PUB. 4 ISSUE 2 2024 Annual Convention KTA Motor Carrier Spotlight Warner Fertilizer Co. AN INTERVIEW WITH CURTIS BRADLEY
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17 PUB. 4 ISSUE 2 CONTENTS 2025 Event Calendar January 14 January Safety and HR Council Meeting Speaker: Wes Rock and Brent Allred Higginbotham February 11 February Safety and HR Council Meeting March 11 March Safety and HR Council Meeting Speaker: Tracy Stephens M&M Cartage April 8 April Safety and HR Council Meeting Speaker: Lindsey Trent Next Gen Trucking May 9-10 2025 TDC June 19 Annual Golf Classic July 23-25 2025 KTA Annual Conference KTA Staff Rick Taylor President/CEO rtaylor@kytrucking.net Kentucky Trucking Association PO Box 818 Frankfort, KY 40602 (502) 227-0848 kytrucking.net ©2024 Kentucky Trucker is published by The newsLINK Group LLC for the Kentucky Trucking Association (KTA) and is the official publication of this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the KTA, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. The Kentucky Trucker is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of KTA. While Kentucky Trucker encourages a first-print policy; in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. 6 President’s Message Keep On Trucking By Rick Taylor, KTA President 8 KTA Motor Carrier Spotlight Warner Fertilizer Co. An Interview with Curtis Bradley 11 KTA Allied Member Spotlight Truck Parking Club An Interview with Evan Shelly, Co-Founder and CEO 14 KTA Driver Spotlight Richard “Wayne” Crowder Hanging Up the Keys 17 2024 Annual Convention 24 Thank You to Our 2024 Sponsors 26 Staying Safe on the Road This Holiday Season 28 There’s Nothing Without Trucking The Industry That Moves America By ATA 30 Save the Date Mid-America Trucking Show 4 | Kentucky Trucker
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Keep On Trucking By Rick Taylor, KTA President PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Members, As we celebrate the holiday season and the year comes to a close, I want to express my sincere gratitude to you. Your input, engagement and active participation in KTA are what keeps our association strong and successful. And your unwavering dedication to the industry, through good times and bad, keeps America moving. The state of the economy is the industry’s biggest concern right now as 2024 held its fair share of economic challenges. But the outlook for 2025 is looking slightly better. This past October at the ATA Management Conference, Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist, addressed this concern. “We haven’t seen normal since the pre-pandemic. Every cycle is different, this one included,” Costello said. He then shared that the general economy continues to slow, but the probability of a recession remains low as many of the main economic drivers of truck freight won’t get worse, and in some cases, even get a little better. 6 | Kentucky Trucker
Costello went on to say that manufacturing output in the chemical, primary metals, computers, electronic equipment, appliances and transportation equipment sectors would climb at least 2% next year, with the computer segment jumping 6%. Consumer spending on goods rather than services led to part of the issues in 2024. When the world was confined to their homes during the pandemic, the purchasing of consumer goods was at record levels. Once the pandemic ended, people wanted to do things rather than buy goods, so services and experiences were the focus. And as we know, when people are not buying goods, the need for trucking goes down. Record inflation — which has taken a toll on consumer spending — is expected to cool as the Fed continues to decrease interest rates. Costello expects to see better home sales in 2025 with wage growth remaining near historic averages. This means consumers will have more money in their pockets. The positive effects of this change will come, but won’t be immediate. The bad news is the supply sector, specifically smaller trucking companies, will possibly see consolidations and some may even shut down. One-truck owner-operators may need to lease back to another company. But, as demand rises and the supply decreases, it should equal a little better situation. I remain optimistic about the future and am confident that better days lie ahead. As American sports analyst and former football coach, Jimmy Johnson said, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” And, if there’s one thing I know, we, as truckers, are determined, resilient and willing to go that extra mile. No matter what comes our way, we will persevere, adapt and fight for something better. In short, we will keep on trucking. I hope you enjoy reading this issue. Thank you for all that you do to help keep KTA strong. As always, please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns, or if you just want to catch up. I always enjoy hearing from you. Sincerely, Rick Taylor President, KTA Our ASE-certified mechanics provide superior repairs and maintenance for semi-trucks at fair prices. • Complete Truck and Trailer Alignments • Tracking and Tram • DOT Inspections • U-Bolts • Steering Repairs • Frame Alterations • Truck Fabrications • Leaf and Air Springs • Air Ride Suspension Repairs • Fifth Wheels • Wheel Balancing, Tire Replacement and Turning • Drive Axle Repairs and Replacement Medley’s Auto and Truck Repair Services Inc. has two convenient locations in Louisville. CONTACT US TODAY! (502) 459-5740 quote@medleystruck.com medleystruck.com WE GET YOU BACK UP AND RUNNING! Medley’s Auto and Truck Repair Service Inc. Since 1944 Kentucky Trucker | 7
KTA MOTOR CARRIER SPOTLIGHT Warner Fertilizer Co. AN INTERVIEW WITH CURTIS BRADLEY Warner Fertilizer Co. (WFC) was founded in 1965 by C.M. Warner and his three sons, C.V., J.C. and Richard Warner. Located in Somerset, Kentucky, the company manufactured its own fertilizer and sold it bagged and in bulk. Eventually, they expanded to offer crop protection products, field seeds, seed corn, feed and farm supplies along with a number of services including hauling products to location, custom applications, spreader rentals, custom spraying, no-till drill rental, pasture sprayers, soil testing and agronomic consultation. The company’s philosophy to provide a quality product with outstanding service at a fair, competitive price resonated. With its focus on local farmers and catering to the agricultural community, WFC grew quickly and soon had 11 locations throughout southern Kentucky. Over the years, customers have come to rely on their great products and excellent service. In fact, Crop Life Magazine has recognized WFC as a “Top 100 Dealership” for the past 26 years. In March of 2021, WFC was acquired by Demetrios Haseotes, owner of Hemisphere Limited LLC. Demetrios had a long-term strategy for WFC. He wanted to keep the company’s service-oriented mindset and adopt value-added products and services into the existing offerings. That same year, Demetrios hired Curtis Bradley to be WFC’s new general manager. Curtis’s background made him the perfect person to join the company. Growing up, his father was an agricultural chemical salesman, so he was familiar with the business. His grandfather owned a family farm in southeastern Illinois. Curtis looked forward to the times he would visit the farm: “As soon as the car door would open, I would take off running across the yard, jump on a tractor and get behind the wheel. It just fascinated me.” In 1976, his father decided to become a full-time partner on the family farm. Curtis was thrilled when he found out the family was moving there. “I loved the wide-open spaces and the ability to hop on a tractor and go flying across the fields,” he recalled. “There weren’t a lot of people around, and I found value in connecting with nature and animals.” When it came time to go to college, Curtis attended Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. He graduated with a degree in agricultural mechanization and immediately applied it to his family’s farming operation. He also owned a trucking business that moved products for the oil and gas industry. Curtis would purchase the crude oil, and his trucks would pick it up and deliver it to refineries across Illinois and Kentucky. In fact, it was through his trucking business that Curtis first met the new owner of WFC. “I’m very familiar with the trucking business and transportation. I have done it all my life — whether hauling commodities with my farming operation, crude oil or fertilizer — trucking has been a huge part of my life.” Curtis has had his Class A CDL for almost 30 years. It is important to him to keep it up. “As a leader, I understand what it feels like to be behind the wheel and what it takes to operate the equipment. I think that helps me to connect with my employees on a different level,” he said. “I feel my past work prepared me well for where I am today.” Since the acquisition in 2021, there have been many exciting changes at WFC. “We are known for the innovative technology that we’ve implemented,” Curtis said. “We have started using drones to spray crops. Drones can get to places where you can’t take a regular sprayer. It doesn’t matter if it rains and gets muddy, you can just fly right over the field.” WFC invested over $1 million in a specialized computer-controlled blending system called the Declining Weight System at their Somerset branch. “The branch is so efficient now, and it’s able to blend fertilizer so effectively that we can service bigger areas from one location,” Curtis said. “We are doing more with what we have and being more efficient.” Another new addition is the Vector spreader machine that precisely puts the exact amount of fertilizer on each acre. By using soil mapping and 8 | Kentucky Trucker
testing to see what the soil needs, the spreader will put the exact amount of fertilizer right where it is needed so there is no waste. WFC has a sister company called Continental Refining Company located on the opposite side of Somerset. They crush soybeans and use the oil and make biodiesel. The biodiesel is then used in all of the WFC equipment. And yet another sister company, the White Oil Company, distributes and sells the additional biodiesel that was made. That makes for a lot of transporting from here to there. The “doing more with what we have and being more efficient” mindset doesn’t stop there. Once the soybeans are crushed, the soybean meal is left over. That byproduct is then loaded on trucks and transported to locations in Kentucky and beyond and sold to pet food companies, livestock producers and others in the animal nutrition industry. These are the types of value-added services that Demetrios was referring to when he purchased the company and hired Curtis to oversee its growth. Today, WFC has clients across several states, hauling fertilizer to six of them, and the business is still growing. “There are fewer and fewer companies like ours, with so many offerings, and we’re filling in the gaps,” Curtis said. The customers are reaping the benefits from WFCs’ value-added services. Recently, a local farmer used the WFC drone technology to spray fungicide on his crop of corn. The difference in the harvest was noticeable, almost 30 bushels an acre more. Now that’s impressive. Today, there are nine WFC branches and 80+ employees, some are seasonal and quite a few have been there for 10, 20 and even 30+ years. A typical day for Curtis is not typical at all. In addition to being responsible for the day-to-day operations of nine different WFC locations, he is also buying fertilizer from vendors overseas, in Canada and in the U.S., which takes time, planning, logistics and so much more. “The daily operations require me on some days to put out fires and other days to work on projects to better our company. Every day holds something fun, different and exciting,” Curtis explained. “Transportation makes the world go around, it’s such a vital part of our economy and livelihood. I’m thankful to be involved with something that helps support my fellow man. Being a part of transportation and agriculture, which Kentucky Trucker | 9
go hand in hand, is a true blessing.” Curtis continued, “It’s exciting knowing that we’re helping to produce something that’s vital for life and delivering it — we’re making a difference.” Curtis and WFC have been members of the Kentucky Trucking Association (KTA) for around two years. “I was involved with other trucking associations in the past, and it was extremely valuable. I joined KTA and have had a similar experience. They are a great resource when it comes to finding answers,” Curtis said. “There are a lot of particulars in trucking, and we rely on KTA to help us find answers. If they don’t know the answer off-hand, they’ll find out.” About Curtis In addition to working at WFC, Curtis is the vice president of the AgriBusiness Association of Kentucky (ABAK). ABAK represents businesses across Kentucky in different capacities of agriculture, promoting and protecting the industry with a strong, unified voice. For kids who are interested in going into agriculture, ABAK regularly raises money and provides scholarships to help with their education. Curtis has two children: Amanda, who is a sophomore at the University of Southern Indiana, majoring in healthcare administration; and David, who is in his final year of law school at Indiana University, Indianapolis. When he’s not working, he enjoys golf, watching sports, attending car shows and being out in nature. His favorite quote is from Steve Jobs: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” 10 | Kentucky Trucker
KTA ALLIED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Truck Parking Club AN INTERVIEW WITH EVAN SHELLY, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO Truck Parking Club’s mission is to help truckers save time and fuel by finding and instantly reserving truck parking at member properties across the nation. This is accomplished with technology that connects truckers looking for parking with property owners who have extra space on their properties suitable for truck parking. With a network of instantly reservable hourly, daily, weekly and monthly truck parking locations throughout the U.S. — and a goal to help truckers find parking in 10 minutes or less — the Truck Parking Club is giving hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars back to the trucker per year. Evan Shelly, the co-founder and CEO, came up with the idea in 2021. While working on a real estate deal, Evan found a piece of property that was zoned industrial, and he was looking at all the different opportunities of how he could develop it. Truck parking was one of the options that came up and he decided that he was going to move forward with the idea. When Evan approached the local municipality with the idea of truck parking, he was told that they would not support it. After some back and forth, with no resolution, Evan thought to himself, “Something’s going on here. Everyone I’m talking to is saying there needs to be more truck parking. There’s a lot of demand for it. It’s a good investment.” Through that process, Evan found out about the truck parking shortage and learned how difficult it is to build more truck parking across the U.S. for various reasons. Evan started talking to stakeholders, logistics and trucking companies and ultimately decided that it was tough to scale a business where there were a lot of different forces fighting against the idea of building more truck parking. He came up with truck parking clubs as a marketplace solution to the issue. By leveraging existing space — like an unused yard at a trucking company, a tow truck company or a truck repair shop — this setup bypassed a lot of the issues that come with brand-new parcels being turned into truck parking. They’re Kentucky Trucker | 11
already parking trucks and trailers; they’re just not in the business of truck parking. With that, the Truck Parking Club was created. With current locations in 43 states, and four to five new locations added per day, the company plans to be in all of the lower 48 very soon and in all 50 states at some point in the near future. By attending association events and conferences, truck shows, and staying active on social media, Evan and his team have been able to stay in front of enough property owners to keep the momentum going. In fact, the other day, Evan was at an ATA event, and a gentleman approached him and said, “Hey, how are you? I met you the other day at the KTA event.” That is the kind of new relationship that Evan hopes to continue creating. “We are the only company that’s ever built out a truck parking marketplace that’s gotten to a scale of this size,” said Evan. “We really differentiate ourselves by executing and growing out the company while delivering a great experience to drivers every time they use us.” With 866 locations and 20,000+ spaces, tens of thousands of drivers are using the Truck Parking Club to find reserved parking. Now that’s a success story. Being on the road, day in and day out and keeping to a tight delivery schedule can take a toll on truckers, especially if there are parking issues. The Truck Parking Club knows this and so it offers a 24/7 customer service line to help answer questions and assist drivers with any problems should they arise. Every member of the customer care team is a former driver who has their CDL. They understand what it means to be on the road and how important safe, convenient parking is to the industry. The customer care team takes their job seriously. A good example of this happened just after the company opened. Tracy was hired as the first member of the team. She took a call from a new driver who had no time left on the clock for the day. The driver said, “I’m freaking out. I think you guys 12 | Kentucky Trucker
To learn more about the Truck Parking Club, please scan the QR codes below. About Truck Parking Club https://youtu.be/8-LTQALTkMU How To Find and Reserve Truck Parking https://youtu.be/6mq4aMyJB6g How To Add and Manage Your Property https://youtu.be/SzoAWZ9e28M have a location close to me. Can you just talk to me and help me get to the location?” Tracy stayed on the phone for almost 30 minutes, guiding the driver turn by turn until they arrived safely at the location. Going the extra mile, Tracy went ahead and took care of the parking fee just to let the driver know how much she and the company cared. “We do stuff like that on a daily basis,” said Evan. “Just making sure the driver is taken care of and going above and beyond is what it is about.” The Truck Parking Club provides a different, higher standard for the trucking industry because, all too often, drivers don’t get treated well when it comes to customer service. Many of the calls that the customer care team receives are from drivers who are new to the app. “There’s skepticism, especially amongst drivers, as this can be a predatory industry as a whole. So, we do our part of talking through the functions of the app and answering any questions drivers might have,” said Evan. The app is easy to download and even easier to use. There is no monthly or yearly fee, simply pay per use right on the app. Even better, parking spots can be booked ahead of time, taking the headache and worry out of if and when there might be a spot open. This up-and-coming tech company has certainly set itself apart by offering convenience, compassion and understanding to the men and women it serves. The words of Sam Walton come to mind when best describing the company: “There’s only one boss, the customer.” About Evan Evan was born and raised in Kentucky. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Kentucky and also has a minor in Spanish and a Bachelor of Arts from Transylvania University. Today, he calls Chattanooga, Tennessee, home, but has never forgotten his roots. As a leader of a growing tech company, he takes great care in creating a culture of caring that ultimately drives the company mission of helping truckers save time and fuel by efficiently finding or reserving truck parking across the U.S. Everything he does is framed around that. Through this journey of creating a company, Evan has learned just how incredibly impactful and important drivers are on the economy and the supply chain. “I have a lot of respect for drivers, those that take on this not-so-easy career, especially over-the-road drivers,” he said. “I hope we are making their jobs just a little bit easier.” Kentucky Trucker | 13
KTA DRIVER SPOTLIGHT Richard “Wayne” Crowder HANGING UP THE KEYS After 41 years behind the wheel and a total of 4.2 million miles logged, Richard “Wayne” Crowder is retiring his CB handle, RC, and hanging up the keys. Some people fall into their careers, finding their place after a long, windy road. For Wayne, however, he always felt drawn to this industry. “As a kid, I always wanted to be a truck driver. I can’t tell you how many times I went to California from Kentucky on the front porch of my house while playing trucks,” Wayne said with a smile. “This is just what I wanted to do. I always wanted to drive a truck.” Around the age of 19, Wayne bought a used truck from Frito Lay, painted it and embarked on the journey he felt destined for. Recalling his first trip from Louisville, Kentucky, to Jersey City, New Jersey, “When I got to Jersey City, I thought to myself, ‘What was I thinking? What have I done?’ But here I am 41 years later, getting ready to hang the keys up, it’s been a pretty good ride,” Wayne said. Wayne delivered various loads from automotive parts to diapers, baby formula and first-aid kits. Even though he started out by hauling smaller loads, he had an understanding of the importance of his work — keeping cars running and babies fed and cleaned. In 1994, Wayne started driving for FedEx Freight, known at the time as “American Freightways.” As a FedEx Freight driver, Wayne frequently found himself hauling loads weighing around 30,000 or more pounds of freight every day, over long distances. He quickly learned to know everything about his equipment and adapt to the environment in order to drive safely on the road. And to this day, he lives by this motto: Safety by choice, not by chance. In 2004, a friend of Wayne’s, Bill Haycraft, approached Wayne with a stack of filled-out paperwork and asked Wayne to sign it. “What am I signing?” Wayne asked Bill. “Just sign the paper,” Bill told him. So Wayne signed his name and found out that he had just signed up for the Truck Driving Championships (TDC) competition. Wayne did not think that he had what it took to compete, but Bill saw something that he didn’t see in himself. Thrown into the competition, Wayne depended on help from his peers to teach him what to do and eventually help him towards victory. With a win 14 | Kentucky Trucker
under his belt, Wayne went on to win the Rookie of the Year at the National Truck Driving Championships competition in Salt Lake City. Additionally, Wayne became, and still is, the only rookie who has ever won Grand Champion at the NTDC. Then, in 2007, Wayne was nominated for and became captain of the ATA’s Americas Road Team. Charles Henry, a notable mentor of Wayne’s, was one of the big components that helped America’s Road Team get its start in 1986. Charles helped guide and support Wayne through that exciting experience. The trucking industry isn’t all competition and fun, and it’s not the type of job that people always love at the beginning. “Just say you take 100 people. I don’t care about walks of life. I don’t care where they come from. Give them everything they need to get a CDL license and wait one year, you might have 10 drivers left,” said Wayne. “Being a trucker is not for everyone, but when you can make it work, you can have a great career.” Though Wayne has been fortunate to love his career, it has seen many changes and, with that, challenges. “People are living longer, they’re driving longer. You’re sharing the roads with about five different generations,” Wayne said. “And, with today’s generation, everything is immediately at their hand-held — everything’s fast-going. It’s a different generation and a different type of thought process when you’re on the road. Like they say in the trucking industry, ‘When it gets tough, you just adapt, and you move forward.’ So it’s just more traffic, it’s taking a little longer to do your runs now, and there’s a lot more construction going on. You learn to have patience and just stay away from everybody. What I want to do every day is get back home safe to my family and that’s what I want everybody else around me to do.” Trucking is not an easy career. It can be dangerous, dodging lousy weather while hauling thousands of pounds for hours. It’s always important to remember, especially on the hard days, what you like about your career. Wayne’s answer is straightforward: It’s just him and the open road. He speaks highly of the independent nature of the job and the opportunity to get out and see changing landscapes every day, rather than be confined in an office. “My office is a window. I get to look out the window, and nobody’s looking over my shoulder.” A career of this length did not come without the help of many mentors, friends and the support of FedEx, and Wayne has given back to the industry through his own mentorship. “I love mentoring people in TDC,” said Wayne. “I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor America’s Road Team. I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor the FedEx Freight Road Team. Sometimes I enjoy that more than I enjoy competing. I get more out of the self-satisfaction of mentoring or trying to help people get involved.” In his mentoring, Wayne has always sought to relay a message of authenticity and professionalism. “If you’re going to do it, do it 100%,” he tells them. “Leave the team better than it Kentucky Trucker | 15
Nothing Without Trucking recently featured Wayne’s story in its Reels. To watch the video, scan the QR code. https://www.facebook.com/reel/ 515513907978784 was when you got on. Get involved to make a difference.” Wayne has certainly followed his own advice and has made an incredible difference in the trucking industry. Those who have blessed the trucking industry, like Wayne, have helped to lead the industry forward to where it is today. However, a major issue in the industry is the aging workforce and lack of incoming drivers to satisfy the demand. “Even those who are outside of the industry should appreciate how vital trucking is to the U.S. economy, and should, therefore, care deeply about the mentorship and recruiting that can secure the industry with a bright future,” said Wayne. Even so, Wayne can look back on his career knowing that he made a difference, truly leaving the team — and the industry — better than he found it. 31 years after joining FedEx, Wayne can proudly look back on his successful career. “I’ve been very fortunate to make a very good living for myself and my family,” he said. Longevity within a company certainly speaks well for an employee, as well as the company itself. “I appreciate the culture of FedEx. You know, it’s a big corporation, but I never felt like a number, it’s a pretty tight-knit family,” said Wayne. In honor of Wayne’s long and prestigious career, the American Trucking Association recently announced the creation of a new award, the “Crowder Cup.” This award will be given to future captains of America’s Road Team who reach the extraordinary standard that Wayne has set for future generations. With his well-deserved retirement just around the corner, Wayne looks forward to enjoying time with his wife, Kandy, visiting their three children and spending time on the beaches of Florida. We wish Wayne well on his next adventure as he trades in his 18-wheeler for a 1955 Chevy Bel Air. Congratulations, Wayne. Drive safely into the sunset! Wayne Crowder and the Kentucky TDC Team receiving the 2017 ATA National TDC Team Championship. No Hills Too Steep — No Ditches Too Deep We’ll Be on the Go — Rain Sleet or Snow Truck Repair • Air Bag Recovery • Landoll Transport Secure Storage • Crane Service • Long Distance Towing Fleet Management • Equipment Sales Phone: (502) 426-4100 Fax: (502) 425-4050 tonyswreckerservice.com Louisville’s Oldest Wrecker Service with over 87 years of Towing and Recovery Engineering 16 | Kentucky Trucker
2024 Annual Convention Thank you to all those who attended the 2024 Annual Conference. We had such a wonderful time connecting with you and networking. For those who were unable to attend, please plan on attending next year at Dale Hallow State Lake on July 23-25, 2025. In review, below is the list of speakers and their topics. If you would like to connect with them, please reach out to Rick and he can get you connected. Kentucky Trucker | 17
Day One • Jerry Ogle, Marvin Johnson and Associates, discussed Accident/Incident Management. Day Two • Dennis Dellinger, ATA Vice President and President of Cargo Transport, discussed Battery Electric Commercial Vehicles/Independent Contractors/Employee Classification. • James Burd, Partner of Wilson Elser, discussed The Reptile Theory. • Billy Hill, Hill Transportation Services Inc., discussed Third-Party Billing by Fire Departments. Day Three • Austin Hall and Scott Binzer, Cummins Inc., discussed Cummins’ HELM Fuel Agnostic Engine Platform. • Sujit Kunwor, McLeod Software, discussed Transforming Trucking with Artificial Intelligence. • Travis Burgett, HHO Carbon Clean Systems, discussed The Issues Caused by Carbon Buildup and Different Strategies for Mitigating Those Issues. Along with our amazing speakers, we were also able to honor our 2024 Fleet Safety Award winners and recognize our 2024 All Event Sponsors. 2024 KTA & Great West Casualty Fleet Safety Awards Industrial Safety Award • 1 to 100 employees: Bulk First LLC • 101 to 300 employees: Rogers Trucking Company • 301 or more employees: Usher Transport Inc. Less Than Truckload (LTL) Division: 0 to 10 Million Miles • ABF Freight Less Than Truckload (LTL) Division: Greater than 10 Million Miles • 1st: Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. • 2nd: FedEx Freight Inc. Tank Truck Division • 1st: Key Oil Company • 2nd: Usher Transport Truckload Division: 0 to 3 Million Miles • 1st: Rogers Trucking Company • 2nd: Sazerac Transportation LLC Truckload Division Greater than 3 Million Miles • Walmart Transportation Flatbed Division • 1st: Mercer Transportation • 2nd: Hill Transportation Services Inc. Safety Professional of the Year • Dylan West, Key Oil Company “Dylan West, as a fuel driver, caught my attention. He would ‘pop’ in after his hauls were done to ask questions and inquire about referrals, recruiting and other safety-related topics. All his interests were in line with self-improvement and the improvement of the company as a whole. When the Safety Training Manager position reopened in 2021, he was the first to apply. Dylan was a perfect fit for training because his credentials exceeded those of the new ELDT Regs. He got right to it: recruiting, orientation, driver observations, coaching and retraining, to the point where all locations are manned at 100%. Since 2022, his efforts have played a major role in the success of Key Oil obtaining two ‘best of’ awards from our Captive, as well as the KTA Fleet Safety Award. All trucks are manned. Hiring is at an all-time low, retention has never been higher. His vision of training in the future helped develop our in-house Mobil Training Lab; Driving Simulator. This will involve drivers in simulated risk environments so they will recognize risk as we see it,” said David Murphy, Safety Director at Keystops LLC. Driver of the Year • Mr. Gerald Wrinkle, Walmart Transportation Fleet Safety Grand Champion • Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. Thank you to all our sponsors and to all who attended the KTA Annual Conference. We are excited to see you in 2025! 18 | Kentucky Trucker
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To view more photos from the event, scan the QR code. https://www.flickr.com/ photos/200691930@N03/ with/53733077642 22 | Kentucky Trucker
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Staying Safe on the Road This Holiday Season With all the cheerfulness of the holiday season, the transportation industry is at full force with shipping and delivering all those holiday packages and groceries along with fuel and medicine. This presents drivers with additional challenges with more deliveries and increased traffic on the road — along with tighter delivery times, longer time behind the wheel, and heavier congestion on the roads and highways. Additionally, drivers must take into consideration the deteriorating weather conditions. This can lead to the driver being rerouted, which causes shipment delays and increases operational costs for the motor carrier. Roads are more dangerous during the holiday season due to societal pressure of “being ready for the holidays.” These expectations cause motorists to increase their speed and become more distracted by using their cell phones, eating in the car, looking in the mirror and interacting with passengers. There is a 10% increase in speeding events before Christmas, with a 32% spike in crashes on Christmas Day. Hazardous weather plays a part in this with 65.5% of Christmas Day crashes occurring on wet, snowy or icy roads. To stay safe, it is important to maintain focus on the road and prepare for both the holiday season and the winter weather. 26 | Kentucky Trucker
Along with general road safety, the commercial transportation industry must take extra care in the prevention of fraud and theft in the holiday season. Cargo theft has surged 49% within the first half of 2024 and is expected to increase going into the holiday season. These incidents often occur at unsecured facilities or when trucks are left unattended during deliveries. Besides cargo theft, fuel card theft has presented itself as a rising issue accounting for 5% of current fleet spend on fuel. To stay safe, it is important to maintain focus on the road and prepare for both the holiday season and the winter weather. Snow and ice are known to make the roads slippery, which reduces traction and makes it harder to control your vehicle. Also, the winter weather can reduce visibility, which makes it difficult to see other vehicles, road signs and other potential hazards. Chilly weather has a deep impact on your vehicle, causing the battery to lose power, the oil to thicken and tire pressure to drop. Prior to taking the road, it is important for all motorists to be assured that their vehicle is in top condition to avoid problems on the road. If an incident were to happen, it is a good idea to keep a winter driving kit in your vehicle, including a snow brush, ice scraper, shovel, jumper cable and a blanket. Overall, stay alert and be aware of your surroundings while taking the road during the holiday season. Drive slowly and carefully, as road safety is no accident. Kentucky Trucker | 27
There’s Nothing Without Trucking THE INDUSTRY THAT MOVES AMERICA By ATA Every morning, as you sip your coffee, flip on the lights and prepare for the day, the trucking industry has already touched your life in countless ways. From the coffee beans delivered to your local grocery store, to the lightbulbs keeping your home bright, and even the gas in your car — truck drivers were instrumental in ensuring you have access to the essentials. It’s a simple truth: without trucking, America would come to a standstill. It’s a fact of life too often overlooked. ATA’s new campaign, Nothing Without Trucking, aims to remind Americans across the country of that pivotal role that trucking plays in our daily lives. By elevating the importance and enhancing the image of trucking in the public eye, our campaign seeks to mobilize a broad base of appreciation and support for our industry nationwide. Trucking is the invisible backbone of the U.S. economy. The 8.5 million hardworking Americans employed in the industry connect rural communities to urban centers, farmers to grocery stores and manufacturers to consumers. Each year, truck drivers transport more than 11 billion tons of freight, representing more than 72% of the domestic tonnage. Every truck has a story to tell, and behind every delivery is a complex network of professionals — men and women from all walks of life — working together across a broad spectrum of disciplines to get goods where they need to be, securely and on time. The drivers behind the wheel, technicians on the shop floor, dispatchers in the office and fleet managers overseeing operations are all committed to a shared mission: keeping our country connected. Nothing Without Trucking will highlight their experiences, putting a human face on the industry that Americans depend on most to receive their goods. These personal stories are the beating heart of our campaign. This campaign will also tell the story of how our industry has evolved and innovated over the decades to uphold the values of safety, environmental responsibility and efficiency. Trucking has no higher priority than preventing highway accidents, which is why the industry proactively invests $14 billion in training and technology every year. Today’s trucks come equipped with advanced safety technologies like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning systems, forward collision and blind spot warnings, and 28 | Kentucky Trucker
Trucking drives everything. It has made America what it is today, and it will retain this central role into the future. Because, in truth, there’s nothing without trucking. more. These crash-prevention measures help professional truck drivers safely navigate America’s vast and often congested roadways. The industry has also made enormous strides in reducing our environmental impact. Through innovation and collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Greenhouse Gas Regulations in 2011 and 2016, the industry has cut CO2 emissions by 1.37 billion tons and put us on track to reduce oil consumption by 2.5 billion barrels by 2027. It would take 60 of today’s clean-diesel trucks to produce the particulate matter and NOx emissions of a single truck built in 1988. It’s easy to forget how interconnected our country truly is. The fresh produce available in a supermarket in New York may have traveled from California; medical supplies crucial for hospitals in rural areas may have come from advanced research hubs. Trucking makes these logistical feats a reality. Without trucking, factories could not produce, store shelves would be bare, everyday necessities would not arrive on doorsteps and the economy would grind to a halt. In a world where convenience is often taken for granted, it’s important to pause and recognize the vital role that trucking plays. So, the next time you buy groceries, fill your tank with gas, or order a package online, remember — none of it would be possible without the trucks on the road and the hardworking individuals who drive them. We need everyone in the trucking industry to get involved, spread this message and show their support for America’s trucking industry. You can get started by visiting nothingwithouttrucking.com, following us on social media and sharing your own stories. Trucking drives everything. It has made America what it is today, and it will retain this central role into the future. Because, in truth, there’s nothing without trucking. Kentucky Trucker | 29
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