The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has bestowed its prestigious Past Chairmen’s Award on Tom Kretsinger, Jr., chairman of the board and CEO for American Central Transport (ACT) of Liberty, Missouri, and a former chairman of TCA from 2013-14. The presentation took place a few weeks ago at a special dinner in Kretsinger’s honor in Kansas City, Missouri. He was recognized again at the Annual Convention on March 27 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1981, after passing his bar exam, Kretsinger followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by joining the family law firm, Kretsinger & Kretsinger. The company had specialized in motor carrier law since the 1930s. In 1998, he joined ACT as general counsel and has since held several roles, including president, before being named to his current title. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from William Jewell College and a juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He also attended Harlaxton College in Grantham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, from 1976-1977.

Besides serving TCA as chairman, he has held numerous other positions with the organization, including executive committee member and board member, treasurer, and trustee for the TCA Scholarship Fund.

For the American Trucking Associations (ATA), Kretsinger has chaired the Litigation Center and has been a member of the ATA executive committee and board of directors. He is vice chairman of the ATA Labor and Regulatory Policy Committee and a member of the Highway Policy Committee, the Revenue Committee, and the ATA Strategic Planning Process Steering Committee.

Kretsinger is also the past chairman of the Missouri Trucking Association. He was recently honored with Missouri’s Frank Campbell Award for service to the industry. He is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the Transportation Lawyers Association.

A speaker, panelist, and writer for the trucking industry, he and his wife, Jo, reside in Kansas City, Missouri, and have four children and four grandchildren.

The Past Chairmen’s award is TCA’s highest honor. Recipients are leaders who have made a significant contribution to the business community, the trucking industry, and the organization. Contrary to the title of the award, the awardee does not have to be a past chairman of the association.

For more information about TCA’s activities, follow 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 #2017TCA.