Showing posts with label MATS 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MATS 2015. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2015

#FacesOfMats - End of show roundup

The amount of people attending MATS is mind-blowing enough in and of itself, but the number of those people who are also OOIDA members meant it was hard to go from Point A to Point B without having to take a slight detour to chat with (or photograph) people who were rocking their Association apparel.

The thing about our members in general, is they are some of the kindest, most professional folks you're ever going to meet anywhere. The ones I met, visited with, and in most cases, took pictures of, were all delightful. And nobody gave me a hard time about taking pictures with my tablet, either!

Life members Nathan & Elizabeth Ricks stop by the Land Line Now booth in the North Lobby.


Life Member Tom Smith taking in some of the sights in the West Wing Exhibition Hall.
Members Gina and Brian Kuhn, working the booth for Church of the Traveling Steering Wheel, a conference call church service geared for over-the-road truckers who are away from home.

OOIDA members Debbie and John Newgent at the Women In Trucking Salute on Saturday.

Life Member Aaron Stoltzfoos and his wife Esther. They've been married for 51 years.
Member Paul Daugherty, his wife Ramona, and their kids Chris and Hannah, take a break from shopping for truck parts.

Life Member David Hutchinson, and his son Blaine, age 7, were on the lookout for Peterbilts on Friday.


Life Member Russell Short,aka "White Shadow" in homage to the TV show, said this was the first time in 10 years he'd made it to Louisville for MATS.

























Sunday, March 29, 2015

Women In Trucking debut new "Image Team"



Women In Trucking Association’s annual Salute To Women Behind the Wheel featured the debut of the first-ever Women In Trucking Image Team.

The team, made up of five drivers, were chosen from a field of 25 nominees, all of whom exemplify leadership and other qualities in line with the organization’s mission, which is to promote both the employment and accomplishments of women in trucking as well as minimizing obstacles preventing them from participating in the industry.

The members of the 2015 Image Team are:

1.)    Ingrid Brown, a 35-year veteran with over 3 million safe miles. She is an OOIDA member and owner-operator who is also involved in Trucker Buddy, Special Olympics and the Pediatric Cancer Institute among other causes.
2.)    Allyson Hay, a 17-year veteran, including 12 years at Walmart, logging over 1 million safe miles. She is a past member of the Walmart Road Team.
3.)    Wyzeena Heeny, a 14-year veteran, with over 1.2 million safe miles for Covenant where she is a master driver trainer. She was also 2013 member of Tennessee’s Road Team.
4.)    Stephanie Klang, a 35-year veteran of trucking with over 3 million safe miles at Conway Truckload. Klang is also a former America’s Road Team captain.
5.)    Carol Nixon, a 24-year veteran, who also drives for Walmart. She has received numerous safe driving awards and is involved in Trucker Buddy and other community services.

The Image Team will also participate in ride-alongs with legislators, as well as speak at conferences, trade shows and other events.

Saturday’s event featured several announcements, including a fundraiser for the group’s scholarship fund, a keynote address from Marcia Taylor, CEO of Bennett International, and the “WIT Index” – an effort to measure and track the number of female drivers and women in management in private fleets, as well as the number of women who serve on the boards of publicly traded carriers.


The 2015 Women In Trucking Image Team. From left: OOIDA member Ingrid Brown, Allyson Hay, Wyzeena Heeny, Stephanie Klang, and Carol Nixon.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

OOIDA and Western Star partner again for new "Spirit" tour truck

OOIDA will have a new tour truck on the road in the summer of 2015: a Western Star 5700XE.

The new "Spirit of the American Trucker" will be this blue
Western Star 5700XE. OOIDA will take official possession
of the truck in summer 2015. (Submitted photo)
Association members and Western Star representatives got together for the official announcement on Thursday during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

Western Star Marketing Segment Manager Guy Lemieux presented the keys to the new truck to OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer and "Spirit of the American Trucker" driver and OOIDA Senior Member Jon Osburn at the Western Star exhibit.

The model being leased to OOIDA features a powerful but efficient Detroit DD15 engine and Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission along with Western Star's patented steel cab and sleeper design.

"There's not a gadget missing on this thing," Osburn said, speaking of the high-tech but "very traditional" look and function of the dash.

From left, OOIDA Executive VP Todd Spencer, Western Star
Marketing Segment Manager Guy Lemieux, and OOIDA
Senior Member Jon Osburn, who drives OOIDA's tour truck.
(Photo by David Tanner, Land Line Magazine)
OOIDA will officially take possession of the new tour truck in the summer. In the meantime, Osburn will continue to pilot the current "Spirit," the eye-catching and one-of-a-kind Western Star designed by fans of the iconic truck maker.

"We're proud to be associated with owner-operators," Lemieux told us after the key hand-off. "We developed the 5700XE for the owner-operators. It's not something that looks like every other truck. We knew we had a winner."

Spencer spoke about the value of Western Star to the owner-operator.

"Western Star has always made durable trucks, and their trucks have made lots and lots of money for owner-operators," he said. "It looks like they just keep getting better."

Here's a video of the Western Star presentation to OOIDA: