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Award-Winning Regional Journal 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 kelly crow at 501.372.3462.
publisher TrUckINg’S NExT TraNSformaTIoN
JENNIFER mATThEWS KIdd
matthews Publishing Group There are pivotal crossroads in the evolution of every industry. In
jennifer@matthewspublishing.com
communications director & managing editor trucking’s case, most would agree that 1980 marked such a critical
KELLY CARGILL CROW
kelly@matthewspublishing.com juncture; the year Congress deregulated the trucking industry.
executive editor
LANE KIdd
contributing writers Nothing was the same after deregulation. Of the 50 largest U.S.
art director
STEVE BRAWNER TOdd TRAUB trucking companies in 1979, only two remain today and ABF Freight
brawnersteve@mac.com toddtraub@centurtel.net
SAm EIFLING JIm hARRIS System in Fort Smith, Arkansas is one of them. But deregulation
sameifling@gmail.com jimharris9692@sbcglobal.net
J.K. JONES ERIC FRANCIS
jkjeditor@yahoo.com eric.francis@yahoo.com spawned a wave of new entrepreneurial trucking and transportation
JOhN SChULz JENNIFER BARNETT REEd
jdschulz@aol.com jbreed13@gmail.com companies that today comprise the most efficient distribution system in the world.
JON d. KENNEdY, Deregulation transformed trucking for the better.
The Freelance Co. LLC
freelanceco@comcast.net
production editor Other major transformations would follow—the commercial driver’s license, the creation
ShANNON NEWTON
ad production of a federal agency to improve the industry’s safety performance and the list goes on. But,
dEAh ChISENhALL, dUSTY TOWNSENd
illustrator again, these events transformed the industry for the better.
BRENT BENNETT
brentdraw@cox.net
photographers Now we have another. The president just signed legislation nobody thought possible—a
JON d. KENNEdY, BOB OCKEN, KELLY CARGILL CROW
comprehensive transportation bill that will spend more than $105 billion over the next two
years on roads, bridges, infrastructure and other highway related safety measures.
Contained within this legislation are two motor carrier safety requirements. Arkansas
www.arkansastrucking.com
president Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, Republican Congressman Rick Crawford and their
LANE KIdd
lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com expert staffs deserve much of the credit. They are an example of how bipartisan politics
vice president
ShANNON SAmPLES NEWTON should work.
shannonnewton@arkansastrucking.com
director of operations
SARAh NEWmAN ShEETS Supported by the Arkansas Trucking Association, Pryor introduced “The Safe Roads Act” to
sarahsheets@arkansastrucking.com
communications director & managing editor create a national clearinghouse of persons who test positive on required drug and alcohol
KELLY CARGILL CROW
kellycrow@arkansastrucking.com exams. This database will help ensure we keep drug abusers out of our trucks and off
executive assistant
SARA AdAmS our nation’s highways. Crawford introduced the same legislation in the House and it was
saraadams@arkansastrucking.com
administrative assistant successfully incorporated into the transportation bill.
STEPhANIE VERdELL
stephanieverdell@arkansastrucking.com
ChAIRmAN OF ThE BOARd Pryor also introduced “The Commercial Motor Carrier Driver Compliance Act” that
GARY SALISBURY
Fikes Truck Line requires electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all commercial trucks. We supported
President & CEO
BOARd OF dIRECTORS the legislation from the outset. Some in trucking were slow to come around. Others
mARR LYNN BEARdEN mARK mORRIS
marrlin Transit, Inc. morris Transportation, Inc.
President President never did. But the measure eventually sailed through the Senate and was included in the
ALLEN BERRY dR. JOhN OzmENT
Central States manufacturing, Inc. U of A/Walton College of Business transportation bill that went to the House for consideration.
Transportation director Chair of Transportation
GREG CARmAN PAT REEd
Carman, Inc. FedEx Freight
President Executive Vice President & COO In the House, the EOBR proposal was not without its opponents. Stirred up by
dAN CUShmAN G.E. “BUTCh” RICE III
P.A.m. Transportation Services, Inc. Stallion Transportation Group independents who don’t want anybody looking over their shoulder, some congressmen
President & CEO President & CEO
CRAIG hARPER ROY SLAGLE objected. But congressmen were hard-pressed to find any legitimate reason to defeat it.
J.B. hunt Transport, Inc. ABF Freight System, Inc.
Executive Vice President & COO President & CEO
AL hERINGER IV JEFF SmITh And in bipartisan fashion, when Pryor’s EOBR measure ran up against some pushback,
Star Transportation, Inc. Utility Tri-State, Inc.
Vice President President Crawford, a conferee on the bill, defended the device as simply a tool for law enforcement.
BLUE KEENE WAYNE SmITh
Tyson Foods, Inc. Wayne Smith Trucking, Inc.
Transportation director President In the end, common sense ruled the day. Now, EOBRs will record the time a driver actually
SCOTT mANChESTER VICKI JONES STEPhENS
Truck Centers of Arkansas C.C. Jones, Inc.
Vice President, Truck Sales President operates his truck—protecting the motoring public in the process. And drug users will find
mIKE mCNUTT ChRIS SULTEmEIER
distribution Solutions, Inc. Walmart Transportation it next to impossible to operate a commercial truck on our highways.
CEO, Owner Senior Vice President
ROdNEY mILLS STEVE WILLIAmS
USA Truck, Inc. maverick USA Trucking is now poised for its next transformation—one that will improve highway safety,
Vice President & General Counsel Chairman & CEO
verify compliance and rid itself of companies that cheat to compete. A drug and alcohol
an affiliate of the american Trucking
associations clearinghouse and an EOBR requirement on all commercial trucks—these will transform
Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) is an Arkansas corporation of trucking trucking as we know it—and both for the better.
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 Lane Kidd
Post Office Box 3476 (72203) Drivers Legal Plan
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 President, Arkansas Trucking Association
Phone 501.372.3462 Fax 501.376.1810
www.arkansastrucking.com lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com
Drivers Legal Plan
aRkansas TRucking RePoRT | issue 3 2012 7