Russell Stubbs, Chairman of FFE Holdings, elected 2016-17 Chairman of the TCA

LAS VEGAS, Nevada:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has elected Russell Stubbs, chairman of FFE Holdings, Lancaster, Texas, as its 2016-17 chairman. After the vote by TCA’s Board of Directors earlier this week, a letter from Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, was read out loud recognizing Stubbs’ role as TCA’s new chairman and wishing him a productive year in office. Then Stubbs was sworn in at this morning’s general session, part of the organization’s Annual Convention that will conclude tomorrow at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Stubbs family has been involved with the trucking industry since 1948, when Stoney Stubbs, Russell’s grandfather, began working for his brother-in-law, Cy Weller, and Cy’s brother Edgar at a refrigerated trucking company called Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc. (FFE). He served as chairman of TCA from 1967-68. His son, Stoney “Mit” Stubbs, Jr., began working for FFE in 1960 and was promoted to president and later chairman of the board after his father retired. He served as TCA chairman from 1995-96. During the years that he was most active at FFE, the company grew to become one of the largest temperature-controlled carriers in North America. In fact, it was named by Fortune magazine as one of the 200 best companies to work for in the U.S.

Mit’s son, Russell—now the third generation of Stubbs family to work for FFE and serve as TCA chairman—started with the business in February 1986 as a management trainee after graduating from college. He worked his way up through the company in a variety of positions, from operations and dispatch, to the software team, to the acquisitions team. In 1999, he became president of three smaller fleets that FFE had acquired in the late 1980s. In 2006, he became chief operating officer of FFE Industries, moving on to president in 2008. When his father retired in 2010, Russell became the president and CEO. In 2013, FFE was purchased and taken private by the owners of KLLM Transport Services, LLC, and FFE’s over-the-road truckload division was merged into KLLM. Russell became chairman of FFE Holdings in September of 2014 and now represents the company at industry and legislative functions.

Stubbs has been very active in TCA’s activities. He chaired the Regulatory Policy Committee from 2007-08 and served as secretary/treasurer of the Refrigerated Division from 2009-2010. He has also been a member of the Carrier/Shipper Relations Committee, the Independent Contractor Practices Policy Committee, the Young Transportation Executives program, and the Financial Oversight & Long-Range Planning Task Force. As a member of the organization’s executive committee and board of directors, he has held the positions of secretary, at-large officer, and first and second vice chair.

Stubbs is a former member of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) board of directors, executive committee, and membership committee. In his home state, he is a past chairman and Foundation chairman of the Texas Trucking Association (TXTA), as well as a former member of that organization’s executive committee. He is also the recipient of TXTA’s Foundation Kay Crimm Award for 2005 and the Leader of the Year Award for 2007.

Locally, Stubbs is involved with his alma mater, Texas A & M University, where he has served as a mentor for the College of Agriculture and participates in a foundation that provides scholarships to prospective and current students.  He also volunteers with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo by serving on the livestock and equine committees. He enjoys raising cattle, hunting, and golf. He and his wife, Dawn, have been married 26 years and have a son, Corby. Their second son, Reese, passed away at only 20 years of age and has been immortalized in the trucking industry through TCA’s Stoney Reese Stubbs Memorial Scholarship.

During the coming year, Stubbs will be looking ahead at the long-term legislative and regulatory challenges that could affect TCA’s business model in the truckload segment. He will ensure that the organization stays abreast of hours-of-service, safety, size and weight, and other issues that could potentially change how truckload carriers must operate. He will make certain that TCA continues to educate its members about issues such as driver hiring and retention and driver wellness. Truckload carrier profitability will also be a major focus.

Earlier in the convention, Stubbs proudly accepted a 60-year membership award on behalf of FFE. He will lead TCA until the next Annual Convention, scheduled for March 26-29, 2017, at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee.

The following individuals will assist Stubbs as TCA’s officers:

• First Vice Chairman: Rob Penner, Executive Vice President and COO, Bison Transport, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Second Vice Chairman: Thomas Witt, President, Roehl Flatbed & Specialized, Roehl Transport Inc., Marshfield, Wisconsin

• Treasurer: Dennis Dellinger, President, Cargo Transporters, Inc., Claremont, North Carolina

• Secretary: Josh Kaburick, President & CEO, Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company, Salem, Illinois

• Association Vice President to ATA: William Reed, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Skyline Transportation, Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee

• Immediate Past Chairman: Keith Tuttle, founder of Motor Carrier Service, LLC, Northwood, Ohio

• At-Large Officer: Daniel I. Doran, President, Doran Logistics Services, LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio

• At-Large Officer: John Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, Load One, LLC, Taylor, Michigan

• At-Large Officer: Aaron Tennant, President & CEO, Simplex Leasing, Inc., Jamestown, North Dakota

• At-Large Officer: James Ward, President, D.M. Bowman, Inc., Williamsport, Maryland

You can learn about TCA’s activities under Stubbs’ leadership by following the association on Facebook—www.truckload.org/Facebook—and Twitter—www.truckload.org/Twitter.  On both social media sites, you can also learn about this year’s Annual Convention with the hashtag #2016TCA.