The Truckload Carriers Association has kicked off a leadership transition, announcing that President Jim Ward will retire “in the coming months” and that a search committee has begun recruiting his successor as of October 2, 2025. The association has posted the position and is inviting candidates to apply via a dedicated email as the process gets underway.
TCA says the committee will prioritize a leader who can extend the group’s growth, deepen its relationships in Washington and accelerate innovation and technology adoption across member fleets—signaling continuity on advocacy and modernization even as the organization prepares for new stewardship.
Ward has led TCA since 2022 and is widely credited with broadening member engagement and elevating the association’s profile. Before taking the helm, he spent three decades at D.M. Bowman, including 20 years as president and CEO—experience that shaped his operator-first approach at the trade group.
Why it matters: Trade association leadership helps set the truckload sector’s near-term agenda. TCA’s next president will influence how carriers’ priorities are framed for policymakers, how safety and workforce programs are scaled, and how emerging technology—from data standards to connected driver tools—makes its way into day-to-day operations. With the committee emphasizing policy engagement and innovation, members should expect an emphasis on practical wins in Washington paired with tools that deliver measurable ROI in the yard and on the road.
The search window appears intentionally broad. TCA has publicized the role and application details, while industry outlets have highlighted the committee’s mandate to find a strategic leader with association management chops and the ability to mobilize stakeholders. That openness suggests TCA is casting a wide net across both seasoned association executives and operators with hands-on carrier experience.
Scale and remit underscore the stakes. TCA represents truckload carriers across dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, tanker and intermodal segments—operators collectively running more than 220,000 power units and generating in excess of $40 billion in annual revenue. A smooth transition preserves continuity for programs that touch everything from safety and training to benchmarking and member education.
What to watch next: candidate signals and timelines. As résumés arrive, look for indicators of the profile TCA favors—Capitol Hill fluency, technology deployment experience, or a deep carrier-operations résumé. Given the association’s emphasis on government relations and innovation, finalists will likely be expected to show a plan for amplifying TCA’s policy voice and accelerating member-facing initiatives without disrupting the momentum Ward built.
Sources: FreightWaves, Truckload Carriers Association, DC Velocity, Transport Topics, FleetOwner
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