Page 44 - ATR 2 2012 web 2

back to the future

Council pairs industry veterans with the next generation of leadership

By kelly cargill crow

Managing Editor
“i thiNk the older geNeratioN respects the
Trucking’s impact on the U.S. job formal educatioN the youNger geNeratioN
market is as vast as the big-rigs that briNgs iNto the workforce, aNd iN
occupy its highways. From Alexander
Winton’s invention of the semi-truck traNsportatioN specifically.”
in 1898, to the 26.8 million trucks on —brad NortoN,
the roads today; trucking has become regioNal traNsportaioN director,
ingrained in American economics. walmart traNsportatioN
It’s an industry of family-owned
businesses handed down from one
generation to the next. But it’s also an CEO of Alliance Leadership. specialties: safety, operations, pricing,
industry of MBAs and corporate execu- And vice versa, young execs are recruitment, TL, LTL.
tives who manage high-tech logistics taking cues from the veteran executives “Originally we did a survey to map
companies in which trucks are just with groups like the Arkansas Trucking out the format and topics,” Newton
one component of an elaborate freight Association (ATA) 40 Under 40 Council. said. “Because our group is so diverse, it
matrix. The industry is in the throes Created in October 2009, the 40 is a challenge to present something that
of a transition as more and more Baby Under 40 Council was formed as a way is applicable to everyone. Thus far, we
Boomers ready for retirement. The to cultivate new, young executives of have focused our meetings on how to
future of the industry under the leader- member companies and acclimate them make you a more informed and effec-
ship of those in their 20s, 30s and 40s to the intricacies of the trucking world tive executive in the industry.”
is beginning to take shape. as well as the dynamics of the associa- Meeting quarterly, the Council
Generations, like people, have per- tion. brings in guest speakers to discuss
sonalities. According to a study by the “While I was at an ATA meeting, leadership, politics, the industry and
Pew Research Center, the Millenials I looked around the room and noticed the association. Some past speak-
(ages 18-30) and the Gen Xers (ages representation of the younger gen- ers include ATA President Lane Kidd;
30-45) are the most ethnically diverse, erations was lacking,” said Shannon Dan Cushman, president of P.A.M.
politically progressive, educated (espe- Newton, ATA vice president and council Transport; Craig Harper, executive
cially the women) and electronically liasion. “I knew if we didn’t do some- vice president of J.B. Hunt; Wes Kemp,
adept generations in history. And those thing, we were going to look around in recently retired president of ABF Freight
traits grow stronger with each coming 10 years and nobody would be there.” System, Inc.; Pat Reed, executive vice
generation. So with the approval of the ATA president of FedExFreight; Dr. Fitz Hill,
Businesses like Alliance Leadership Board of Directors, the 40 Under 40 president of Arkansas Baptist College
are evolving to aid execs in acclimat- Council was formed. Council members and political consultant Bill Vickery.
ing Millennials and Gen Xers into the must be nominated by an ATA carrier “A big part of our goal was to
corporate environment. “Companies member. Once approved by the Board of bridge the gap between those who grew
that invest in learning and development Directors, the individual can remain on up in the industry and those who hap-
programs designed specifically with the the council until he or she turns 40. pened into it,” Newton said. “In their
Millennials in mind will find that they The council is currently made offices, they’re charged with whatever
have a strategic business advantage in up of 30 transportation professionals tasks their job entails, so they’re not
their most valuable asset—their employ- under the age of 40. Collectively they
ees,” said Carolyn Mehran, founder and represent 17 companies and a myriad of 

44 ArkAnSAS trucking report | issue 2 2012