In shops, terminals, offices, and back lots across Alabama, a quiet shift is taking place. New voices are stepping into conversations once dominated by veterans who built their livelihoods in Alabama’s trucking industry. You see it in the way problems are solved, in how teams communicate, and in the fresh confidence that comes when someone realizes they’ve earned a seat at the table.
Our Next In Line honorees are part of that shift. They’re early- and mid-career professionals who didn’t wait to be invited into leadership — they simply began acting like leaders. Their decisions shape workdays, influence culture, and set standards their coworkers rely on. Some manage people; others manage freight, information or relationships. All of them have already changed something within their companies, even if the change seems small from the outside.
What connects them isn’t a single background or career path, but a shared seriousness about the work and a willingness to learn, to observe, to take responsibility, and to keep showing up with intention. In an industry built on experience and credibility, these honorees are earning both, one long day at a time.
They are the people colleagues call when something needs to be figured out. They are the names that come up in meetings when someone asks, “Who’s ready for more?”
And they are the ones building the next era of leadership in Alabama Trucking — not through slogans or speeches, but through consistent, deliberate work and innovation.
First Up: Meet Servant Leader John Ethridge of Buddy Moore Trucking in Birmingham, Ala.
John Ethridge comes from Alabama trucking royalty. A third-generation member of the Moore family, he continues the 60-year legacy of Alabama flatbed operator Buddy Moore Trucking, upholding the family’s long tradition of excellence in customer service and dedication to the people who make the company great.
His career in the industry began with odd jobs in the shop while he was a high school and college student at Auburn University. Growing up, he idolized his grandfather, the late, great Buddy Moore. Along with his uncle Buck Moore and aunt Susan Kirkpatrick — each considered Titans of the state’s trucking industry — his grandfather inspired and mentored his eventual progression into trucking.
“(Buddy) was the definition of the American dream,” Ethridge says. “He started as a trucker and was on the road for about 10 years, and anybody that you would talk to would tell you that he was an honest, loyal, hard-working man. He cared deeply about his drivers, his employees and his customers, and he always wanted to do what was right. I think that has been the most influential principle to guide my own career in trucking.”
“Buddy told me once that in trucking, you never burn a bridge because you never know when you’re going to have to cross that bridge again. I think about that advice often, and I know it guides everything I do in business and beyond.”
As a regional sales manager, Ethridge’s job is to bring new business and maintain relationships with existing customers, but he’s also involved in operations and driver programs, which he says helps him to be more in tune with the company’s overall network.
“I am focused on building relationships with our drivers, employees and customers,” he says. “I’m lucky to be part of such a great team – it makes my job easier. Often, I’m the (sole contact) my customers have with the company. And when bringing new business to the table, I know I’ve got a team of incredible drivers, dispatchers, customer service reps, and many others who always have my back. They make me look good. Without them, I could not be successful.”
Service to others is a trait of great leadership, and it has been a defining feature of Ethridge’s young career. As an ATA board member, he collaborates with his colleagues and customers while dedicating his time to various projects and events. Beyond his professional contributions, he also remains actively involved in his church, exemplifying his commitment to making a positive impact in both his community and industry.
“Buddy told me once that in trucking, you never burn a bridge because you never know when you’re going to have to cross that bridge again,” he says. “I think about that advice often, and I know it guides everything I do in business and beyond.”
Read about the Alabama trucking industry’s “Next in Line” which highlights the next generation of men and women leading the way in trucking. This issue also features highlights on the “Trucking Resurgence” plan to safeguard the industry from fraud, failure, and those who cut corners.
