Wickham Receives Earl Dove Award; ATA Cites Vision, Leadership of ATRI
This story appears in the May 23 print edition of Transport Topics.
American Trucking Associations paid tribute on May 15 to longtime trucking executive Michael Wickham with its highest award.
Wickham, former chairman and CEO of Roadway Corp. and the founding chairman of the American Transportation Research Institute, won ATA’s S. Earl Dove Highways Award.
“Given his vision for and energy in creating and leading an independent research organization, there is no one more deserving to be added to these august ranks than Michael Wickham,” said Steve Williams, chairman and CEO of North Little Rock, Ark., flatbed carrier Maverick USA and current chairman of ATRI.
ATA President Bill Graves said Wickham’s “vision for a strong, credible independent research organization focused on the industry’s safety and productivity” was a driving force in the reorganization of the ATA Foundation into ATRI.
“There is no better way to celebrate our 10 years of research excellence than to recognize the man who originally set us on this course,” said Rebecca Brewster, ATRI president and chief operating officer.
ATA presented the award during its celebration of ATRI’s 10th anniversary at the association’s annual leadership meeting in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
ATRI is the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization. It researches issues relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.
The Dove Award, considered ATA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals whose contributions of time, energy and intelligence have advanced the interests of the trucking industry and ATA, the federation said.
Dove, ATA chairman in 1985-86, also owned less-than-truckload carrier AAA Cooper Transportation, Dothan, Ala., until January 1989, when he sold his share to his brother, Mack.
The previous Dove Award winner, in January 2008, was Bob Halladay, who was ATA’s senior vice president of federation relations. Halladay also headed up Transport Topics Publishing Group when he retired in 1990.
Wickham, who worked for 35 years with Roadway, was chairman when the motor carrier merged with Yellow Corp. in 2003. Shortly after the merger, Wickham retired and William Zollars became chairman and CEO of the merged Yellow Roadway Corp., later renamed YRC Worldwide.
Roadway was based in Akron, Ohio. Wickham now is on the board of Douglas Dynamics Inc., a Milwaukee consumer products and auto parts maker.
