The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has selected Brad Bentley as its new president, succeeding Chris Burruss, who resigned in late June due to personal reasons.
Bentley will be relocating from Alabama to the Washington, D.C. area and will begin working for TCA full-time in mid-October.
TCA organized a special task force to find a new president and, led by TCA Chairman Shepard Dunn, received more than 100 applications and spent the entire summer examining them. When Dunn notified the TCA membership of the result of the vote, he said, "Brad is a bright, creative, 'roll-up-your-sleeves and earn your stripes kind of guy' who knows trucking's issues, companies, and people.
"With his outstanding communication skills, there's no doubt he will make a positive impact on TCA's members, programs, and sponsorships," Dunn said. "I feel confident he will be a natural fit with our organization."
A University of Alabama graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism, Bentley has worked in the trucking industry since 1988. He spent six years in driver recruitment advertising sales, followed by 15 years as a trucking publisher, before becoming the editorial director for Randall-Reilly recruiting in 2008.
He has been active in TCA, most recently serving as co-chair of the Image and Communication Policy Committee. He is also a member of the board of directors as well as the Recruitment & Retention Human Resources Committee. Bentley has played a role in the behind-the-scenes development of several of TCA's signature activities, including helping to formalize TCA's partnership with Wreaths Across America, introducing TCA to organizers of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project, and promoting the Highway Angel program on a regular basis throughout the years.
Bentley is also active on the Commercial Vehicle Training Association's Marketing Committee and the American Trucking Associations' Communications and Image Policy Committee. While at Randall-Reilly, Bentley developed the Mike O’Connell Memorial Trucking’s Top Rookie Program.
"I'm honored to have been selected. It's a life-changing deal for me," said Bentley. "My career has been about creativity and collaboration, and I'm a big networker, so you'll see me out there 'beating the streets.' I'm planning to offer the TCA members a value-driven agenda."
