Page 30 - ATR 1 2013

“i would Tell you, mosT of The iNdusTry is more ThaN happy To
share aNd does NoT View safeTy as proprieTary. we doN’T TalK abouT
cusTomers, raTes or sTraTegy, buT we will TalK abouT how To maKe
highways safer, maKe The iNdusTry beTTer parTNers wiTh The public.”

—greer woodruff, sVp-corporaTe safeTy aNd securiTy, J.b. huNT TraNsporT

enjoy watching him play and excel and without him.” hour,” he said. “There’s research going
getting to know the other players and In his years working on safety on to determine the cost-benefit of gov-
families on the team.” for J.B. Hunt and, more recently, with erning commercial motor vehicles.”
The Woodruffs are active in their the Trucking Alliance’s efforts in What that top speed should be is
neighborhood group and their church, Washington, D.C., Woodruff has taken debatable, he acknowledged, and one
Fellowship Bible in Lowell. He has been to heart two of the great revelations that needs to find broad agreement
on mission trips to Haiti and Ghana about safety within the industry. The within the industry. Finding that con-
with the church, and the younger sons first of those is there’s no point in keep- sensus will be the challenge. “I think
will be making mission trips this year ing safety’s best practices a secret. the industry’s position now is looking
(their parents will take the opportunity “I would tell you, most of the at 65 mph as the maximum governed
to go skiing). Through a ministry called industry is more than happy to share speed,” he said. “I don’t disagree with
Wet Cement, Amy works with a pre- and does not view safety as proprietary,” that. But again, I think speed could be
school girl who stays with the family Woodruff said. “We don’t talk about debated; whether or not we should use
one day a week, and Woodruff says he customers, rates or strategy, but we will the technology available on commercial
feels fortunate to be able to be part of talk about how to make highways safer, vehicles today at low or no cost, I think
that with her. make the industry better partners with we ought to agree.”
the public. We do collaborate a lot.” There are other federal issues:
NaTIoNal INflUENCE The other revelation, which some Increasing the minimum level of
Lane Kidd, ATA president, says of his industry colleagues were a little liability insurance a carrier should
Woodruff’s dedication to safety is evi- slower to accept, is that there is such a be required to carry from the current
dent when looking at his recent work thing as a good government regulation. $750,000 to something considerably
with the Trucking Alliance, a coali- “I noticed there were a lot of people higher and allowing a trucking com-
tion of five trucking companies (J.B. who were being very reactionary to pany to utilize hair testing rather than
Hunt Transport, Schneider National, what the government regulations were. relying on a urinalysis for drug testing
Maverick Transportation, Knight I don’t like always being on defense; I should be recognized by the federal
Transportation and Fikes Truck Line) want to play offense sometimes. So I government, which it currently does
that were successful last summer in began to think about what the areas not do.
pressing for federal legislation that will were where we need to tell the govern- Woodruff believes firmly that by
require electronic on-board recorders ment how they can help us, and let’s constantly finding ways to improve the
(EOBRs) on all commercial trucks by stop waiting on them to tell us what we quality of drivers, the transportation
2015. need to do. industry will see its safety record and
“Greer was a primary force in “The Alliance is now working on public reputation improve in step.
building the momentum we needed to five major safety initiatives but the “The fact is,” he explained, “my
pass the EOBR mandate,” said Kidd, EOBR mandate is a key to improving family shares the road with our drivers
who also serves as the senior manager safety in the industry,” he said. and the drivers of all the other trucking
for the Alliance. “He has credibility Woodruff also believes the indus- companies, just like every other mem-
with safety groups, with the DOT and try must slow down its speed on the ber of the public does. I have a vested
with the companies that make elec- nation’s highways. “It’s foolish to allow interest to not only make my company
tronic logging devices. He was actively a commercial motor vehicle that will as safe and profitable as it can be, but I
engaged in working with them to keep power 80,000 pounds of cargo weight also want the highways as safe as pos-
everybody on the same page. I’m not on our highways to roll off an assembly sible for my family and everyone else’s
sure we would have been successful line [and be able to] go 90 miles an family, too.”

30 arKanSaS truCKing report | issue 1 2013