TORONTO, Ont. — Scott Smith, CEO of Ontario TL/LTL carrier, J.D. Smith & Sons Ltd., was elected chairman of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) today at the association’s annual general meeting in Toronto.

Mr. Smith, 42, becomes the youngest chairman in OTA’s 78 year history. However, his roots run deep in the association as his father, the late Doug Smith, was chairman from 1985-1987.

"I’ve been around OTA literally my whole life and through my father became acquainted with members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee in my teens," Smith said. "I saw the attitude and commitment of the members that has made OTA the institution it is. I learned from a very early age that a strong association is good for your industry, and good for your own business. OTA has been and will continue to be a force for positive change in the trucking industry."

OTA President David Bradley described Smith as someone who is "schooled in the commitment and tradition that has sustained OTA over its long history" but also a man of the times who sees potential in where OTA and the industry are headed.

Over the years, Smith, has worked on a variety of OTA committees at the same time as he was progressing up through the chairs on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Most recently, he has served as chairman of the OTA Convention Advisory Committee presiding over one of the most acclaimed conferences of any industry in North America. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

During his term in office, Smith wants to concentrate on helping the association to further build its membership.

"In my books any legitimate carrier in the Ontario trucking industry should be a member of OTA," Smith emphasized, adding all carriers regardless of their size or their area of specialty benefit from the work of the association.

He also plans to work to find ways to better engage all the members of the Board of Directors and the association.

"There is so much talent, so much dedication to the industry out there we want to continually find ways to channel that energy and get more people involved."

"We are at a watershed moment in our industry," he said. "The changes that are underway in the industry, the new dynamism and the opportunities that are opening up for carriers to improve their businesses are very exciting."

J.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. specializes in LTL/TL shipments as well as warehousing and logistics management, boasting many Fortune 500 companies as customers. The company employs 285 people and operates 130 power units and has achieved an excellent safety rating from the Ministry of Transportation