Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Meet HDT's 2025 Truck Fleet Innovators

Heavy Duty Trucking’s Fleet Innovators for 2025 are five executives leading the industry in technology adoption, process improvement, safety, sustainability, and more.

Deborah Lockridge
Deborah LockridgeEditor and Associate Publisher
Read Deborah's Posts
September 2, 2025
Meet HDT's 2025 Truck Fleet Innovators

HDT 2025 Truck Fleet Innovators, from left: Rudy Diaz, Brent Ellis, Ryan Kocher, Jerrin Martin, David Murphy

HDT Graphic

2 min to read


Heavy Duty Trucking’s Fleet Innovators for 2025 are five executives leading the industry in technology adoption, process improvement, safety, sustainability, and more.

Ad Loading...

Since 2006, the editors at Heavy Duty Trucking have honored a small group of trucking executives each year, chosen for specific innovations and/or for fostering an overall culture that encourages innovative thinking.

These outstanding leaders work for a wide variety of heavy-duty trucking companies. They encompass operations such as drayage, truckload, less than truckload, intermodal, dedicated, fuel and oil products, local/yard management, and logistics.

Ad Loading...

And because innovation isn’t a factor of size, these companies operate fleets ranging from fewer than 100 tractors to 19,000.

HDT’s 2025 Truck Fleet Innovators are embracing new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, safety technologies, and zero-emission vehicles, and figuring out how to make them work to improve their operations — to make their companies safer, more efficient, more profitable, more sustainable, and a better place to work.

The 2025 HDT Truck Fleet Innovators are:

  • Rudy Diaz, Founder/CEO/President, Hight Logistics, Long Beach, California

  • Brent Ellis, VP of Business Systems and Processes, Decker Truck Line, Fort Dodge, Iowa

  • Ryan Kocher, Director of Emerging Equipment Technology, Knight-Swift Transportation, Phoenix, Arizona

  • Jerrin Martin, Vice President of Operations, North Division, Lazer Logistics, Alpharetta, Georgia

  • David Murphy, Director of Safety, Keystops LLC, Franklin, Kentucky

The 2025 Truck Fleet Innovators will be HDT’s guests at Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sept. 3-5. They will receive their awards in a ceremony and participate in a panel discussion moderated by Heavy Duty Trucking’s editors.

Who Is Eligible to be an HDT Truck Fleet Innovator?

To be eligible for consideration, nominees must be a leader at a company running a fleet of Class 7-8 heavy-duty trucks. 

Nominees may be owners or top executives or be in charge of a specific department or area, such as equipment, maintenance, safety, drivers, sustainability/fuel economy, operations, or IT.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Fleet Management

A woman holding a tablet with a screen showing rectangles of various colors
SponsoredSeptember 16, 2026

Color Match Smarter: Tools That Restore & Perform

For fleet managers and collision repair professionals keeping heavy-duty trucks on the road, getting the color right the first time isn't just about appearance — it's about efficiency, turnaround time, and bottom-line results. Discover how today's digital color tools are transforming the repair process from guesswork to precision.

Read More →
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo
Fleet Managementby StaffSeptember 15, 2026

FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition

Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.

Read More →
Geotab Whitepaper Cargo Theft Cover
SponsoredSeptember 14, 2026

2026 Blueprint for Countering Smarter Supply Chain Theft

Cargo theft is no longer just the cost of doing business. It's a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise exploiting vulnerabilities across your fleet, drivers, and supply chain.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A monitor with a bar graph with a person sitting next to it wearing a headset.
SponsoredSeptember 1, 2026

How Telematics Improves Visibility, Control, and Performance in Refrigerated Fleets

Explore how telematics help refrigerated fleets improve visibility, uptime, efficiency, compliance, and cargo protection across connected cold chain operations.

Read More →
Graphic with U.S. and Canadian flags over background illustration of an ink-stamp that says Tariffs.
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

What the U.S.-Canada Trade War Means for Trucking

Escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could disrupt cross-border freight, reduce truck volumes, raise costs, and create new uncertainty for carriers on both sides of the border.

Read More →
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

What Are Trucking’s Top Concerns for 2026?

The American Transportation Research Institute wants to know what's worrying trucking fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders in its annual Industry Issues survey.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Four men in suits on the National Mall with giant video screen showing capitol building in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

American Trucking Associations Looks for a New Leader

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear abruptly left his job at the association on August 21, at a pivotal time for the trucking industry.

Read More →
The Cyber Stop column header with photo of a smiling driver in truck with a laptop and a wi-fi icon
Fleet ManagementAugust 21, 2026

Public Wi-Fi Cybersecurity Risks: How Truck Drivers and Fleets Can Protect Their Data

Public Wi-Fi can expose truck drivers and fleets to credential theft, malware, and other cyber threats. Here’s how to reduce the risk on the road.

Read More →
Woman in white blazer superimposed on background showing a row of Fraley & Schilling truck, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 19, 2026

For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Headshot of Adam Buttgenbach with a Pepsi-branded Tesla Semi in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 18, 2026

Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.

Read More →