Nashville, Tennessee:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has bestowed its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award on Tom Kretsinger, Jr., chairman of the board and CEO for American Central Transport (ACT) of Liberty, Missouri, and a former chairman of TCA from 2013-14. The presentation took place a few weeks ago at a special dinner in Kretsinger’s honor in Kansas City, Missouri. He was recognized again at the Annual Convention on March 27 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1981, after passing his bar exam, Kretsinger followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by joining the family law firm, Kretsinger & Kretsinger. The company had specialized in motor carrier law since the 1930s. In 1998, he joined ACT as general counsel and has since held several roles, including president, before being named to his current title. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from William Jewell College and a juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He also attended Harlaxton College in Grantham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, from 1976-1977.

Besides serving TCA as chairman, he has held numerous other positions with the organization, including executive committee member and board member, treasurer, and trustee for the TCA Scholarship Fund.

For the American Trucking Associations (ATA), Kretsinger has chaired the Litigation Center and has been a member of the ATA executive committee and board of directors. He is vice chairman of the ATA Labor and Regulatory Policy Committee and a member of the Highway Policy Committee, the Revenue Committee, and the ATA Strategic Planning Process Steering Committee.

Kretsinger is also the past chairman of the Missouri Trucking Association. He was recently honored with Missouri’s Frank Campbell Award for service to the industry. He is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the Transportation Lawyers Association.

A speaker, panelist, and writer for the trucking industry, he and his wife, Jo, reside in Kansas City, Missouri, and have four children and four grandchildren.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has bestowed its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award on Dan England, chairman of the board for C.R. England, Inc., of Salt Lake City, Utah, and a former chairman of TCA from 1997-98. The presentation took place at this morning’s general session, part of the Annual Convention taking place until March 9 at the Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

C.R. England was originally established in 1920 as a one-man trucking company. Today, it utilizes more than 7,500 drivers and employees, who provide transportation services throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Overall, the C.R. England umbrella comprises 35 different business units and $1.3 billion in annual revenues. C.R. England is a privately held, family company, operated by third- and fourth-generation members of the England family—grandchildren and great-grandchildren of founder Chester England.

Dan England earned a bachelor’s in political science (1971) and a juris doctorate (1974), both from the University of Utah. In 1974, he entered private law practice, where he specialized in insurance litigation and transportation. In 1977, he joined the family business and became in-house legal counsel. In 1982, England was promoted to general manager, a position he held until 1988, when he became CEO. He was elected chairman of the board in 2005.

England has been very active in TCA throughout the years. Besides chairing the organization and holding several officer positions leading up to his chairmanship, he participated in numerous committees and chaired the organization’s Refrigerated and Company Equipment divisions. He is also a former chairman of the American Trucking Associations and the Utah Trucking Association.

His community service portfolio includes membership on the Select Health Board of Trustees and the board of Intermountain Donor Services. He currently serves on the National Advisory Boards of the University of Utah and the David Eccles School of Business. During his tenure at C.R. England, Dan has developed relationships with various community programs such as the Utah Food Bank Services, Granite Education Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Kissimmee, Florida:

Earlier today, during its convention at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) posthumously named John Kaburick as the 2015 recipient of its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award. Kaburick was a former TCA chairman from 2010-11 and the president and owner of Earl L. Henderson Trucking Co., of Salem, Illinois.
John’s wife Carolyn, and son Josh, TCA’s Scholarship Fund chairman and the chief executive officer at Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company, accepted the award on John’s behalf.

The Past Chairmen’s award is the highest honor given by TCA. It goes to a leader who has made a significant contribution to the business community, the trucking industry, and the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the awardee does NOT have to be a past chairman of the association.

John started his trucking career as an owner operator with just one truck in 1973. Two years later, he and a partner launched a small trucking company that quickly grew to a fleet of 30 trucks. In 1977, he decided to leave the trucking company to work as a salesman for a local truck dealership. This position helped build an extensive network of friends and contacts within the industry. It was 1990 when a long-time customer made John an offer he could not refuse – ownership of Earl L. Henderson Trucking. Since then, under John’s leadership, the company has grown from 125 power units to 400.

After acquiring Henderson, which was already a TCA member, Kaburick became active in the association through a variety of committees and eventually became an officer of the Refrigerated Division and later the chairman of the Association. While John’s role in TCA had grown steadily over the years, he had also been actively involved in the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Illinois Transportation Association.

After John’s unexpected death in April, 2014, his many trucking industry friends and colleagues wanted a permanent way to honor his memory. Within just a few days, funds were collected to fully endow a new Past Chairman John Kaburick Scholarship, to be given annually to a student affiliated with the truckload industry.

“John was truly an icon within the trucking family,” said Brad Bentley, TCA’s president. “On both the state and national levels, he was fully committed to the industry that he loved so much. He generously gave his time, his effort, and his money. I only wish we could present this award to him in person.”

Grapevine, Texas:

Yesterday, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced that it has presented its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award to Robert (Bob) Baylor, president of Baylor Trucking, Inc., Milan, Indiana.

Cari Baylor, Bob’s daughter, and the vice president of Baylor Trucking, was present at TCA’s annual convention to thank the organization for the honor, which had been previously bestowed February 11, 2014, at a special dinner in Baylor’s honor in Naples, Florida. She said that her father was humbled by the award.

The Past Chairmen’s award is the highest honor given by TCA. It goes to a leader who has made a significant contribution to the business community, the trucking industry, and the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the awardee does NOT have to be a past chairman of the association.

Baylor Trucking, Inc., is a family-owned transportation provider that was founded by Bob’s father, Chester, in 1946. The company operates a dry van and refrigerated fleet that serves all areas of the United States. Baylor joined the business in 1975, helping to transform the company from a handful of trucks to more than 300 power units today.

Baylor has been described as “extremely active with industry associations.” He has served on TCA’s Executive Committee for more than 15 years and is a past secretary and at-large officer (twice). He served for several years as a trustee for the organization’s Scholarship Fund and has participated in TCA’s Highway Policy Committee, Independent Contractor Practices Policy Committee, Retention & Recruitment Human Resources Group, Small Carrier Management Panel, School Committee, and other bodies.

He has also served on the board of directors and Nominating Committee for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and was the Indiana vice president to ATA. Within his home state, he is a past chairman of the Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA) and a member of its Executive Committee. He was recently honored with IMTA’s 2013 Founders Award recognizing those who distinguish themselves in the industry by their actions.

When it comes to politics, Baylor is a passionate advocate for industry safety and innovation for transportation issues. He spends several weeks in Washington, D.C. annually, working on regulatory and policy issues with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and other government entities to ensure that the industry’s essentiality and commitment to safety is understood.

“Bob is someone who is always there… always participating… always giving of himself. For example, for six years he has ensured that his company donated wreaths free-of-charge as part of National Wreaths Across America Day, a program that TCA strongly supports,” said Tom Kretsinger, Jr., TCA’s 2013-14 chairman and the president of American Central Transport, Inc., Liberty, Missouri. “Over the years, he has spent countless hours reading through our scholarship applications, attending our conventions, and lending his voice to help shape TCA’s policies and programs. He has been a tremendous asset to us and to the entire trucking industry, and is a worthy recipient of TCA’s highest honor.”

Las Vegas, Nevada:

Each year, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) presents its Past Chairmen’s Award to an industry leader who has made a significant contribution to the business community, the industry and the organization. The 2013 recipient is Don H. Freymiller, founder and chairman of the board for Freymiller Trucking, a family-owned and operated company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Freymiller Trucking specializes in transporting temperature-controlled and time-sensitive products throughout the contiguous United States.

The award was presented March 5th during the association’s Annual Convention, held at the Wynn Las Vegas. The Past Chairmen’s award is the highest honor given by the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the awardee does NOT have to be a past chairman of the association.

In 1964, Freymiller began his career hauling cattle in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, to supplement his income as a dairy farmer. He bought a single cattle truck in 1968 and the following year sold all of his farm equipment to become a full-time truck driver. He eventually focused on hauling refrigerated products between California and Chicago.

By 1980, Freymiller Trucking had grown to 56 trucks, and the company headquarters were relocated to Bakersfield, California. By 1994, the number of trucks had increased to 826, it employed more than 1,200 people, and operations were relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the company is headquartered today.

Under the awardee’s leadership (and with the contributions of his family and employees), Freymiller Trucking has developed a long tradition of customer satisfaction, a commitment to safety, and a willingness to incorporate new technology into its business operations. The company has always emphasized safety; its recognitions include being named a TCA National Fleet Safety Award division winner 11 times in the last 30 years. Freymiller has also placed in the Oklahoma Trucking Association’s fleet safety awards several times.

Freymiller is a past chairman of the Interstate Truckload Carriers Conference (1990-91) and a past chairman of the Interstate Carriers Conference Refrigerated Division (1986-87). He has also participated in TCA’s Highway Policy Committee, Carrier/Shipper Relations Committee, and the “Improving Efficiency on the Docks” Management Panel. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and a past board member for the ATA Foundation. He also belongs to Rotary International.

“I have to say that Don Freymiller is a charismatic leader and strong driver advocate who built an excellent company from the ground up. Over the years, he’s readily stepped forward to share the lessons he has learned throughout his career with people or organizations that might benefit from his knowledge. He’s a true ‘trucker’,” said Robert Low, TCA’s 2011-12 chairman and the founder and president of Prime, Inc., Springfield, Missouri. “In fact, he’s the role model that every trucker aspires to be.”

Kissimmee, Florida:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has presented its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award posthumously to Patrick E. Quinn, co-chairman and president of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., Chattanooga, Tennessee. Max Fuller, co-chairman and CEO of the company, accepted the award on Quinn’s behalf. The ceremony took place March 6 during the association’s Annual Convention, held at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Past Chairmen’s Award is given to recognized industry leaders who make significant contributions to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. It is the highest honor given by the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the recipient of the award does NOT have to be a past chairman of the association.

Quinn dedicated his entire professional career to the motor carrier industry. Educated as a lawyer, he specialized in transportation law for several years until joining Southwest Motor Freight, where he rose to the position of executive vice president and general manager. In 1985, he founded U.S. Xpress along with business partner Max Fuller, co-chairman and CEO. It eventually grew from a 48-truck start-up operation to become one of the nation’s largest privately owned truckload carriers.

As a trucking leader, Quinn was very active in TCA, most notably serving as the organization’s chairman from 2001-2002. He served on numerous association committees, including Regulatory Policy, Highway Policy, Carrier/Shipper Relations, Independent Contractor Practices Policy, Financial Oversight & Long-Range Planning, among others. He also participated in TCA’s Shipper/Receiver Management Panel and the Improving Efficiency at the Docks Management Panel.

Quinn served a year as chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) from October 2005 to October 2006, and then volunteered to stay on as chairman for another eight months following the unexpected passing of ATA’s chairman-elect, C.J. “Mac” McCormick, III. While Quinn was at the helm of ATA, he earned a senatorial appointment to serve as a Department of Transportation commissioner on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission. He was also a member of ATA’s Image & Communications Committee and helped develop the plan for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, now a successful annual event celebrating the work of truck drivers throughout the country.

In 1997, Quinn received the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Nebraska. He served on the Trade & Transportation Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as well as the board of trustees at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.

“There’s no question that Pat Quinn made a huge impact on trucking during his many, many years of industry involvement,” said Gary Salisbury, outgoing chairman of TCA and the president and chief executive officer of Fikes Truck Line, Inc., Hope, Arkansas. “His name was synonymous with trucking. I only wish we could have presented our highest honor to him while he was still with us.”

San Diego, California:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) is pleased to announce that its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award has been awarded to Rocque D. Dameo, president of Dameo Trucking, Inc., of Bridgewater, New Jersey. The presentation ceremony took place on March 15, 2011, during the association’s Annual Awards Banquet, held at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

The Past Chairmen’s award is given to recognize industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. It is the highest honor given by the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the awardee does NOT have to be a past chairman of the association.

Dameo studied at Syracuse University and in 1957 graduated with a degree in transportation (now logistics). He became president of his family’s trucking business in 1965 and has held leadership positions with many different trucking organizations over the course of his lengthy career.

In the 1960’s, Dameo was a board member of the Contract Carriers Conference (CCC) and was on the team that promulgated the merger of the CCC with the Common Carrier Conference – Irregular Route (CCC-IR). This new entity became the Interstate Carriers Conference and then the Interstate Truckload Carriers Conference before finally changing its name to the Truckload Carriers Association in 1997. Dameo served TCA and its predecessors in many capacities, including executive board member, board member, and Truckload Academy board member. He chaired the Small Carrier Management Panel several times.

In Dameo’s home state of New Jersey, his company has been a member of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association (NJMTA) for more than 50 years. His personal involvement has included serving as both secretary and treasurer. He is a past member of NJMTA’s executive committee and board of directors and is the current vice president representing NJMTA to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), a position he has held since 1977.

As a member of the ATA, Dameo served as chairman of the Insurance Task Force during the 1980’s insurance crisis and was chairman of the Small Carriers Advisory Committee for four years. He is now a board member for the Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference after serving as secretary for four years. He also served on the Few Committee that planned the reorganization of the ATA in 1985.

Outside of the trucking industry, Dameo has been involved in local and county affairs for many years. He was a long-time member and president of the Rotary Club of Somerville, as well as an active member of the Somerset County Parks Commission, where he served as its president and as a commissioner for the past 30 years. He currently serves as the chairman of the Somerset County Parks Foundation. He also sits on the board of the Franklin Advisory Committee to the Whitman School of Business at Syracuse University.

Dameo was a founding member of the 200 Club of Somerset County, a citizens’ organization dedicated to assisting the widows and children of county police, fire, and rescue personnel who are killed in the line of duty. He is a founding member of the Bridgewater, New Jersey, Operation Cooperation, an organization that facilitates police and business working together to solve local problems. He is also a board member of the Somerset County Crime Stoppers, an organization that promotes positive action from the community in deterring crime and helping to bring lawbreakers to justice.

Dameo is a commercial instrument-rated pilot with more than 6,000 hours of logged flight time. He earned his National Ski Patrol appointment in 1970 and served as a volunteer in New Jersey and Vermont for 22 years. He is now a Life Member.

“TCA owes a debt of gratitude to Rocque Dameo for his influence during our early years when the organization was in its infancy,” said John Kaburick, outgoing chairman of TCA and the president of Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company, Salem, Illinois. “He clearly loves the trucking industry and has worked tirelessly to ensure its success on many levels. We can think of no better person to receive TCA’s highest honor.”

Alexandria, Virginia:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) is pleased to announce that its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award was awarded to Gary Baumhover, a long-time trucking executive and past chairman of TCA. The honor was bestowed on March 2 during the association’s annual convention, held at the Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Past Chairmen’s award is given to recognized industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. The Past Chairmen’s Award is the highest award of recognition given by the organization.

Baumhover’s participation in TCA began in the late 1980s, when the association was known as the Interstate Truckload Carriers Conference (ITCC) and Baumhover was the president of Tri-State Transportation of Dubuque, Iowa. He initially participated in ITCC’s Membership Committee and Scholarship Fund. From 1994-95, he chaired the Safety, Engineering & Environment Committee – a role he held concurrently while serving as the chairman of the Iowa Motor Truck Association. He also held leadership positions with the association’s Refrigerated Division, including regional vice chair and division chair.

Beginning in 1994, Baumhover began to rise through the leadership ranks of the organization (which by March 1997 was called TCA), serving as secretary, treasurer, and then third, second, and first vice chair until becoming chairman from 1999-2000. During his year as chairman, Baumhover oversaw the adoption of a TCA strategic plan that placed renewed emphasis on solving common management problems, as well as education and training. The year brought the launch of Truckload Academy, a comprehensive training program for all levels of truckload carrier personnel, as well as the creation of special management panels for small carriers and the next generation of family members tasked with taking over their parents’ businesses.

After serving a year as immediate past chairman, Baumhover continued to participate in such TCA programs as the Benchmarking Management Panel, Shipper/Receiver “Just in Time to Wait” Management Panel, Committee on Operating Practices, Retention & Recruitment Human Resources Group, and Regulatory Policy Committee.

Professionally, Baumhover sold Tri-State Transportation to Grojean Transportation in 1998. After staying on with Grojean for a few years, he then took a position as executive vice president of Gail Force in Janesville, Wisconsin. His next career move was to Willis Shaw Logistics of Elm Springs, Arkansas, where he served as director of maintenance and, later, vice president, independent contractor relations.

He and his wife, Rita, reside in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

“Gary Baumhover led our organization into the next millennium, and helped to shape it into the organization it has become today,” said Kevin Burch, TCA’s outgoing chairman and president of Jet Express, Dayton, Ohio. “It was our pleasure to honor him for his long history of supporting TCA and giving back to the trucking industry.”

Paradise Island, The Bahamas:

Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has presented its prestigious Past Chairman’s Award posthumously to Richard “Buck” Jenkins, co-owner of Diamond Transportation System, Inc., Racine, Wisconsin. The award was announced on March 3rd during the association’s Annual Convention, held at The Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas.

The Past Chairman’s award is given to recognized industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and Truckload Carriers Association. The Past Chairman’s Award is the highest award of recognition given by the Association.

Jenkins, a TCA member for 36 years, served as a TCA officer and treasurer from 2000-2004 and also served as chairman of the Bylaws Committee from 1992-1993 and 1997-1998.

He was heavily involved in the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA) and served numerous positions, including chairman. In 2003, he received the Frank W. Babbitt Award, WMCA’s highest honor, for his outstanding service, support of the trucking industry and contributions to the association.

“Buck Jenkins was a rock-solid truckload guy, through and through,” said Jim O’Neal, president of O & S Trucking, Springfield, Missouri, and outgoing TCA chairman. “He was always pitching in to help the organization, either as a member or as an officer, or both. We could think of no other recipient more deserving of this award.”

Jenkins married Jeanette Voetberg in 1988 after meeting her at a TCA annual convention. The couple celebrated many anniversaries at the conventions.

Jenkins, 74, died from cancer in November 2007.

Las Vegas, NV:

Don Orr of Central Refrigerated Service and posthumously C. J. “Mac” McCormick of Bestway Express were presented the prestigious Past Chairman’s Award during today’s general session at the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA’S) Annual Convention at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Past Chairman’s award is given to recognized industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. The Past Chairman’s Award is the highest award of recognition given by the Association.

Don Orr was the Chairman of Truckload Carrier Association from 1996 to 1997 and he currently serves as the Chairman of the TCA Scholarship Fund. His involvement in the trucking industry has been life-long. As a teenager, Orr spent his summers hand loading trucks for Lever Brothers, the same company that employed his father as a traffic manager. When Orr was only nineteen, he drove trucks for Lever Brothers on the east coast, presumably illegally.

Upon graduation from Temple University in 1971 with a degree in business administration, Orr served in the Army Reserves for six years. In 1972, he married his childhood sweetheart, Christine. Don and Christine have been married for 35 years and have three children, Jacqueline, a graphic artist, Camilla, a publicist, and Alex, who follows his father’s footsteps in the trucking industry as a dispatcher for Systems Transport.

In 1972, the newlyweds moved to Lafayette, Indiana to work with Tom Schilli of Schilli Motor Lines where he was employed for twelve years. In 1985, Orr began work for Roberson Transportation in Farmer City, Illinois, serving in several managerial positions, including President and CEO. In the fourteen years that Orr spent with this company, he became widely respected in the industry and remains so today.

After spending time working at Smithway Motor Xpress as executive vice president and COO and at Comcar industries as senior vice president, Orr signed on as president of Moyes Enterprises, a company that is involved with a variety of endeavors, including a specialty motor company, an aviation services business, an air transportation carrier, an Indian casino company, a restaurant chain, a magazine and several real estate development projects. When Jerry Moyes, founder of Moyes Enterprises, decided to take Central Freight Lines private again, it was natural for him to turn to Orr for assistance.

Orr’s talents have not been limited to trucking companies. As Chairman at TCA, Orr lobbied to increase the meal deduction for truck drivers, worked to help members take advantage of emerging technologies such as PrePass, and oversaw the Professional Truck Driver Institute. In addition to his chairmanship at TCA, he has served as chairman of the Illinois Trucking Association twice.

The posthumous Past Chairman, C.J. “Mac” McCormick III, came from a family with a background in trucking. His father, James McCormick, entered the trucking business in 1954 when he bought Indianapolis & Southern Motor Express. McCormick never planned to go into trucking, but decided to operate his family’s truck dealership for a year after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. McCormick found himself working in all aspects of the business, including dispatch, sales, fuel tax reporting, and even driving. After observing that “it seems to be easier to get into things than to get out of them”, McCormick decided to stay in the trucking business.

McCormick rose to become the chief executive officer of Bestway Express, the flagship company in the McCormick family chain of enterprises, as well as the Chairman of American Trucking Association. In addition, McCormick served as Chairman of Truckload Carriers Association from 1998 to 1999.

An avid fan of “everything with an engine”, McCormick died while flying a plane. However, trucking remains a part of the McCormick family today. Two of McCormick’s three sons work at Bestway to carry the company forward.

Las Vegas, NV:

Frank Bove of United Cartage Co., Inc., Gas City, Indiana was presented the prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award during today’s general session at the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA’s) Annual Convention at the Bellagio Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Past Chairmen’s Award is given to recognized industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. The Past Chairmen’s Award is the highest award of recognition given by the Association.

United Cartage Co., Inc. hauls freight including automotive, retail, electronics and food stuffs. Mr. Bove’s company has been a member of TCA for 45 years and Bove is one of only four people who have served as a TCA officer twice. The company had modest beginnings; it was started by Bove’s father in one half of a barn and grew steadily over the years. When his father’s health declined Bove and his brother assumed responsibility for United Cartage Co., Inc. Mr. Bove continued to grow the company until selling it this past year; he now looks forward to retirement.

Clifton Parker, past chairman of TCA and presenter of the Past Chairmen’s Award, said of Bove: “To say that he is one of our ambassadors is truly an understatement. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”

Kona, HI:

Howard O’Malley of B & T Express, Inc., North Lima, Ohio was presented the prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award during today’s general session at the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA’s) Annual Convention at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort Hotel, Hawaii.

The Past Chairmen’s Award is given to recognized industry leaders who make a significant contribution to the business community, the industry, and the Truckload Carriers Association. The Past Chairmen’s Award is the highest award of recognition given by the Association.

Mr. O’Malley was born into a trucking family. His father, Howard O’Malley Sr. started Lakeshore Motor Freight Company in the early 1920s and Howard joined the business in 1946. In 1985, after the demise of Lakeshore Motor Freight Co., O’Malley began B & T Express with just a couple trucks. In the nearly twenty years since the carrier started it has grown to over 200 trucks specializing in hauling steel. B & T Express now operates in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.

Throughout his fifty-year career O’Malley has been a vibrant and active member of the trucking community. O’Malley was chair of TCA when it was known at the Common Carrier Conference – Irregular Route. He has also been very active in the steel hauling industry, having been chair of the Steel Carriers of the American Trucking Association and the Carriers Tariff Association. O’Malley is also active in the Ohio Trucking Association and the Ohio Turnpike Association Advisory Board.

Pat Quinn, past chairman of TCA and presenter of the Past Chairmen’s Award, said of Howard: “His demeanor is always happy. He always has a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. He’s willing to listen to you even if he doesn’t agree with you. He’s pure gentleman.”