key chains in Scot’s honor for sale, along with purple ribbons to raise funds. All proceeds went to the Marone family to help with medical expenses.
Positive News
I am thrilled to report that Scot has made significant progress. He has left hospice care in Sioux Falls and returned to Huron. With intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, Scot is now home. His recovery is a testament to the power of prayer and his determination.
Looking Ahead
The camaraderie among participants, families, and vendors at the Wheel Jam Truck Show is unmatched. This event is truly for the whole family, fostering a strong sense of community and support. If you missed this year’s show, we hope to see you at the 22nd Wheel Jam Truck Show from June 4th to 8th in Huron, SD.
For more pictures, visit the Wheel Jam Truck Show Facebook Page: Wheel Jam Truck Show
Shanna Gray | S&B Transportation
89TH ANNUAL SDTA CONVENTION
TENTATIVE AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
A.M.
8:00 Open for Booth SetupSetup prior to 4:00 p.m.
P.M.
3:00 Registration Desk Opens
5:00 Vendor Appreciation & Social
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Pub Crawl
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
A.M.
7:45 Registration for ATV Poker Run at Mystic Hills Hideaway TRANSPORTATION ON OWN Ride starts at 8
8:00 Registration/Check-in at Boulder Canyon Golf Club TRANSPORTATION ON OWN Shotgun start at 9
P.M.
4:00 Registration Desk Opens
4:30 Social & Visit Displays
5:30 Dinner - Award Golf Prizes & ATV Poker Run Prizes
6:20 Football & Fun: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants on big-screen with Cornhole Tournament
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
A.M.
7:45 Registration Desk Opens
8:00 Breakfast
• Formal Opening 89th Annual Convention
• Welcome
• SDTA and SDTA Services Inc. Annual Meetings
8:30 Business Session 1: TBD 10:00 Business Session 2:
Rotating Open Forum Sessions
1) Updates from SD Highway Patrol 2) Update from FMCSA 3) TBD 4) TBD
12:00 Awards Luncheon
• Fleet Safety Awards
• SDHP Annual Safety Award Presentation
P.M.
1:30 Business Session 3: TBD
2:30 Driver of the Year Interviews
3:00 Heavy Duty Truck Dealer Meeting
4:00 NextGen Meeting and Social
5:00 Capitol Club Reception - By Invitation Only
5:00 Social & Visit Displays
6:30 Chairman’s Banquet
• Pride of the Show
• Safety Director of the Year
• Chairman’s Award
• Passing of the Gavel
• Driver of the Year Presentation
1) GOLF - Boulder Canyon Golf Club, Thursday, September 26, 2024. breakfast available. Registration 8:00 am - 8:45 am shotgun start at 9:00 am
Lunch will be provided. Participants will be split up unless specified. $200* per golfer *$250 if not attending convention
TRANSPORTATION ON YOUR OWN - 12312 US Hwy 14A, Sturgis, SD 57785
NAME NAME
NAME NAME
TOTAL GOLF REGISTRATION FEE: $
I WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR GOLF HOLE(S) AT $250 PER HOLE
Golf hole sponsorships are available on a first come first serve basis.
CHOICES FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024: OR
TOTAL GOLF HOLE SPONSORSHIP: $
2) ATV POKER RUN - Mystic Hills Hideway, Thursday, September 26, 2024
Bring your own or rental equipment will be available. Check-in at Mystic Hills Hideway NO LATER THAN 7:45 am
Lunch provided / Number of lunches needed:_______
TRANSPORTATION ON YOUR OWN - Mystic Hills: 21766 Custer Peak Rd, Deadwood, SD 57732
$150 PER RIDER (if attending convention) - $200 PER RIDER (if not attending convention) - $25 (if bringing own equip.)
Check Rental Equipment if needed Single Seat 2-Seater4-Seater
TOTAL REGISTRATION FEES: $ TOTAL SPONSORSHIP FEES: $ TOTAL EXHIBITOR FEES: $
Golf Hole Exhibitor - $275 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Register by August 1st for $50 Off Your Registration
TOTAL GOLF REGISTRATION FEES: $
TOTAL GOLF HOLE SPONSORSHIP: $
TOTAL ATV POKER RUN FEES: $
TOTAL DUE: $
Condolences
Rick A. Hoogendoorn
February 19, 1959 - June 21, 2024
Rick Allen Hoogendoorn, a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on June 21, 2024, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born on February 19, 1959, to Alvin and Edith “Dolly” Hoogendoorn in Lester, Iowa, Rick grew up on the family farm alongside his brothers Randy and Russell. He graduated from West Lyon High School in 1977 and pursued a degree in Accounting at Nettleton College.
Rick married Donna Schettler on June 6, 1980, and together they raised three daughters: April Beninga, Andrea Murphy, and Rachael Kramer. On March 24, 2011, Rick found love again and married Julie Mayo, and gained three more children: Chloe, Charlotte, and Chandler Mayo.
Rick’s professional journey in the trucking industry was distinguished and impactful. He began his career with All American in
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1978 and worked with Midwest Coast and Yellow Freight, where he dedicated nearly four decades until his retirement on November 30, 2022. Even after retiring, his passion for trucking led him to Rude Transportation, where he worked until November 2023. Rick was an active member of the South Dakota Trucking Association, serving as a board member and Chairman of the Board. His dedication extended to the community through his involvement with the Downtown Kiwanis Club.
Rick’s zest for life was evident in his many hobbies. He loved riding his Harley across the United States, particularly to the Sturgis Rally, and enjoyed golfing with friends, pheasant hunting, and traveling. Among his favorite destinations were the Black Hills, The Netherlands, Italy, and Hawaii, which held special places in his heart.
Rick’s faith shined as a light to all, even during the tough days of his journey,
providing strength and inspiration to those around him. Rick is survived by his parents, Alvin and Dolly Hoogendoorn, brothers, Randy and Russell Hoogendoorn, his loving wife, Julie Mayo, his daughters, April (Paul) Beninga, Andrea (Will) Murphy, and Rachael (Chase) Kramer, and Chloe (Jason), Charlotte, and Chandler Mayo. He also leaves behind his beloved grandchildren: Cole and Aubrey Saufley, James and Amelia Murphy, and Veronica, Lucia, Ezra, and Isaiah Kramer.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to the caring Sanford Oncology team, Dr. Bleeker, Dr. Shannon Peck, and Sanford Hospice for providing incredible care to Rick.
Rick will be remembered for his unwavering dedication, adventurous spirit, and the profound love he had for his family and community. His legacy will continue to inspire all who knew him.
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Condolences
Andrew L. Kotalik
February 9, 1994 - July 16, 2024
Andrew Lee Kotalik, age 30, of Yankton, South Dakota, died Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as a result of a motor vehicle accident.
Andrew Lee Kotalik was born February 9, 1994, in Yankton, South Dakota, to Tim and Laura (Wright) Kotalik. He grew up and attended school in Yankton and graduated from Yankton High School in 2012. While in high school, Andrew enjoyed playing hockey and baseball. He then attended Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, graduating with a degree in criminal justice. While in college, he began working at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, South Dakota as an intern. Once he graduated, he continued working at the prison as a correctional officer and earned the rank of lieutenant. In 2016, he was blessed with his precious daughter, Avery Lynn, who is the light of
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his life. He married Camille Friedenbach on October 7, 2023, at Calvary Baptist Church in Yankton.
Andrew was a fun-loving guy who had a great sense of humor and loved telling stories and joking around with people. He was a patient man with a heart of gold and was always there to lend a helping hand. He always had a project, whether it was working on cars or putting something together, he was always doing something. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, shooting guns or anything that would explode or start on fire. But above everything else, he loved his family. He always wanted to have a big family and loved being a dad to his daughter, Avery. He adored his wife, Cami and would do anything for her. He was taken much too soon and will be greatly missed.
Survivors include his wife, Camille Kotalik of Yankton; daughter, Avery Kotalik of Yankton; parents, Tim and Laura Kotalik of Yankton; grandmother, Nina Wright of Yankton; siblings: Oliver and Elsie Kotalik of Yankton; father and mother-in-law, Robert and Jean Friedenbach of Yankton; sisters-in-law: Jasmine (Sean) Geverts of Fort Collins, Colorado and Laurel Friedenbach of Yankton; brothers-in-law: David Friedenbach of Yankton and Aaron Friedenbach of Lincoln, Nebraska; grandparents-in-law: Gerald and Pat Harts of Yankton and Dale and Margaret Friedenbach of Bloomfield, Nebraska.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Erwin and Grace Kotalik and Richard Wright; and 2 uncles: Steven and Paul Kotalik.
2024 ATD Legislative Fly-in Recap
Trevor Johnson | SDTA Communications and Marketing Manager
June 25th and 26th: Jon Gillam from Floyd’s Truck Center and I were in Washington, DC to represent South Dakota at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Legislative Fly-In. This conference comprised two days of business meetings followed by visits with all three of our South Dakota offices.
June 25th was full of insightful business meetings and board meetings highlighting the issues heavy truck dealers are focused on across America. I also got the opportunity to join ATD’s Next Gen meeting where I helped give insights into social media marketing and strategy in hopes of marketing ATD Next Gen to a new audience and getting younger people involved in the Trucking Industry. Next-Gen was a great group and I got to make lots of great connections with attendees there. Our main large group meeting was about our 4 main areas of focus for legislative visits;
Opposing the EPA’s Green House Gas Phase 3 Rule which would cost truck dealers and trucking companies an insurmountable amount of money to comply with. This would put a lot of small dealers and companies out of business.
Repealing the FET 12% Tax on heavy-duty trucks. This legislation is a no-brainer for us at ATD because it would reduce the cost of trucks. 12% is a large tax and if the government wants to incentivize more ZEVs (Zero Emissions Vehicles) this would save purchasers around $50,000 on a new ZEV truck. This tax usually adds around $20,000 to a normal diesel unit. That would be a big savings for truck dealers and trucking companies.
Opposing the Right to Repair Act, this legislation unfortunately no longer has to do with repairing your vehicle. It has morphed into a bill that obligates OEMs to provide schematics to third-party manufacturers.
Support Catalytic Converter Anti-Theft Legislation, this problem isn’t just for the auto dealers it has affected truck dealers as
well. While this isn’t a huge issue in South Dakota we should protect ourselves against the trends we are seeing across the country.
June 26th was the meat and potatoes of the event featuring speakers like ATA’s Senior Economic Analyst, Emily Clayton, Rep. Randy Feenstra from Iowa, Rep. Earl Blumenauer from Oregon, and others who have an inside look at these issues. These speakers were followed by hill visits on Capitol Hill where Jon Gillam and I got to visit with the offices of Sen. John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds, and Rep. Dusty Johnson. They were all receptive to our initiatives and have been supporters of the SDTA for years. We highlighted the EPA’s GHG Phase 3 rule, and they all seemed to already be opposed to this legislation. I want to highlight the great relationship the SDTA has built with our congressmen and we should be thankful for their support of our industry. The ATD Legislative fly-in went well this year, I would love to see more representation next year so Heavy Truck Dealers mark your calendars!
Registration Deadline: August 6
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for the inaugural WIM Regional event tailored for the Midwest, uniting women from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. Over a day and a half, immerse yourself in networking, interactive panels with policymakers, and invigorating discussions celebrating the achievements of women in both trucking and government. Dive into pressing industry topics such as environmental concerns, tort reform, predatory towing, and talent retention strategies. This isn’t your typical sit-and-listen event; instead, we invite you to engage, connect, and forge meaningful relationships as you navigate the dynamic space around you.
ABOUT WOMEN IN MOTION
Women In Motion’s mission is to provide a supportive platform for women in the transportation industry, fostering open discussions about shared experiences. Through meaningful networking opportunities, our community seeks to empower women and drive transformative change, leveraging the strength of ATA’s advocacy efforts to create a more inclusive and impactful industry for all.
WIM’s diverse membership includes women and their allies in the transportation industry, spanning various roles nationwide—from truck drivers to HR professionals and from technicians to CEOs. This group unites under WIM’s banner with the common objectives of advocating for women’s issues, eliminating barriers to their success, engaging in impactful programs and life-changing mentorships, and finding community within the industry. By interfacing with decision-makers and policy shapers, they strive to convey the importance of inclusivity, aiming to leave an enduring mark on the transportation industry through their collective efforts.
SYMPOSIUM
CENTRAL MIDWEST
Hilton Des Moines Downtown Des Moines, IA
Registration Fee: WIM members ..................... $50 Non-WIM members
Years Employed by Present Employer:_____________________ Total Years of Experience:____________________
Type of Equipment Operated: c Truck c Tractor-Semitrailer c Doubles c Other
Type of Driving: c Over the Road c City c Other
Total Mileage:____________ _ Mileage with Present Employer:___ # of Accidents: _____Chargeable Dates:________________________________________________ _____Non-Chargeable Dates:________________________________________________
Has your driver ever been selected as a Driver of the Month or Driver of the Year in South Dakota or any other state? c Yes c No If yes, when?:______________
Participation in truck driving championships or other transportation related activities: ___________________________________
Basis of Nomination:__________________________
With this entry, company agrees to send their driver, if selected as Driver of the Month, to the South Dakota Trucking Association Annual Convention, where the driver will participate in a personal interview. Drivers not being interviewed will not be eligible for the Driver of the Year honors. Interview times will be scheduled Friday afternoon during the convention.
With this entry, the company agrees to submit Driver of the Year Entry Form for National Competition if your driver is selected as the South Dakota Driver of the Year.
RULES:
Driver may be nominated for Driver of the Month for any outstanding act of heroism, a contribution to highway safety, an extraordinary act of courtesy, an exceptional deed or act of service to mankind within the community reflecting positively on the motor carrier industry, or for a long period of safe and courteous driving. An outstanding act shall be deemed to mean unusual or other than the normal every day courtesies afforded by truck drivers.
ELIGIBILITY:
1. The nominated driver must be an employee of a member in good standing of the South Dakota Trucking Association.
2. The nominated driver must have been an employee of the present employer for at least two years and have a minimum of five years overall experience.
3. South Dakota domiciled* drivers are eligible for nomination for an outstanding act performed in any state. * The intent of the word “domiciled” shall be interpreted to mean: Any driver reporting to or regularly dispatched from a terminal within the state of SD (in keeping with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations definition of his/her home terminal) regardless of where the driver may dwell.
4. A driver may receive the Driver of the Month award only one time in any contest year. He/she may be renominated in any subsequent year.
5. Nominations for outstanding acts on the highway shall be accompanied by supporting evidence (letters, statements, news clippings, etc.). A clear, factual account is absolutely necessary. Vague generalizations will not be accepted.
6. A copy of recent driver motor vehicle record check must accompany the nomination.
7. Drivers nominated and not selected as Driver of the Month will be held over and used in the following month’s selection.
8. Entries must be in the SDTA office no later than the 10th of each month for that current month’s contest.
9. Nominations may be made by any party, but must be approved by the employer or a representative of the employer.
10. The annual contest will run from September of the previous year through August of the current year.
11. Company agrees to submit a professional head and shoulders photo of the winning driver.
