At the American Trucking Associations’ 2026 Management Conference & Exhibition this week, ATA's Board of Directors elected Derek Leathers, chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises based in Omaha, Nebraska, as the federation’s 82nd chairman.
“For more than 90 years, ATA has given trucking a strong and unified voice. But longevity alone is not leadership. ATA has endured by continuing to raise the bar and bringing our industry together to solve problems none of us can solve alone,” said Leathers. “We did not build this institution. We inherited it from generations of leaders who gave their time, energy, and judgment to make our industry stronger. Now it is our responsibility to build on that foundation and leave ATA even stronger for those who come next. It is an honor to serve as ATA’s 82nd chairman to carry that mission forward.”
Leathers succeeds Greg Hodgen, CEO of Groendyke Transport, Inc., as ATA Chairman.
ATA’s Board also elected Gregg Troian, president of PGT Trucking Inc. in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, as first vice chair, and Michael Kiely, president of global government affairs at UPS, as second vice chair. The Board re-elected John M. Smith, chairman of CRST International Holdings LLC, as secretary. Harold Sumerford Jr., CEO of J&M Tank Lines Inc., was re-elected as treasurer.
