The Truckload Carriers Association has begun a leadership transition after announcing that President Jim Ward intends to retire in the coming months, prompting the formation of a search committee and an open call for candidates. The move was disclosed Oct. 2–3, 2025, through official and trade outlets, with TCA describing the step as part of a planned succession.
Ward, who took the helm in 2022 after decades in fleet leadership, is credited by the association with expanding programs and deepening member engagement during a volatile period for carriers. He framed the handoff as a continuation of momentum rather than a reset, and TCA leaders praised his tenure as stabilizing and consequential for the sector.
The association has stood up a search committee and posted a job specification, inviting applications via a designated email channel as it canvasses for candidates who can scale programs, strengthen relationships in Washington and lean into technology adoption. Coverage in industry outlets on Oct. 3 emphasized those priorities and the committee-led process now underway.
For carriers, the change matters because of TCA’s reach: the group represents fleets operating more than 220,000 trucks across North America—an advocacy footprint that influences debates on safety, labor, infrastructure and environmental policy. A smooth transition helps ensure continuity at a time when regulatory calendars and equipment strategies are evolving quickly.
Near term, members should expect steady governance while the committee vets candidates and engages stakeholders. TCA’s current leadership underscored continuity and signaled that the next president will be tasked with executing on growth, government affairs and innovation themes that have become central to the association’s programming.
What to watch: the caliber and background of finalists. TCA has historically balanced association management savvy with operator know-how; this search is likely to prioritize a leader who can translate policy into operational wins for truckload fleets, accelerate member ROI from training and benchmarking, and keep the industry’s message aligned across state and federal venues. Those expectations are evident in the job criteria and in how trade publications framed the brief this week.
Bottom line: Ward’s planned retirement caps a three-year run that broadened TCA’s platform, and the successor choice will shape how truckload carriers advocate, recruit and invest through the next cycle. With applications now open, carriers have a window to influence the selection—and by extension, the agenda that will represent them in 2026 and beyond.
Sources: FreightWaves, Truckload Carriers Association, FleetOwner, DC Velocity, Transport Topics, TruckNews.com
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