PHOENIX. Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) will continue as the sole sponsor of America’s Road Team in 2011, the OEM announced this week at the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) Management Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix. “A premier trucking industry safety outreach program,” according to VTNA, “America’s Road Team uses professional drivers with outstanding driving records to deliver messages about highway safety and the essentiality of trucking.”
“All of us at Volvo Trucks are very proud to continue as the sole sponsor of America’s Road Team,” said Ron Huibers, VTNA senior vp of sales & marketing. “We believe this is one of the most important and effective highway safety efforts out there.”
America’s Road Team was founded by ATA. The members of the team are known as Captains, and many of them have accumulated millions of miles of accident-free driving in their careers. Frequently referred to as ambassadors for the U.S. trucking industry, the Captains undergo a rigorous selection process to become part of the Road Team.
Each year, the Captains speak to hundreds of groups of lawmakers, government officials, students and regulators as well as other truck drivers. Their presentations include safe driving tips and highway safety information, with much of their material based on their own experiences, as well as the importance of trucking to the American economy.
The Captains frequently use a Volvo VN tractor, donated by VTNA, to pull a trailer extensively outfitted as a mobile presentation unit, allowing them to more effectively deliver their messages wherever they go.
“The Road Team Captains are out there every day, talking to everyone from members of Congress to school kids,” Huibers said. “Our industry couldn’t ask for better ambassadors. The Road Team Captains’ sincere commitment to making our roadways safer is directly in-line with Volvo’s own core value of safety,” he added.
