TCA names new chairman, winners of fleet, driver awards

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) named John Elliott, CEO of Load One, as its next chairman. Elliott will serve as the 2022-23 chairman.

The news was made as part of a series of awards announced by TCA at its Truckload 2022: Las Vegas event this week. The association also announced winners in its fleet safety award and driver of the year contests.

Elliott is a third-generation transportation professional. He founded Load One in 2003 in Taylor, Michigan. The carrier has grown to operate over 450 power units and generate more than $135 million in annual revenue. It is ranked as one of the five largest expedited carriers in the U.S. and has twice been named a TCA Best Fleet to Drive For winner.

Elliott is also the founder of ARC Supply Chain Solutions, a global provider of 3PL services. His extensive industry work includes serving as a TCA officer, its first vice chairman, the Advocacy Advisory committee chairman and a member of its board of directors, Financial Oversight committee, Highway Policy committee, and Regulatory Policy committee.

Assisting Elliott as TCA officers are:

• Immediate past chair: Dennis Dellinger, president and CEO, Cargo Transporters Inc.
• First vice chair: David Williams, executive vice president, Knight-Swift Transportation.
• Second vice chair: Karen Smerchek, president, Veriha Trucking Inc.
• Treasurer: John Culp, president, Maverick USA.
• Secretary: Jon Coca, president, Diamond Transportation System Inc.
• Association vice president to ATA: Ed Nagle, president, Nagle Toledo Inc.
• At-large officer: Amber Edmondson, president, Trailiner Corp.
• At-large officer: Pete Hill, vice president, Hill Brothers Transportation Inc.
• At-large officer: Joey Hogan, president, Covenant Transport.
• At-large officer: Mark Seymour, president and CEO, Kriska Transportation Group.
• At-large officer: Trevor Kurtz, general manager, Brian Kurtz Trucking LTD.

Fleet Safety Awards

During the convention, TCA announced that Big Freight Systems of Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, and Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, were the 2021 Fleet Safety Award grand prize winners. Big Freight took the prize in the small carrier division (less than 25 million miles driven) while Bison nabbed the top honor in the large carrier division (more than 25 million miles driven).

“TCA is honored to recognize Big Freight Systems, Inc. and Bison Transport, Inc. for their amazing safety achievements,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “This year, we received the most entries ever in the history of the Fleet Safety Awards, showing that TCA’s members are truly industry leaders when it comes to safety. Big Freight Systems and Bison are very deserving of the Grand Prize as a testament to their efforts to improve safety for all with whom they share the roadways.”

To be eligible for the TCA Fleet Safety Award Grand Prize, fleets must first submit their accident frequency ratio per million miles driven. The three carriers with the lowest ratios are identified as the winners for each of six mileage-based divisions. The carriers then undergo an audit by independent experts to ensure the accuracy of their results. 

Driver of the Year winners

Two truck drivers were named TCA’s 2021 Driver of the Year winners.

The 2021 Company Driver of the Year award was presented to Robert Howell, of Shelley, Idaho, who drives for Doug Andrus Distributing LLC based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The 2021 Owner Operator of the Year award went to Glen Horack of Elkland, Missouri, who is leased to Prime Inc. based in Springfield, Missouri.

Both drivers received a $25,000 cash prize for their achievements.

The annual contests, sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops of Oklahoma City and Cummins Inc. of Columbus, Indiana, recognize the top company drivers and owner-operators in the U.S. and Canada who provide reliable and safe truck transportation in moving the nation’s goods.

Howell got his start on the family farm at just 14 years old, delivering potatoes to a processor in an old Chevrolet 10-wheeler with a spud bed. He has now driven more than 5 million accident-free miles in his 38-year career.

Horack is a team driver, spending time on the road with his wife, Karla. The pair have been team-driving for 13 years, but Horack got his start in 1983, becoming an owner-operator in the early 1990s.

Runners-up in both categories received checks for $2,500. They are:

• Denny Cravener with Givens Transportation based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
• Robert Cole with Ryder Systems Inc. based in Miami.
• Gene Houchin with Midwest Express LLC based in Grand Island, Nebraska.
• Allen and Sandy Smith leased to National Carriers Inc. based in Irving, Texas.

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Source: freightwaves - TCA names new chairman, winners of fleet, driver awards
Editor: Brian Straight