Jim Mullen on leading TCA through trucking's 'law and order' era and a freight market turn
KISSIMMEE, Florida—Jim Mullen is replacing Jim Ward as president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) in early April. How will Mullen use his deep trucking industry experience—as a former major carrier executive, past FMCSA acting administrator, and leader in autonomous trucking and the Clean Freight Coalition—to guide the truckload sector through a massive regulatory shift and hopeful freight recession rebound?
FleetOwner's Josh Fisher sat down with Mullen at TCA's Truckload 2026 to discuss his "360-degree" perspective and his strategy for navigating trucking's new era of enforcement and economic recovery.
Catch this episode of The Fleet Lead podcast here or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app.
Timestamps:
- 0:40 - Industry sentiment
- 4:15 - Career background
- 7:30 - Lobbying and regulatory relations
- 10:30 - Impact of enforcement
- 13:20 - Hours of Service (HOS) pilot
- 16:00 - Clean Freight Coalition's future
- 24:20 - Autonomous technology
- 27:50 - Advice for carriers
A technician conducts testing on a Detroit diesel engine at Daimler Trucks' Detroit Manufacturing Plant.
Mileage or home time? Understanding driver retention tradeoffs in today’s truckingAbout the Author
Josh FisherJosh Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief Josh Fisher has been with FleetOwner since 2017. He covers everything from modern fleet management to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucking, alternative fuels and powertrains, regulations, and emerging transportation technology. Based in Maryland, he writes the Lane Shift Ahead column about the changing North American transportation landscape.