Each week, trucknews.com lists notable events, promotions and awards in the trucking industry.

This week, NationaLease has appointed Mike Blimling as vice president of truck technology and maintenance and Daniel Grimwood-Bird joined Nauto to head the insurance division, while KAG Canada restructured its corporate safety and training team, adding new leadership roles, promoting internal staff and bringing on a new hire.

Meanwhile, the Truckload Carriers Association has named D. Houston Vaughn, George Henry, and Matt Miller as new at-large officers, and the Ontario Trucking Association has added Neha Ahmed and Dawson Stone to its team as policy and programs analyst and policy and industry affairs analyst, respectively.

Montway Auto Transport has named Tony Herget vice president of strategic partnerships and AJ Metler Hauling and Rigging has welcomed Jeff Reed as vice president of operations.

NationaLease names VP of truck technology and maintenance

NationaLease has appointed Mike Blimling as vice president of truck technology and maintenance, succeeding Joe Puff, who will retire in May after more than a decade in the role.

Puff, who has held the position since 2014, will support Blimling through the transition.

In his new role, Blimling will analyze member fleet operations and provide guidance on vehicle spec’ing, maintenance best practices, and emerging technologies. He will also coordinate the annual NationaLease Tech Challenge, work with OEMs and partners, and support the organization’s participation in industry events such as TMCSuperTech.

Blimling brings more than 20 years of industry experience, most recently serving as director of fleet operations at Kriete Leasing & Rental and director of fleet analysis at Roadrunner Transportation Systems. He began his career as a service advisor and lube technician at Petro Lube.

Nauto appoints Grimwood-Bird as head of insurance

Daniel Grimwood-Bird will head the insurance division at Nauto, the company announced.

He brings more than 20 years of experience across insurance, insurtech, and data-driven risk intelligence, with a focus on helping insurers shift from reactive claims management to proactive risk prevention. In addition to his executive leadership experience, Grimwood-Bird is also the host of the Humanizing Insurance podcast.

In the new role, Grimwood-Bird will lead global engagement with insurers and brokers, working to embed vehicle data and AI insights into insurance workflows — such as underwriting, pricing, and risk management strategies – to achieve more accurate risk assessment, improved loss ratios, and safer outcomes for fleets and drivers.

Prior to joining Nauto, he held the role of chief revenue officer at Maptycs and head of sales and marketing at McKenzie Intelligence Services.

KAG Canada expands safety, training team with new roles and promotions

KAG Canada has restructured its corporate safety and training team, adding new leadership roles, promoting internal staff and bringing on a new hire as it looks to strengthen safety, compliance, and employee development across the organization, according to a news release.

The company appointed Kalen Paul as corporate safety manager, Western Canada. In his new role, Paul will oversee terminals west of Saskatchewan, including leadership of the safety team at KAG Canada’s Edmonton terminal. Paul brings more than 10 years of experience in fuel hauling and distribution, with a background spanning operations, safety, and field-based roles. KAG Canada said he will work with the broader safety team to improve the consistency, responsiveness, and effectiveness of safety programs nationwide.

Chris Harris, who joined KAG Canada more than 15 years ago as a Class 1 truck driver, will continue in his current role as corporate compliance manager, overseeing occupational health and safety compliance activities, customer contractual health and safety requirements, regulatory compliance, and the central learning centre.

The company also announced two internal promotions.

Kassia Nordick has been promoted to compliance specialist. She joined KAG Canada in 2018 at its Moose Jaw terminal and moved to the Edmonton head office in 2021 to become a safety analyst at the Central Learning Centre. In her new role, she will continue supporting the learning centre while taking on expanded regulatory responsibilities.

Mina Jovicevic has been promoted to claims and safety specialist role. Since joining KAG Canada in 2023 at its Edmonton head office, she has supported the company’s insurance requirements, assisted safety teams, and worked on projects tied to regulatory and internal compliance.

KAG Canada also hired Jonathan Hookes as talent development specialist. Working closely with human resources and the safety and training team, he will focus on professional development, career growth, and skills advancement, while helping develop and oversee training programs across the company.

TCA names three at-large officers

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named three new at-large officers, confirmed earlier this month during its annual convention in Orlando, Fla. They will work with TCA and support its leadership and strategic initiatives.

The elected officers are: D. Houston Vaughn, president and chief operating officer of PS Logistics; George Henry, chief executive officer of USA Truck; and Matt Miller, vice president, chief safety and operations officer at Landstar.

Montway Auto Transport appoints Herget VP of strategic partnerships

Montway Auto Transport has named Tony Herget vice president of strategic partnerships, a newly created role aimed at expanding relationships with large automotive dealer groups and other high-volume clients.

Hergert joins Montway with over 25 years of experience across retail automotive and data-driven services, including 15 years at Carfax.

In his new role, Herget will focus on building and managing relationships with national and multi-rooftop dealer groups, while working across operations, product, technology, marketing, and finance teams to develop tailored offerings. His role will also involve helping clients improve inventory management, control transportation costs, and gain real-time visibility into vehicle movement across networks.

OTA adds two policy analysts

The Ontario Trucking Association has added Neha Ahmed and Dawson Stone to its team as policy and programs analyst and policy and industry affairs analyst, respectively.

Ahmed recently graduated from the University of Waterloo, where she studied political science and minored in legal studies. While at the university, she worked as a research assistant, supporting academic projects through literature reviews, research synthesis, and data analysis.

At OTA, she will support the policy and government relations team by monitoring legislative developments, assisting with policy research, and contributing to communications and program initiatives.

Meanwhile, Stone graduated from Trent University’s political studies program with a specialization in public policy and later attended Seneca College’s public administration program. Prior to joining OTA, he worked in government relations in the telecommunications sector.

In his new role, Stone will support OTA’s policy team’s government affairs, communications, and research efforts.

AJ Metler adds Reed to leadership team

Knoxville, Tenn.-based AJ Metler Hauling and Rigging has welcomed Jeff Reed as vice president of operations, bringing decades of trucking industry experience to the company.

Reed began his career in a third-generation family-owned trucking business, where he worked in roles ranging from driver, shop technician and freight handler to vice president and ultimately president and owner of the business. He sold the company in 2024 and stayed involved to support a smooth transition.

At AJ Metler, Reed is focused on supporting operations, building customer relationships and helping guide the company’s growth strategy. The company said in a LinkedIn post that Reed brings valuable experience in scaling operations, having previously helped grow a trucking company from a small fleet to 150 trucks.