The 2026 Alabama Trucking Convention presented by Kenworth is a wrap — and what an event it was! Held April 16-18 at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala., the event featured three days of powerful conversations on legal reform, workforce development, safety, and the future of our industry – with incredible speakers, great friends, and even better weather.
We were proud to host FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs as our Keynote Speaker and appreciate all the other presenters whose content captured the spirit of our Association. But even prouder to honor Chairman Daniel Wright for his tremendous leadership and contributions to Alabama Trucking. We also crowned Charlie Salter of LB3 Trucking as our Driver of the Year and honored industry legend Fenn Church with the H. Chester Webb Award.
Trucking Resurgence
Alabama Trucking CEO Mark Colson kicked off Friday’s business session, moderating a fascinating panel discussion with industry thought leaders Brenda Neville, CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, and legal expert Doug Marcello, a shareholder with the law firm of Saxton & Stump, on the industry’s ongoing fight for fairness and legal reform.
The panel covered a lot of ground in the hour-long session, including efforts to combat fraudulent CDL holders, cross-border enforcement gaps, and the costly litigation environment threatening carriers, while highlighting the growing momentum behind the Trucking Resurgence plan and state-level tort reform victories.
“The average household pays $4,200 because of lawsuit abuse out of their pocket,” Marcello said. “If we can get tort reform and lawsuit abuse reform, we’re putting $4,200 back into the pockets of working Americans per household.”
Next up, John Ethridge led a workforce development discussion with Auburn University’s Supply Management Program Champion, Stuart Fischer, from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University. Two of the program’s current students, Kurt Glass and Duncan Tapscott, also joined the discussion. They spoke about their recent internships with member firms Buddy Moore Trucking and AAA Cooper Transportation.
Closing Friday’s program, Joshua Vaughn, Director of Advocacy and Marketing at Alabama Trucking, led a discussion on how political and media trends are affecting the business community. He was joined by Todd Stacey of Alabama Daily News and Grayson Everett of Yellowhammer News.
Safety Focused
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs was the featured speaker at Saturday Morning’s Business Session, along with presentations from Elizabeth Sweetman with TAT, and former Alabama truck driver of the year and Road Team Captain, Lloyd Howell.
Clinton Seymour moderated a discussion with Administrator Barrs and Lt. Jason Harris with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit about the boots-on-the-ground efforts to enhance industry regulation and safety.
“Strengthening the driver workforce, improving driver training, addressing fraud, bad actors, and reinforcing safety is the foundation of every single thing that we do,” Administrator Barrs told the panel. “As my daddy said, let’s get the bad stuff out so the cream can continue to rise to the top.”
Closing out the session, our partners at the ATA Workers’ Comp Fund/Alliance Interstate Risk showcased their innovative programs and initiatives and facilitated a special panel discussing viewpoints from generation to generation, featuring Kimble and Katie Coaker of the Fund, Susan Kirkpatrick and John Etheridge of Buddy Moore Trucking, and Mike and Michael Limbaugh of White Oak Transportation.
Chairman’s Celebration
We capped off the event with a heartfelt celebration honoring Chairman Daniel Wright for his exceptional leadership and the countless invaluable contributions he has made to the Alabama Trucking Association. We also took the opportunity to recognize the recent Fleet Safety award winners for their commitment to excellence. A special moment was dedicated to our Driver of the Year, Charlie Salter of LB3 Trucking, celebrating his outstanding record and professionalism.
Among the evening’s highlights was the presentation of Alabama Trucking’s highest honor, the H. Chester Webb Award for Distinguished Service, which went to Birmingham business leader and industry veteran Fenn Church of Church Transportation and Logistics.
The award, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Alabama’s trucking industry and the communities they serve, was presented by Buddy Moore Trucking executive, Susan Kirkpatrick, last year’s award recipient.
In her remarks, she reflected on the honor of receiving the Webb Award and highlighted the profound impact of this year’s recipient. “The H. Chester Webb Award is the pinnacle of leadership and service in our Association,” she said. “Like the dozens who earned this honor in years past, Fenn embodies everything this accolade stands for, and I’m proud to pass this honor on to my friend Fenn Church.”
“This Association has been one of the most influential organizations of my life and career,” he said in his acceptance speech. “It has been such a blessing to me, my business, and my family. But what really matters most are the many friends I have made here. Accepting this award is really about so many of you here tonight – the people who make this organization truly special: the ATA staff, the Comp Fund, the incredible people who work for my company, Gene and Leigh Sweeny – you all mean the world to me. I am so honored to receive this award. And to all the young, talented people coming up in this industry here with us tonight, whatever you put into this organization will pay you back tenfold. Get involved and stay involved. You are the next great leaders of this Association and this industry.”
Thank you to all of our sponsors who are making this event possible!
View all the pictures from the 2026 Alabama Trucking Convention here.
