Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Meet HDT's 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators

Heavy Duty Trucking's 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators are honored for exploring innovation in areas such as zero-emissions transportation, use of data and telematics, customer service, driver retention, safety leadership, and finding new ways to improve efficiency and customer service.

Deborah Lockridge
Deborah LockridgeEditor and Associate Publisher
Read Deborah's Posts
June 12, 2023
Meet HDT's 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators

 

2 min to read


In an industry changing faster than ever before, it can be intimidating to keep looking forward, to wade into the changes and find how your fleet can benefit. What if you bet on the wrong technology? What if your ideas don’t work?

Ad Loading...

Yes, innovation means taking risks. But those who keep doing what has worked in the past risk being left behind.

Ad Loading...

For inspiration, we present six forward-looking trucking fleet executives as HDT Truck Fleet Innovators for 2023.

These awards honor their leadership and dedication to exploring innovation in areas such as zero-emissions transportation, use of data and telematics, customer service, driver retention, safety leadership, and finding new ways to improve efficiency and customer service.

HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators may be honored for a specific innovation or for fostering an overall culture of innovative thinking. They are willing to share their insights and inspiration with others in the industry. An Innovator may be a top executive, or it can be someone in charge of a specific department, area, or initiative.

Each year, we go through industry nominations, as well as our own notes on innovative people we’ve met or read about during the year, and interview likely candidates before narrowing it down to our final honorees.

Read More About the 2023 HDT Truck Fleet Innovators:

  • James Adams, CEO and Founder, Revolution Trucking, Wadsworth, Ohio
  • Brad Bayne, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Duncan and Son Lines/4 Gen Logistics, Buckeye, Arizona
  • Brent Hickman, Senior Manager of Equipment Maintenance and Sales, Pilot Company, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Garth Pitzel, Associate VP, Safety and Driver Development, Bison Transport, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Thurman Register, Senior Fleet Manager, Ferguson Enterprises, Newport News, Virginia
  • Andrew Winkler, General Manager, Chief Carriers, Grand Island, Nebraska
Ad Loading...

HDT’s 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators will accept their awards and participate in a panel discussion during Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sept. 6-8. Fleet managers can apply to attend the event at www.heavydutytruckingexchange.com.

A Message From Sponsor East Manufacturing: First in Innovation

Innovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organization. This is true of all of HDT’s 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators. These Innovators pay attention to the needs of the markets they serve — the needs of their customers — and stretch their thinking to meet or exceed those needs. The innovation is in the details, which allows them to actively seek new opportunities and invest in their companies, their processes and procedures, and above all, their people.

It is not easy to manage in these times of economic change and swiftly advancing technology in addition to a shifting workforce. Innovative business leaders, like these Truck Fleet Innovators, focus on their vision — where they want their businesses to go.

These innovators have more than a record or history of driving innovation; they have a commitment to it. They are bold, disruptive and look at things differently, which enables them to know how to make changes to achieve their goals.

We are proud to sponsor some of the industry’s most innovative, successful leaders — HDT’s 2023 Truck Fleet Innovators.

At East, we have built our reputation on listening to our customers’ needs and designing better trailers to meet those needs year after year. We’re building our business by helping you build yours.

— Chris Cooler, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, East Manufacturing

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Fleet Management

ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 12, 2026

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of crowded New York street overlaid with dollar signs
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Federal Court Lets NYC Congestion Pricing Continue

A federal court ruling allows New York City’s congestion pricing program to continue, leaving truck tolls in place for fleets delivering into Manhattan.

Read More →
Fontaine Modification Access365
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 10, 2026

Fontaine Modification Launches Real-Time Truck Modification Tracking Portal

Fontaine Modification has introduced a new customer portal designed to give fleets real-time visibility into the truck modification process, addressing one of the most common questions fleet managers face: “Where’s my truck?”

Read More →
Ad Loading...
FTR Tucking Conditions March 2026.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 10, 2026

FTR: Trucking Conditions Index Climbs to Highest Level Since 2022

Strong freight rates, rising volumes and tighter capacity push trucking conditions higher, though diesel prices could temper gains in the near term, FTR cautions.

Read More →