The Truckload Carriers Association has named Bison Transport President and CEO Rob Penner as the group’s 2017-18 chairman. TCA made the announcement at its annual convention, being held this week in Nashville, Tenn.

Penner has been involved with TCA in several capacities. He chaired the Regulatory Policy Committee in 2010 and is a past member of the Highway Policy committee, the Benchmarking Best Practices Group, and the Financial Oversight & Long-Range Planning Task Force. A member of the executive committee and board of directors of TCA, he has also held the positions of treasurer, at-large officer, and first vice chair.

Penner will lead TCA until the next annual convention in March 2018. During his acceptance speech, Penner announced the formation of a strategic task force that will research issues affecting productivity, profitability, and the movement of freight across North America. The findings will be turned into a position paper that can be used to provide background and rationale to inform the development and adoption of TCA policies.

“Today, it appears we are trapped spending the majority of our face time with lawmakers and regulators talking about what we don’t want… What we need is for them to give us time to talk about what we stand for, not what we stand against,” said Penner. “We want a seat at the table, and the only way we get that is if we are viewed as a thoughtful partner, capable of presenting meaningful, viable and sustainable solutions to complex problems and that we back our position with truth and fact. Our new horizon may not be one we are familiar with, but it is one we can shape.”

Penner began his career in the transportation industry in 1984 as a truck driver and joined Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Bison Transport in 1991. He has worked in all aspects of the operation and was appointed vice president, operations, in 1998. He was promoted to his current role in January of this year.

The following individuals will assist Penner as TCA officers:

• First Vice Chair: Dan Doran, President, Doran Logistics Services, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Second Vice Chair: Josh Kaburick, Chief Executive Officer, Earl L. Henderson Trucking, Inc., Caseyville, Ill.

• Treasurer: Dennis Dellinger, President, Cargo Transporters, Inc., Claremont, N.C.

• Secretary: Jim Ward, President and CEO, D.M. Bowman, Inc., Hagerstown, Md.

• Association Vice President to ATA: Bill Reed, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Skyline Transportation, Knoxville, Tenn.

• At-Large Officer: John Elliott, CEO, Load One, LLC, Taylor, Mich.

• At-Large Officer: Dave Williams, Executive Vice President, Knight Transportation, Phoenix, Ariz.

• At-Large Officer: Roy Cox, President, Best Logistics Group, Kernersville, N.C.

• At-Large Officer: Michael Eggleton, Jr., Vice President, Raider Express, Fort Worth, Texas