Captains of America’s Road Team announced

The American Trucking Assns. (ATA) has announced the Captains of its America’s Road Team for 2013-2014. The drivers, all with premier safety records, will spend the next two years representing the trucking industry and delivering its highway safety message to the motoring public.

The 19 captains have a collective 453 years of experience and over 30.1 million accident-free miles. They were selected from a group of 32 finalists who competed this week before a panel of judges from the trucking industry and related fields. The competition included a review of trucking industry expertise and a demonstration of their communication skills, combined with their community service and lifetime safety records.

“America's Road Team represents the best our industry has to offer: pride, professionalism and dedication to making our highways safer for all who travel them,” said Bill Graves, ATA president & CEO. “Today as we honor our newest Captains, I want to congratulate not just these fine individuals, but all those hardworking drivers who strive every day to deliver America's most essential goods safely and efficiently.”

ATA created America’s Road Team in 1986. It is supported by Volvo Trucks North America.

“It’s an honor to welcome and congratulate the professional drivers who will be serving as Captains of the 2013-2014 America’s Road Team,” said Göran Nyberg, Volvo Trucks president, North American sales & marketing. "They are outstanding representatives for the trucking industry. Volvo Trucks also thanks the companies who support these drivers and the America’s Road Team program.”

While maintaining their jobs as full-time professional drivers, the new America’s Road Team Captains will now travel the country speaking on behalf of the trucking industry to the community, news media and public officials. The Captains will address transportation and safety issues, speaking at community events and anywhere they can reach the motoring public to share safe driving tips and offer advice on how to safely share the road with tractor-trailers.

To be nominated to serve as a Road Team Captain, the candidates must be employed as a company driver or leased owner-operator by a full-dues-paying member of ATA. Each nominee must have an excellent safety record and demonstrate an ability to communicate a commitment to safety and professionalism.

The 2013-2014 America’s Road Team Captains