SAN DIEGO – American Trucking Associations Sunday honored two individuals, a state trucking association and an allied company with the eighth annual Mike Russell Trucking Industry Image Award.

“Every day we think about the image of the trucking industry and work to improve it from a company standpoint and personally,” said ATA Vice Chairman Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express, Dayton, Ohio. “The awards we presented today celebrate a company, organization or individual who over the past year has worked tirelessly to generate positive awareness of the trucking industry.”

This year’s first three winners were:

• Great West Casualty Co. for their tremendous support, particularly from Steve Ponder, vice president, during the development and launch of the Trucking Moves America Forward image movement and sustaining it today;

• The Texas Trucking Association for their organization’s tireless work in the Lone Star State to spread the message of safety, essentiality and leadership and;

• Mike Card, past ATA chairman and president of Combined Transport, who has served as national fundraising chairman for Trucking Moves America Forward and used his platform as ATA chairman get the movement off the ground. Burch praised him for fostering "an enthusiasm and sense of hope that we can unite and make a difference."

In addition, ATA Chairman Phil Byrd announced that Kevin Burch was also being honored with a Mike Russell Trucking Industry Image Award for his passion for the industry, his commitment to improving its image and his tireless work with Trucking Moves America Forward.

The Mike Russell Trucking Image Awards are named in honor of the late Mike Russell, a trucking industry supporter and former ATA vice president of public affairs, and are sponsored by TMW Systems.