FedEx Freight driver Steve Brand, who has accumulated 4.9 million safe driving miles over a 37-year trucking career, was among three recipients of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2026 Mike Russell Trucking Image Award.
Brand was recognized alongside the Trucking Association Executives Council Task Force and Conversion Interactive Agency during ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 19.
Sponsored by Great West, an Old Republic Company, the award recognizes individuals and organizations whose work promotes the trucking industry’s professionalism, commitment to safety, and contributions to communities.
Steve Brand Recognized for Safety and Industry Involvement
Brand has spent 30 years with FedEx Freight after beginning his career with seven years of over-the-road driving. His accomplishments include serving as a current America’s Road Team Captain and a member of the FedEx Freight Road Team.
He has also competed twice in the National Truck Driving Championships and received several individual honors, including the 2024 Ohio Driver of the Year award and recognition as a 2026 TA Petro Citizen Driver.
Beyond his driving record, ATA highlighted Brand’s involvement in community events and trucking outreach programs. His activities have included Dayton Touch a Truck, Share the Road, Safety Drive for a Cure, and Make-A-Wish fundraisers.
Brand also hosts the Truckers’ Voice podcast and serves as a Truckers Against Trafficking Ambassador, using those roles to share industry experiences and promote awareness of issues affecting professional drivers.
Trucking Association Task Force Honored for Industry Report
ATA also recognized the Trucking Association Executives Council Task Force for its work developing Trucking Resurgence: The Fight for Fairness and Safety.
The report outlined industry concerns and proposed responses involving fraud, safety enforcement, and regulatory compliance. According to ATA, the task force sought to address practices involving carriers, brokers, and electronic logging device providers that it identified as harmful to legitimate trucking businesses and public safety.
The association credited the group with bringing forward recommendations developed through grassroots industry involvement.
Conversion Interactive Agency Recognized for Workforce Development
The third recipient, Conversion Interactive Agency, was honored for its work supporting trucking recruitment, workforce development, and industry engagement over more than three decades.
According to ATA, the agency’s initiatives have generated nearly five million driver leads and helped facilitate more than 56,000 hires. Its work has also included efforts to introduce new workers to trucking career opportunities and support connections between carriers and prospective employees.
The recognition reflected the agency’s contributions to the industry’s workforce and its efforts to communicate trucking career opportunities to a broader audience.
ATA Highlights Industry Ambassadors
The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award recognizes contributions that extend beyond day-to-day business operations, including community outreach, safety advocacy, and efforts to improve public understanding of trucking.
Nikki Thomas, ATA’s vice president of industry affairs, said the 2026 recipients demonstrated different ways individuals and organizations could contribute to the industry’s reputation.
“The Mike Russell Award recognizes the individuals and organizations who take ownership of trucking’s story and share it with authenticity, passion, and purpose,” Thomas said.
She added that the honorees’ work demonstrated the importance of sharing positive stories about trucking and its role in the United States.
The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.
Last Updated: October 23, 2026
Source: Truckers News
Image Source: ATA
