ABF drivers named America’s Road Team Captains

Three ABF Freight System drivers were named Captains of the 2011-2012 America’s Road Team by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), more than any other carrier.

David Boyer of Wytheville, Va., Nate McCarty of Denver and Tim McElwaney of Atlanta join an elite group of 18 Captains chosen to represent the industry and promote highway safety. The Road Team has included an ABF driver every year since 1995, with two ABF drivers on five of the past six teams.

"Continuous pursuit of safety and education, as seen in the accomplishments of these drivers, is part of ABF’s corporate culture," ABF President and Chief Executive Officer Wes Kemp said in a statement. "David, Nate and Tim are not only great assets to ABF, they’re equally valuable to the trucking industry at large. They serve as role models and help ABF earn its reputation as one of the safest carriers in the country year after year."

The Captains were selected from a group 34 finalists who competed last 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.

ABF, the largest subsidiary of Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp., is the nation’s second-largest less-than-truckload carrier and provides next-day and second-day shipping through its RPM Network. The company operates in North America, with service centers all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries.