The American Trucking Associations wrapped up a busy week Friday as it prepares for its annual conference beginning Sunday, with the American Transportation Research Institute, ATA’s not-for-profit research organization, naming a new head the day after ATA announced a new chief of the entire organization.
Page Siplon will head up ATRI, according to a Friday announcement. He will hold the positions of president and chief operating officer.
According to ATRI, Siplon was most recently the CEO of TeamOne Logistics, a firm that partners with companies to provide drivers and other employees to carriers. “His leadership focused extensively on the trucking workforce, driver recruitment and retention, safety, and the operational challenges facing motor carriers,” ATRI said in its announcement of Siplon’s hiring.
The news of Siplon’s appointment comes a day after the ATA said it had hired Mark Colson, current head of the Alabama Trucking Association, to head the national organization.
Georgia background
TeamOne is based in Georgia, and Siplon’s career in logistics prior to that was focused on the Peach State.
Previously, Siplon had been executive director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics. He also founded the Georgia Logistics Summit, which ATRI described as “one of the nation’s largest logistics conferences.”
Siplon also has been vice chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness.
Siplon will join the ATRI staff next month. He will work alongside current ATRI president Rebecca Brewster, who is retiring in February 2027. He will then assume his duties at the top of the organization.
Siplon’s announcement comes right before the ATA MCE meeting next week which also is when ATRI announces the results of its Top 10 survey. The input from that research into the top 10 issues separates the results out by totals and separate subcategories drawn from driver and management input, the latter of which often reveal a significantly different perspective between the two.
ATRI regularly conducts such surveys throughout the year. Earlier this week it announced two new surveys, one aimed at carriers and the other at drivers, on the issue of driver health.
Looking at driver health
The survey, according to ATRI, will take different approaches in its methodology.
ATRI said it would ask drivers to share anonymously several inputs, “as well as their experience with maintaining health and wellness while on the road.”
Carriers would be asked by ATRI for information on their fleets’ medical card durations, insurance costs and other key performance indicators. “Motor carriers are also strongly encouraged to share the driver survey with their driver workforce,” ATI said.
A medical card is more formally referred to as a Medical Examiner’s Certificate. It certifies a driver’s fitness to be on the road and is required by federal law.
In the prepared statement kicking off the health study, ATRI quoted Project 61 Founder & CEO Jeremy Reymer. ““We already know driver health can affect safety,” he said. “The next question is how much it may also be affecting operational risk and cost.”
More articles by John Kingston
English language rule’s comments bring criticism from Sikh organization
FMCSA split sleeper berth pilot program moves closer to launch
Federal DOT grants will fund more than 2,400 parking spots
The post ATRI gets a new head: TeamOne’s Siplon appeared first on FreightWaves.