Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

ATA Names Fifth Class for LEAD Program

ORLANDO – American Trucking Associations named its fifth class to the LEAD ATA industry leadership program at the Management Conference & Exhibition.

by Staff
October 23, 2017
ATA Names Fifth Class for LEAD Program

The 2018 LEAD ATA Class. Photo: Evan Lockridge

2 min to read


The 2018 LEAD ATA Class.Photo: Evan Lockridge

ORLANDO – American Trucking Associations named its fifth class to the LEAD ATA industry leadership program at the Management Conference & Exhibition.

The program is designed to provide LEAD ATA participants with the tools available to industry executives through ATA. Each LEAD ATA class has exclusive education opportunities available to the select group of up-and-coming trucking industry professionals, according to ATA. The program provides the class with information about how the regulatory and legislative process affects the trucking industry and the important role ATA plays in influencing those processes.

Ad Loading...

“From class to class, we are able to find young men and women who are determined to do more than just enhance their professional profiles,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “These individuals truly want to gain a deeper understanding of how trucking can impact communities and how they can help position trucking as a safety-first industry with a strong public image.”

The 2018 LEAD ATA Class:

Arnold Heath, ABF Freight Inc.; Ben Banks, TCW Inc.; Joey Crum, Northern Industrial Training LLC; Michael Drapeau, FedEx Freight; William Hathaway, Noregon Systems Inc.; Garrett Knollman, Transmark; Joey Mills, UPS Freight; Donald Slager, Slager Trucking Company; Joseph Sponseller, Dean Foods Company; Patrick Usher, Usher Transport Inc.; Gabrielle Wadhams, Wadhams Enterprises Inc.; Dan Kling, Reddaway.

Ad Loading...

“With our fifth class of the LEAD ATA program, as with our previous classes, we set out to attract the best and brightest in trucking and provide them with the tools to direct our industry and ATA into the future,” said Kevin Burch, ATA chairmana and president of Jet Express. “The previous classes have been a tremendous success and I am excited to see the benefits that both the program and ATA will receive in the coming year.”

ATA also announced the graduation of its fourth LEAD ATA class from the past year.

2017 LEAD ATA Graduates:

Aaron Brown, NFI Industries; Daniel Horvath, TransForce Inc.; Wesley Davis, Big M Transportation Inc.; Jason Hunter, UPS; Jeffrey First, FedEx Freight; Colton Lawrence, Equinox Business Solutions LLC; Nelson Gonzalez, California Multimodal LLC; John Michell, Daseke Inc.; Johnathan Gravell, Pressure Systems International; Jake Rinehart, Celadon Group Inc.; Todd Hahn, Brown Integrated Logistics Inc.; Andrew Schilling, Fraley and Schilling Inc.; Andrew Walker, TransLand; Collins White, Alabama Motor Express Inc.; James Wright, Wright Transportation Inc.

For more information on LEAD ATA, click here.

More Fleet Management

Illustration showing ladders against a blue background with Heavy Duty Trucking Emerging Leaders logo and the words "2026 nominations now open"
Fleet Managementby StaffSeptember 21, 2026

Nominations Open for HDT Emerging Leaders

Heavy Duty Trucking is looking for accomplished trucking fleet professionals under 40 who are making an impact and helping lead the industry forward.

Read More →
Illustration of Penske day cab backed into loading dock with graphic of generic charts and graphs and a penske logo.
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeSeptember 17, 2026

Why Private Fleets Are Taking More Freight

Private fleets are putting their own trucks on demanding customers and high-cost lanes as companies seek greater control over service, costs, and capacity.

Read More →
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 →
Ad Loading...
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 →
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 →
Ad Loading...
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 →
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 →
Ad Loading...
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 →