Arkansas Trucking Association

ATA Applauds Cotton, Westerman for Supporting Bipartisan Trucking Bill

On March 10, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and Congressman Bruce Westerman along with a group of bipartisan legislators introduced the DRIVE Safe Act. The Arkansas Trucking Association applauds Sen. Cotton and Rep. Westerman for their support of this bill that addresses the growing shortage of professional truck drivers by expanding job opportunities for younger members of the trucking workforce, while also strengthening safety training and technology safeguards for select candidates looking to participate in interstate commerce early in their careers. 

The DRIVE Safe Act addresses a federal regulation that prohibits commercial driver’s license holders under the age of 21 from crossing state lines. Barring safe, professional 18- to 20-year-olds from driving interstate only further exacerbates the significant truck driver shortage, which is expected to worsen as demand for freight transportation increases. Over the next decade, it’s projected that the trucking industry will need to hire an average of nearly 110,000 per year to keep up with demand.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Arkansas Trucking Association plans to award scholarships of up to $7,500 to students interested in pursuing a career as a medium and heavy duty truck technician. Scholarship applications are being accepted now through April 2, 2021.

ATA established the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2017 to encourage growth in the state’s technician workforce and to help assure that the safest, most knowledgeable and skilled technicians are working on the trucks and trailers on our nation’s roads.

This week, the Arkansas Trucking Association is partnering with Project Zero and Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to deliver Christmas gifts to children and teens in foster care across Arkansas.

Over the past few weeks, individuals and businesses adopted wish lists of children in foster care shipped gifts to Project Zero’s “North Pole” in Little Rock. On Friday, Dec. 4, trucking and community volunteers will organize, sort and load the donated gifts onto trucks for delivery throughout the state.

Little Rock, Ark. – In an executive proclamation, Gov. Asa Hutchinson officially declared September 13 - 19 Truck Driver Appreciation Week in Arkansas. The Arkansas Trucking Association, along with American Trucking Associations and the entire trucking industry, is celebrating the millions of professional truck drivers who work each day to deliver America’s freight safely.

“Even as many Arkansans are adjusting to new ways of working, learning, exercising, and even socializing, truck drivers are continuing to do what they do best day-in and day-out—connecting Arkansans to all the things we need to live our lives,” Hutchinson said in the proclamation.

On Monday, August 17, the Arkansas Trucking Association announced the Driver of the Year, Dave Hall, and Safety Professional of the Year, Leslie Stout. Hall is a driver for ABF Freight, a carrier headquartered in Fort Smith. Stout is the director of safety at CalArk International in Little Rock. Both honors were bestowed at the Safety Awards Luncheon during the ATA Annual Business Conference & Vendor Showcase in Rogers, Ark.

The statewide trucking association annually recognizes one driver for their strong and noteworthy professional qualifications, experience and performance and one safety professional for their qualifications, safety program and safety achievements.

Old Dominion Freight Line was honored at Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) Awards Luncheon at the organization’s annual business conference this week in Rogers, Ark.

The association recognized winners in six different categories, as well as an overall grand champion celebrating the safest fleets among the Arkansas Trucking Association member companies.

The Arkansas Trucking Association is pleased to announce the 2020 recipient of the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund. Hugh “Mac” McConnell IV, a recent graduate of Central Arkansas Christian School will receive $7,500 to pursue training for a career in medium/heavy duty truck technology.

“Truck drivers and diesel technicians are essential to the Arkansas economy and way of life. The success of our industry and state depends on a professional, smart, capable, problem-solving workforce,” says Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “We congratulate this year’s scholarship recipient and join in his excitement about the future of technology, trucking and keeping the equipment safe on the roads we all share.”

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is raising the speed limit on highways and interstates. State highway limits will be raised five miles per hour. Interstates inside the city will be 65 MPH and outside, 75 MPH.

Opponents of the increase cited safety concerns, and the Highway Commission has committed to monitor the safety of the motoring public as the speed limits go up.

The American Transportation Research Institute has issued a call for motor carriers to participate in ATRI’s annual update to its Operational Costs of Trucking report.

Now in its 12th year, ATRI’s annual Operational Costs of Trucking collects cost information derived directly from trucking fleets and owner-operators, and is among the most requested ATRI research studies. ATRI’s annual analysis is used as a key benchmarking tool by motor carriers of all sizes. Public sector agencies also utilize ATRI’s real-world data analysis to make better-informed transportation planning and infrastructure investment decisions.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and financial crisis, American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council announced the cancellation of its 2020 national technician championships, SuperTech and FutureTech, which were scheduled to be held this fall.

The annual competitions for trailer and truck technicians as well as technician students are normally held in conjunction with TMC’s fall meeting. The meeting for shop supervisors, maintenance executives, and engineering professionals will now be completely virtual this year on the originally scheduled dates, Sept. 14-17.

On May 18, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her husband, Bryan Sanders, launched a month-long nonprofit program to help struggling state businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Arkansas 30 Day Fund was started to provide forgivable loans for Arkansas-based small businesses so they can meet payroll, preserve healthcare coverage for employees, and save jobs without a lot of red tape, while waiting on federal and state funding.

Qualifying businesses are owned and operated by an Arkansas resident, based in the state and have been operating at lease one year, and employ three to 30 people.