Page 48 - ATR 5 2020 digital

 John Younker accepts the Grand
Champion safety award for Old Dominion
Freight Line
 Road Team Captains Dave Hall (ABF Freight), Weston Mars (FedEx Freight), Loren
Hatfield (ABF Freight), Danny Fuller (XPO Logistics), and Rodney Ashbrook (ABF
Freight)

Every year, everyone on-site wears name Handshakes were replaced with
badges to make it easy to network and waves, even for awards ceremony pho-
avoid those awkward encounters when tos. Staff set up a separate no-contact
your mind betrays you and you forget photo station for winners to take
someone’s name the moment after they unmasked photo with their awards. The
introduce themselves. To make it easy planning was intended to maintain as
to identify people from a safe distance much pomp and circumstance for the
and with faces covered in masks, names people and companies who did out-
were printed in the largest type size standing work last year, while also keep-
possible. ing the industry’s best assets safe.
In July, Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued
a mask mandate that requires everyone THE PEOPLE
over the age of 10 to wear a face mask Because ultimately, the gallons
both indoors and outdoors when it’s of hand sanitizer are a tool to make
not possible to keep a distance from the true mission of annual conference  ABF Freight’s Dave Hall is recognized
people outside one’s household. So all possible in an impossible year, and the as the 2019 Driver of the Year
attendees were asked to mask up when true mission is the people in trucking.
not eating or drinking during the event. Recognizing them, commiserating with
Since a mask requirement and good them, celebrating with them, learn-
planning are only as effective as the ing from them and protecting them—
behavior of human beings, ATA staff behind the wheel or behind a mask.
added one more item to the dress code ATA President Shannon Newton
to account for the unpredictability of welcomed attendees to the first lun-
attendees: wristbands. cheon in this unusual gathering and
Upon registration, every guest named the safest professionals and
chose a colored wristband to signal to fleets. Winners included Driver of the
other attendees their comfort-level. Red Year Dave Hall of ABF Freight, and
wristbands for extra-cautious guests Safety Professional of the Year, Leslie
who took advantage of every hand sani- Stout of CalArk International. Old
tizing station. Yellow wristbands indi- Dominion Freight Line received the
cated a “proceed with caution” attitude. overall grand champion award with  Blake Eddins (Eddins & Associates)
And green wristbands for those who and Al Heringer IV (Star Transportation,
LLC)
were “ready to network”. 
48 Issue 5 2020 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT