ARLINGTON, VA - The American Trucking Associations (ATA) announced the Captains of the 2011-2012 America's Road Team. The premier group of million-mile, accident-free professional truck drivers will spend the next two years representing the trucking industry and delivering its highway safety message to the motoring public.

Eighteen captains, with a collective 483 years behind the wheel and more than 36.5 million accident-free miles, were selected from a group of 34 finalists who competed this week before a panel of judges from the trucking industry and related fields. The competition included a review of trucking industry expertise and a demonstration of their communication skills, combined with their community service and lifetime safety records.

"The America's Road Team puts an impressive face behind the wheel," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.  "These ambassadors to the industry have remarkable safe driving records and an unmatched enthusiasm for their job and for the industry.  Their desire to share their knowledge and passion for safety benefits the motoring public and helps keep our highways safe.  The trucking industry is proud to welcome the 2011-2012 America's Road Team."

ATA created America's Road Team in 1986. It continues today with the generous support of Volvo Trucks North America. The Team represents America's 3.4 million professional drivers and serves as an example of the professional dedication and teamwork needed to deliver America's freight safely and on time.

"Volvo Trucks congratulates the highly skilled drivers chosen to serve as trucking industry ambassadors in 2011 and 2012," said Ron Huibers, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. "These dedicated professionals help create safer highways for all of us and ensure the timely delivery of life's essentials. Volvo also applauds the companies who so generously provide these drivers, making the America's Road Team possible."

While maintaining their jobs as full-time professional drivers, the new America's Road Team Captains will now travel the country speaking on behalf of the trucking industry to the community, news media and public officials. The Captains will address transportation and safety issues, speaking at community events and anywhere they can reach the motoring public to share safe driving tips and offer advice on how to safely share the road with tractor-trailers.

The America's Road Team Captains also advocate safety to those within the industry at terminals and truck stops. They speak with fellow drivers, driver training students and corporate safety officers. They also have the opportunity to present trucking and safety issues before our public officials, at the national, state and local levels.

To be nominated to serve as an America's Road Team Captain, the candidates must be employed as a company driver or leased owner-operator by a full-dues-paying member of ATA. Each nominee must have an excellent safety record and demonstrate an ability to communicate a commitment to safety and professionalism.

2011-2012 America's Road Team Captains

The America's Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks North America, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway.  For more information go to www.americasroadteam.com.  

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.

The American Trucking Associations has led the campaign for rigorous safety laws that affect every driver on the nation's highways. ATA's overall safety agenda includes greater education on sharing the road with large trucks, increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely around large trucks, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states, and reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles. ATA also supports limiting truck speeds at the time of manufacture. www.truckline.com