Phil Byrd, the new chairman of the American Trucking Associations, may offer a little different perspective as an executive with a relatively small company, according to a report in his local paper.

The Charleston, S.C., Post and Courier notes that Byrd, president of North Charleston trucking company Bulldog Hiway Express, is the third South Carolinian to hold the ATA chairman's job.

Byrd succeeds Mike Card, president of Combined Transport of Central Point, Ore. He is a two-time past chairman of the South Carolina Trucking Association, he has also served as chairman of the South Carolina Maritime Association and the Charleston Motor Carrier Association.

He has testified before Congress on topics such as trucking's readiness for the Panama Canal expansion, the need for more traffic enforcement (even at the expense of roadside inspections), and how the nation's security efforts target trucking.

He got started in trucking more than three decades ago, becoming interested in the logistics end of his family’s lumber operation.

Byrd, who holds a commercial driver’s license, joined Bulldog more than three decades ago.

The paper elaborates:

"At that time, the company consisted of a handful of workers, and operations were solely geared toward local port and railroad operations. Through the many years, Byrd has helped swell the company’s fleet of rigs to hundreds and a workforce of 400 spread across the nation.

"Today’s footprint is far larger than Bulldog when it started with only a 1954 truck when R.D. Moseley started the company in 1959.

"Today’s larger workforce has meant expanded capacities for the North Charleston company, going head-to-head with the behemoth-size trucking companies such as Swift Transportation, Schneider National and J.B. Hunt Transport.

"By comparison, Bulldog is considered a small trucking company in the industry. Some say the humble beginnings will make Byrd a major asset at the helm of the ATA.

"'He’s very grounded and close to his people, so he knows the challenges every level of employee of the company is dealing with,' said Rick Todd, president of the Columbia-based S.C. Trucking Association. 'He’s got a lot credibility.'"

You can read the full Post and Courier article here.