Fleet insider

ATA Taps U.S. Xpress Executive
Tennessee trucking executive Patrick Quinn is the new chairman of the American Trucking Associations.

Quinn, of Chattanooga, Tenn., is one of the two co-chairmen and founders of U.S. Xpress. The firm operates 5,434 over-the-road and drayage tractors out of its Chattanooga headquarters and 63 terminals and global distribution centers.

Quinn has a long record of advocacy for the trucking industry, including service as the chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association and as an attorney who worked on Interstate Commerce Commission filings related to trucking.

He has also served on ATA’s executive, management, highway policy and communications and image policy committees. He serves on the ATA Litigation Center’s Board of Directors.

The announcement was made Oct. 20 at ATA’s annual management conference and exhibition, held this year in Boston.


Landstar Scholarhips
The Landstar Scholarship Fund has awarded five college scholarships worth a total of $17,500 to children of Landstar agents, employees and other affiliates for the 2005-2006 academic year. The awarded scholars were Kendria Cartledge, K. Matthew Kochan, Dustin Brown, Desiree Hammons and Darvy Mann.


Best 200 Small Companies
Several fleets made Forbe’s list of 200 best small companies.

Knight Transportation placed 82. It’s the company’s 11th inclusion in the annual list; it appeared in the same position in 2004.

The list includes companies with annual revenue between $5 million and $750 million, net profit margins greater than 5 percent and share prices above $5 as of Sept. 29, 2005.

The companies were ranked based on return on equity, sales and EPS growth.

Heartland Express placed 159. It’s the company’s fourth showing on the annual list. Heartland Express placed 95th in 2004.

Marten Transport placed 179. It’s the company’s first inclusion in the annual list.


CFI Drivers of the Month
CFI has announced the monthly driver award recipients for August 2005.

Company Driver of the Month was Richard Norman, who started driving for CFI in 1994.

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Company Team of the Month was Mark and Peggy Dahlberg of Neosho, Mo. They began driving for CFI in 2002.

Contractor Driver of the Month was Ronald Crewe, who began his career with CFI in 1999.

Contractor Team of the Month was Robert and Cecilia Wallraven of Clarksville, Tenn. They began driving for CFI in 1998.


Trucker Buddy of the Month
Ben Robinson is the Multimedia October Trucker buddy of the Month.

Robinson, a company driver for Transport Service out of Loudin, Tenn., sends a weekly postcard describing his travels to Whitney Jamison’s first grade class at New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis, Tenn.

He also sends cards and $5 bills to each of the class’ children on their birthdays.

Robinson adopted the class in July 2004.

Robinson received a personalized jacket, $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of MultiMedia. He also received an IdleAire adaptor, a Koolatron cooler, Donde Publishing’s “For the Long Haul,” a reference guide for drivers, and an Accident Photo pack. The class received a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works.

Find out more about Trucker Buddy by called (800) 692-8339.


Safety Ward
Great West Risk Management gave a Platinum Safety Award to Roehl Transport. The award was based on the company’s accident and safety statistics.


PTL Drivers
Justin Porch is Paschall Truck Lines’ July 2005 Company Driver of the Month. He was also a Driver of the Month in 2003 and 2004, and is a million-mile award winner.

Rudy Melendez is the PTL July Owner-Operator of the Month.


Driving Simulators
Schneider National announced Oct. 11 that it would incorporate a total of 50 of MPRI’s motion-based driver training simulators into its driver-training program over the next two years.

The shift makes Schneider National the largest truckload carrier to incorporate simulation-based training fleet-wide. Schneider will use the simulators at its network of driver training academies located throughout the United States and Canada.

The new program will incorporate both computer and simulation training in order to expose drivers to a broader range of on-the-road scenarios, including driving in inclement weather, handling equipment failures or navigating heavy traffic.

MPRI is a global leader in the supply of ground vehicle and maritime simulation products and services as well as critical incident management and emergency response solutions.


Distinguished Public Service Award
The American Trucking Associations’ Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference presented its distinguished public service award to Wal-Mart Transportation during the 2005 ATA Management Conference and Exhibition, held Oct. 15-18 in Boston.

Wal-Mart Transportation restocked the majority of its stores within days after Hurricane Katrina struck. This enabled them to reopen and operate on a makeshift basis and distribute essential products.

Wal-Mart also shipped beds and supplies to the Houston Astrodome, as well as set up computers at shelters to help evacuees locate their families and fill prescriptions. Within days of the hurricane, all but 13 of its facilities shut down by the storm were up and running. The company found 97 percent of its employees displaced by the storm and offered them jobs at Wal-Marts throughout the country.