steps can be taken. More than once when discussing
driver-specific issues, Thompson pauses briefly before adding a comment indica- tive of his feelings about drivers. “Like I said, it’s a profession. It takes skill. Just anybody can’t do it.”
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFETY His desk is large, but Thompson’s
presence fills the space behind it. He’s wearing slacks and a polo, and rotates in his chair just slightly, clucking his tongue as he tries to recall the name of the course he was instructing when he met the now-president of the ATA, Shannon Newton. He finally dials Shannon’s number, certain she’ll recall the name of the class. As soon as she answers, the name jumps to his mind, but they exchange a brief volley of good- natured ribbing to justify the call. The course in question, Highway
Watch, was developed after 9-11 to teach commercial truck drivers what
“THAT’S WHAT WE DO. OUR MEN AND WOMEN OUT HERE SAVE LIVES EVERYDAY, THEY JUST DON’T SEE IT. IT’S NOT LIKE WHEN AN OFFICER COMES UPON AN ACCIDENT AND PERFORMS CPR OR DELIVERS A CHILD ON THE INTERSTATE. THE UNSAFE VEHICLES THEY GET OFF THE ROADWAY SAVE LIVES, TOO.”
to look out for in order to assist law enforcement in identifying pos- sible threats. It was his interaction with Shannon during this course that cemented his, and therefore the Highway Police’s, relationship with the ATA. “She’s a very respected profession- al. When I started teaching Highway Watch, which she was overseeing, I think we just connected and under- stood each other. If I need something, I know she’ll help me, and if she calls me, I’m going to do everything I can to help her. We’ve just got the same vision on a lot of things.”
Coming together with the Arkansas
Trucking Association for a yearly com- petition held in Rogers also plays a strong role in reinforcing the relation- ship between the Highway Police and the ATA. While many states had been hav-
ing their own inspectors’ competition for years, it was in 2003 that the lack of one in Arkansas was pointed out. While representing Arkansas at the North American Inspectors Championship that same year, at which he received the John Youngblood Award of Excellence,
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 4 2016
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