Page 26 - ATR 3 2014 web

“We are allowing lawyers to attack are encouraged to dress professionally from HUmBLe Beginnings
our industry,” he said during an inter- head to toe “like they’re going to work Loggins learned his values and
view in his office. “You don’t see them for themselves” and to try to conduct habits while growing up on a 120-acre
out there putting up billboards and themselves in a courteous manner. soybean farm in Corning, Ark. His par-
attacking manufacturing plants or any- “I tell them all the time, ‘Look, I ents divorced when he was three years
body else, but they’re personally attack- have family out there, you have family old, and most of his siblings, all older,
ing the trucking industry, and I take it out there, so back off the tailgate. Let’s were farmed out to relatives. His father,
personally because it’s been good to me stop that. Get rid of all the shark teeth Kenneth Loggins, raised him and his
and my family.” radiator grill covers and clean yourself sister until Loggins was in the sixth
Improving the industry’s image has up. The mud flaps with the chrome grade, when he married his second
become a passion for Loggins. In addi- naked ladies on them, just get all that wife, Goldie, who had two sons. “He
tion to the commercial, his trucking stuff off your truck.’ After a guy pulls made us work,” Loggins said of his dad.
company sponsors softball and Little in here three or four times and I’m con- “He made us understand what life was
League teams in neighboring commu- stantly on him about something on his about.”
nities Corning and Truman. Working was a part
He spoke to the entire student of his daily routine. By the
body at Corning Elementary time he was 10 or 11, he
School, where his granddaugh- was hauling grain into town
ter, Makayla, was a student. driving his dad’s pickup
For 45 minutes, he showed truck. He spent a summer
them driver safety films, talked picking fruit in Michigan to
about motor vehicle safety, and earn $600 to pay for his first
offered lessons in life. pickup, a used 1964 Ford.
“The thing I was trying to In high school, he stocked
hammer home to them was, shelves at a Fred’s discount
number one, respect every- store after school. “I mowed
body,” he said. “It doesn’t mat- yards as a kid,” he said. “I
ter what job they’re doing or remember I mowed one guy’s
how they’re doing it, it takes yard, and boy, he taught me
everybody to make it work. And how to do it right because
I told them it didn’t matter he wouldn’t pay me until
what they wanted to be in life, I’d redo what he thought I
to always give 100 percent, and katie thomason of ATA presents loggins with the 2013 should have done right the
to work hard and to treat people Corporate Fleet Safety Award for Intermediate Carrier Flatbed first time. He worked me
with respect, and you’ll make it. division hard that day on a little bitty
And then of course I was trying yard, but I earned that $10.”
to shine a positive light on the trucking truck, then usually he takes it off,” he As graduation from high school
industry and showing that we’re not as laughed. neared in 1979, his father, who was
bad as our image seems to be.” Shannon Newton, ATA’s president, selling the farm, asked him about his
It’s not just lawyers and the news appreciates the effort. She said Loggins plans. Loggins was sure he didn’t want
media that contribute to the motor car- “has been a champion for reaching out to farm, so he mentioned college as a
rier industry’s bad public relations, he and trying to improve the image of the possibility. Kenneth said he didn’t have
said. The industry also is at fault for let- trucking industry.” any money saved. “Well, Fred’s says they
ting it get to this point. “Do we have an “It certainly multiplies our efforts,” have a management program. I’ll just go
image problem? Absolutely we do. There she said. “We have so many members into it,” Loggins said.
were too many trucking companies dur- all over the state, and if each one could And that’s what he did. Fred’s
ing the ‘80s and ‘90s, that were just fill- do something to contribute to the posi- was growing quickly, and Loggins was
ing up the trucks with bodies, and those tive image and make their neighbors hired to travel town to town opening
happened to be the wrong bodies to be and friends and communities aware new stores. He briefly managed a store
driving our trucks,” he said. of the positive things that the industry in Searcy at age 21 and then returned
Loggins counsels his 110 flatbed is doing, that helps the association. It to the road opening new stores. He
owner-operators to consider how their elevates the industry and makes all of enjoyed the excitement of traveling to a
actions will reflect on the company our jobs easier.” new city, meeting new people, staying
and the industry. Owner-operators for three months, and then repeating

26 ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014