The American Trucking Assns. (ATA) and Volvo Trucks North America today announced that Volvo Trucks will sponsor ATA's America's Road Team, trucking's premier industry and truck driver image program.
The announcement came at ATA's annual Management Conference & Exhibition currently under way in Orlando, Fla.
America's Road Team features 12 captains -- all professional drivers with exemplary safety records and a demonstrated commitment to educating the public about highway safety and to spreading the word on the positive aspects of the trucking industry.
The captains deliver the industry's safety message to the news media, driver education classes, business groups, safety organizations, the U.S Congress, and federal and state regulatory agencies. They also share information with their professional truck driver colleagues at carrier-sponsored safety sessions at annual truck shows.
"Volvo Trucks is honored to play a major role supporting and promoting the important work done by America's Road Team," said Susan Alt, Volvo Trucks vice president of marketing. "The captains are respected by their peers throughout the trucking industry as exemplifying the highest level of professional skill and commitment. Safety has been a core value of Volvo for 75 years and we see this as a natural extension of Volvo Trucks' efforts to make highway travel safer for everyone."
"The job of the trucking industry is to deliver America's freight safely, efficiently, and on time," said William Canary, ATA president and CEO. "But safety must remain our top priority while we do that. The men and women of America's Road Team represent the very best drivers in our industry and are our most valuable assets when it comes to presenting our positive safety message. We are grateful to Volvo Trucks and their strong commitment to safety for making it possible for America's Road Team to continue their important work educating the American public."
Truck driver candidates for America's Road Team are nominated annually by ATA-member motor carriers. Both company drivers and owner-operators leased to ATA members are eligible for the annual competition. Once the competition is narrowed to 36 drivers, the applicants travel to ATA headquarters in Alexandria, Va., for the final competition which includes individual interviews by industry safety and public relations experts and mock news media interviews.
Volvo Trucks North America, Greensboro, N.C., is a member of the Volvo Group, a publicly held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. With annual sales of about $18 billion, Volvo's business areas include heavy trucks, buses, construction equipment, marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace and financial services. For more information, visit www.volvotrucks.us.com.