Tennessee Trucking Association

Happy New Year from the Tennessee Trucking Association!  Thank you for your hard work in 2024, and here’s to another year of "Safely Keeping Tennessee on the Move!" Wishing you all a wonderful 2025!

Happy membership anniversary to our December members! Your support allows us to continue to serve motor carriers with excellence and integrity while advancing highway safety. Here’s to another year of "Safely Keeping Tennessee on the Move!"

Meet Karen Partin, a professional driver with McKee Foods Corporation. With 18 years behind the wheel and 970,000 safe driving miles, Karen is excited to be approaching her first 1 million safe miles. She has been with McKee Foods for 37 years, including 26 years in transportation in various roles. Last year, Karen proudly served as a first-year Road Team Captain with the Tennessee Trucking Foundation and is also a proud member of She Trucking and Women in Trucking. Outside of work, Karen enjoys spending time with her two sons and her four-year-old granddaughter, Raven, who is the apple of her eye. She channels her passion for learning and growth into taking cooking classes, mountain biking, hiking, traveling, and exploring National Parks. Know someone who shares Karen’s commitment to safety, learning, and growth? Nominate them for the 2025 Road Team at tntrucking.org/nominate before it’s too late! Applications close on January 10th.

Meet Jon Coulson, a professional truck driver with 24 years of experience and a proud member of TCW, Inc. since 2020. Over his career Jon has achieved over 1 million safe driving miles and earned multiple safety awards. At TCW, he serves as a Master Coach, Student Mentor, and Trainer, sharing his expertise to help develop the next generation of drivers. Jon is also a two-time competitor at the Tennessee Truck Driving Championships, showcasing his skills and dedication to excellence in the industry. This year, he proudly served as a first-year Road Team Captain for the Tennessee Trucking Foundation, representing the industry with professionalism and passion. Outside of trucking, Jon enjoys showing his fully restored 1997 Volkswagen Jetta. He’s also an avid Memphis Grizzlies fan and enjoys spending time with his family and their fur-baby, Coco. Know a driver who shares Jon’s commitment to safety, mentorship, and professionalism? They might be a great fit for next year's road team. To nominate them visit tntrucking.org/nominate.

This Christmas, we are filled with gratitude for our incredible members who dedicate themselves to keeping Tennessee’s roads safe throughout the year. Merry Christmas, and thank you for giving the gift of safety this holiday season.

We're excited to highlight another incredible 2024 Road Team Captain! Meet Steve Coleman, a seasoned driver with Red Classic. With 30 years in the trucking industry, over 2 million safe driving miles, and multiple safety awards—including Driver of the Year at Red Classic—Steve exemplifies professionalism. As a Certified Driver Trainer, Steve has dedicated 8 years to mentoring new drivers and even helped launch RED CREW RADIO, the company’s podcast that keeps drivers informed and connected. This year, he serves as a 2024 Tennessee Trucking Foundation Road Team Captain, and his leadership and dedication have been invaluable. We’re grateful for his hard work and proud to celebrate his outstanding contributions!

For the past few weeks, the Young Professionals Council (YPC) has been spreading holiday cheer with its annual Haulin’ for the Holidays initiative. Last month, they kicked off the giving portion with a donation to FEDEXFAMILYHOUSE, a sanctuary for families receiving care at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Patrick Mendenhall, shared: "It’s an honor to support FedExFamilyHouse and bless these families with small Christmas miracles. I would like to specifically thank Jason Higginbotham of Ozark Motor Lines, Inc. and Kelly Lomax of Dunavant Global Logistics for their support and leadership." This was only the beginning of weeks filled with giving back across Tennessee. As the YPC wraps up its activities in East Tennessee and Chattanooga this week, we want to thank this year's sponsors and those involved for making this season brighter for others. Pictured (L-R): Ben Kizer (Rush Enterprises), Romanda (FedExFamilyHouse), Ross Hoover (Rush Enterprises), Norcandrian, Donovan, Annette, Chelsey (FedExFamilyHouse), and @Patrick Mendenhall (Rush Enterprises).

Does your phone jingle all the way? Share the holiday cheer by turning on “Do Not Disturb” mode while driving. Let sleigh bells guide your way and make it home safely this holiday season.  Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eWDgSMaS

Delivery day in Chattanooga! This is so much more than a toy drive. The camaraderie and trust we build in our industry and our community grows every year. Companies showing up with their hard won dollars in a down freight market, team members showing up in their trucks to load and unload tons of boxes, teachers painstakingly crafting wish lists for every child in their class. THANK YOU to our corporate angel sponsors, all of you who bought a toy off the wish list I posted, and everyone who showed up to work. There will be more photos and thank yous from other events soon too!

Congratulations to Shaun Griffin, one of the Billy White Technician Scholarship recipients! With a background as a truck driver and experience working with military diesel equipment, Shaun is now pursuing diesel technology studies at Lincoln Tech. We’re proud to support his education and wish him luck as he takes this exciting next step in his career. Scholarship applications are still open! If you or someone you know would like to apply, visit tntrucking.org/technician.