OTA Dispatch Issue 4, 2021

31 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2021 MANY OF OREGON’S trucking companies are family owned and multi- generational. Inspiring the next generation to invest and follow in these somewhat traditional footsteps can be a challenge. Even when you take family out of the equation, it’s often difficult to convey how today’s trucking industry offers viable and valuable career opportunities. It’s hard work and is certainly not glamorous, but trucking is one of the most essential industries in the nation. Trucking is often seen as antiquated and old-school, powered by fossil fuels and managed by human “fossils.” The truth is quite different. Trucking is constantly changing, with new technology driving a lot of the changes. Like the rest of the country, trucking’s workforce is as diverse as the business segments and communities it serves. It is the lifeblood of America’s economy without which, as we’ve seen in recent months, the supply chain suffers and store shelves are left bare. To help carriers go about building up the next generation of trucking industry leaders, carriers (and ATA members) are investing in LEAD ATA, a year- long program that provides real-world experience and in-depth industry insights. This select group attends three mandatory sessions throughout the year designed to enhance leadership skills, gain a thorough understanding of the regulatory and legislative process (and its direct effect on their businesses), and develop of network of industry peers. The LEAD class of 2021 included Nick Card, Operations Manager at Combined Transport, a provider of a variety of flatbed, heavy, and specialized trucking services located in Central Point, OR. Nick’s grandfather, Richard Card, started the company in 1980. It’s always been a family business and remains so today under the leadership of President Mike Card, Nick’s father. Combined Transport’s next generation includes Nick and his cousin Jason who currently runs the company’s driver recruiting. “We have a long family tradition of industry involvement, and I wanted to continue that legacy and help advocate for the industry,” said Nick, “Growing up around trucking, I have attended ATA events for years. This program builds on that experience, and helps me get more active within ATA and industry.” This year, Nick took the initiative and completed the LEAD ATA program, the first participant from an Oregon carrier to do so. Nick actually deferred his LEAD participation by a year so he could take advantage of the full program and not just those the pandemic allowed. For the class of 2021, the first event was the ATA Midyear Management conference in San Antonio, TX. There, the 2021 LEAD class met with ATA leadership to get a better understanding of how ATA operates and what exactly senior executives do. More Taking the LEAD Nick Card, Combined Transport By Christa Wendland, OTA Communications Consultant and Christine Logue, OTA VP of Operations “As is the case in nearly every industry, a new generation of leaders is needed to face tomorrow’s challenges. That is why the ATA began the LEAD ATA program. Designed to select, prepare, and transform the best and brightest in the truck industry today, to become our leaders of tomorrow.”