Award-Winning Magazine of the Arkansas Trucking Association
Arkansas Trucking Report is owned by the Arkansas Trucking Association, Inc. and is published bimonthly by Matthews Publishing Group. For additional copies, to order reprints of individual articles or to become a subscriber to ATR, contact Caitlin Walraven at 501.372.3462.
publisher
JENNIFER MATTHEWS-DRAKE Matthews Publishing Group
jennifer@matthewspublishing.com executive editor
SHANNON NEWTON
managing editor BETHANY MAY
contributing writers
brawnersteve@mac.com
JENNIFER BARNETT REED
jbreed13@gmail.com ERIC FRANCIS
eric.francis@
yahoo.com KELLY CARGILL CROW
kellyccrow@gmail.com JIM HARRIS
jimharris@arktimes.com art director JON D. KENNEDY
The Freelance Co. LLC,
freelanceco@comcast.net production editors
SARAH SHEETS, KATIE THOMASON, DAVID O’NEAL illustrator
BRENT BENNETT
brentdraw@att.net photographers
JON D. KENNEDY, BOB OCKEN, JOHN DAVID PITTMAN
And the better news? The list of divisive issues for Americans is long, but infrastructure is not on that list. Pres.-elect Trump has promised to invest $1 trillion into repairing and improving the highways, bridges, railways and airports and to do it ourselves: “Buy American and hire American.” And everyone, no matter who you voted for, wants to see if and how he can do it.
www.arkansastrucking.com president
SHANNON SAMPLES NEWTON
shannonnewton@arkansastrucking.com director of operations
SARAH NEWMAN SHEETS
sarahsheets@arkansastrucking.com
director of safety services DAVID O’NEAL
davidoneal@arkansastrucking.com
communications coordinator BETHANY MAY
bethanymay@arkansastrucking.com
corporate services coordinator KATIE THOMASON
katiethomason@arkansastrucking.com
executive assistant CAITLIN WALRAVEN
caitlinwalraven@arkansastrucking.com
Stallion Transportation Group President & CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MARR LYNN BEARDEN Marrlin Transit, Inc. President
Central States Manufacturing, Inc. Transportation Director
TravelCenters of America Vice President Fleet Sales
GREG CARMAN Carman, Inc. President
P.A.M. Transportation Services, Inc. President & CEO
Executive Vice President & COO AL HERINGER IV
Star Transportation, Inc. Vice President
Loggins Logistics, Inc. President & CEO
Vice President - Transportation Distribution
Distribution Solutions, Inc. CEO, Owner
MIKE MCNUTT Tyson Foods, Inc. ROB LYALL JEFF LOGGINS J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. CRAIG HARPER DAN CUSHMAN CARL BOJA ALLEN BERRY
Morris Transportation, Inc. President
Executive Vice President & COO TRACY ROSSER
Walmart Transportation Senior Vice President
Wayne Smith Trucking, Inc. President
VICKI JONES STEPHENS C.C. Jones, Inc. President
President - Trucking
MHC Kenworth of Little Rock Branch Manager
University of Central Arkansas Associate Professor of Logistics
STEVE WILLIAMS Maverick USA
Chairman & CEO
An affiliate of the American Trucking Associations
Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) is an Arkansas corporation of trucking companies, private carrier fleets and businesses which serve or supply the trucking industry. ATA serves these companies as a governmental affairs representative before legislative, regulatory and executive branches of government on issues that affect the trucking industry. The organization also provides public relations services, workers’ compensation insurance, operational services and serves as a forum for industry meetings and membership relations. For information, contact ATA at: 1401 West Capitol, Suite 185 Post Office Box 3476 (72203) Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Phone 501.372.3462 Fax 501.376.1810
www.arkansastrucking.com
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 6 2016 DOUG VOSS
President & CEO TODD VENABLE
TIM THORNE ABF Freight
By the time you’re reading this, we’ll know if that rider was passed by Congress and 2017 will look bright for our industry on Capitol Hill. A new president, who is committed to renovating trucking’s primary workplace, will be inaugurated; a long battle over hours- of-service regulation will be behind us; a pro-business administration will be moving into the White House with plans for making America great again; and we’ll have two years before we have to see another campaign commercial. I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to me.
MARTIN TEWARI USA Truck
WAYNE SMITH FedEx Freight PAT REED MARK MORRIS
It’s promising that not only do both parties find Chao qualified but that she has relationships with trucking. American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear worked closely with her in the Department of Labor and trusts her experience and understanding of the issues we face.
Even more good news for trucking is that we may soon see the hours-of-service fix that we’ve educated our legislators about and lobbied for 11 months. The December Continuing Resolution to fund the government includes language that would keep the hours-of-service requirements for drivers in place, as the FAST Act originally intended.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD G.E. “BUTCH” RICE III
This is especially true with the announcement of Elaine Chao’s nomination for the Secretary of Transportation. While other cabinet nominations have been side-eyed and criticized and launched 400,000 signature petitions, Chao, the Secretary of Labor under the George W. Bush administration, has been lauded by democrats like Vice President Joe Biden and republicans like House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) as a strong, experienced choice to make good on Trump’s infrastructure promises.
Politico’s Infrastructure Survey found that eighty percent of registered voters agreed that passing an infrastructure bill should be a “top” or “important priority for the federal government.” There’s more consensus for the urgency of fixing roads than there was for either candidate because a collapsing bridge doesn’t care whose name is on your bumper sticker.
Change and uncertainty can be both scary and exciting depending on who you ask, but if the question is directed at trucking, there is an eagerness for the new year and the opportunity to work with a new administration.
STEVE BRAWNER
rmiller@rescue18wheeler.com LACEY THACKER
angelaejthomas@yahoo.com TODD TRAUB
toddtraub@centurytel.net
lacey@laceythacker.com ANGELA THOMAS
RENEE MILLER TIDINGS OF GREAT NEWS
The bad news first: We saw everyone’s ugliest side over the last 18 months as candidates fought for competing solutions to problems in the economy, foreign policy, the environment, protecting human rights, but mostly with each other. It is apparent that Americans are still divided on an awful lot.
But the good news is the election and the time for talking about hypothetical policy is over. The countdown to enacting real policy and delivering campaign promises has begun.
UP FRONT
Shannon Newton
Drivers Legal Plan Drivers Legal Plan
President, Arkansas Trucking Association 7
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