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UP froNt

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 katie Thomason at
501.372.3462. thE PoWEr of associatioN coNtiNUEs
publisher
JENNIFER mATThEWS KIdd
matthews Publishing Group, jennifer@matthewspublishing.com
executive editor By lane kidd, shannon Newton and sarah sheets
LANE KIdd
STEVE BRAWNER JOhN SChULz
brawnersteve@mac.com jdschulz@aol.com
ERIC FRANCIS TOdd TRAUB The ‘power of association’ is a phrase we often use to describe how the Arkansas
eric.francis@yahoo.com toddtraub@centurytel.net
JENNIFER BARNETT REEd SPENCER WATSON Trucking Association (ATA) has consistently performed for its member companies.
jbreed13@gmail.com sswatson@gmail.com
Simply put, the power of association is about leveraging the collective strengths of
contributing writers
art director
JON d. KENNEdy individual companies. Conversely, the power of association describes the benefits that
The Freelance Co. LLC, freelanceco@comcast.net
production editor accrue to individual companies from the collective knowledge of the whole.
ShANNON NEWTON
ad production
dEAh ChISENhALL, mARIA TEETER-WALKER, dUSTy TOWNSENd
illustrator In other words, it’s all about strength in numbers. And when you consider the
BRENT BENNETT
brentdraw@att.net companies ATA represents are among the best in the business, well, consider us the
photographers
JON d. KENNEdy, BOB OCKEN, JOhN dAVId PITTmAN Olympians of associations.
Think about the largest and most profitable freight transportation companies in
the United States. For their entire management prowess and all they do well, the
www.arkansastrucking.com business and economic climates in which those large companies operate would be
president
LANE KIdd much different if associations didn’t represent their interests—and so would their
lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com
vice president profitability.
ShANNON SAmPLES NEWTON
shannonnewton@arkansastrucking.com
director of operations
SARAh NEWmAN ShEETS
sarahsheets@arkansastrucking.com Now, there are some executives who would doubt the truth of that statement. They
public relations coordinator
JULIA hAmRA consider themselves and their companies to be effective on their own. But consider
juliahamra@arkansastrucking.com
executive assistant one flat screen TV made in China. How many factors affect that TV from production
KATIE ThOmASON
katiethomason@arkansastrucking.com to consumer?
special projects assistant
TAmARA ROBINSON
tamararobinson@arkansastrucking.com
ChAIRmAN OF ThE BOARd The loading and unloading requirements in international, national, state and local
GARy SALISBURy
Fikes Truck Line
President & CEO protocol; clearances, labor laws, rules and regulations; national and state taxes and
BOARd OF dIRECTORS
fees, all of these factors affect a transportation company’s cost of doing business.
mARR LyNN BEARdEN mARK mORRIS
marrlin Transit, Inc. morris Transportation, Inc. Individual companies can muster little effect on the structure, systems, costs or
President President
ALLEN BERRy dR. JOhN OzmENT compliance with any of these.
Central States manufacturing, Inc. U of A/Walton College of Business
Transportation director Chair of Transportation
GREG CARmAN PAT REEd
Carman, Inc. FedEx Freight
President Executive Vice President & COO If companies sit on the sideline, they simply respond to what is given them. If they are
dAN CUShmAN G.E. “BUTCh” RICE III
P.A.m. Transportation Services, Inc. Stallion Transportation Group involved in associations, they can help shape the process and determine the outcomes
President & CEO President & CEO
CRAIG hARPER TRACy ROSSER
J.B. hunt Transport, Inc. Walmart Transportation before concerns become all-out crises.
Executive Vice President & COO Senior Vice President
AL hERINGER IV ROy SLAGLE
Star Transportation, Inc. ABF Freight System, Inc.
Vice President President & CEO Associations can also facilitate industry growth—either by eliminating barriers, saving
BLUE KEENE JEFF SmITh
Tyson Foods, Inc. Utility Tri-State, Inc.
Transportation director President money or creating new opportunities for their industry. All companies, large and
SCOTT mANChESTER WAyNE SmITh
Truck Centers of Arkansas Wayne Smith Trucking, Inc. small, benefit.
Vice President, Truck Sales President
mIKE mCNUTT VICKI JONES STEPhENS
distribution Solutions, Inc. C.C. Jones, Inc.
CEO, Owner President

ROdNEy mILLS STEVE WILLIAmS The power of association also spreads knowledge and wisdom. Information shared
USA Truck, Inc. maverick USA
Vice President & General Counsel Chairman & CEO on the common issues experienced by all companies makes the whole industry more
efficient. Everyone wins… or at least everyone who participates in the process.
an affiliate of the american Trucking
associations Not all companies participate, and unfortunately for them, it’s often reflected in their
Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) is an Arkansas corporation of trucking
companies, private carrier fleets and businesses which serve or supply the lack of success. It’s fairly simple. If you want to be a winner, hang around winners.
trucking industry. ATA serves these companies as a governmental affairs
representative before legislative, regulatory and executive branches of That’s why the executives of some of the largest and most successful companies
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. network with each other—at the ATA’s meetings, forums and councils.
For information, contact ATA at:
1401 West Capitol, Suite 185
Post Office Box 3476 (72203) Drivers Legal Plan
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone 501.372.3462 Fax 501.376.1810
www.arkansastrucking.com  46
Drivers Legal Plan
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