ALEXANDRIA , Va. — Montana fleet owner Ray Kuntz was named chairman of the American Trucking Associations, the largest trucking industry trade and advocacy group in the U.S.

Kuntz, CEO of Watkins & Shepard Trucking Inc., Helena, Mont., was elected to the position at the ATA’s Executive Committee meeting in Dallas. He begins a 16-month term as chairman, succeeding CEO and Co-Chairman of U.S. Xpress Enterprises Pat Quinn.

During his term, Kuntz hopes to build consensus within the trucking industry on highway funding, environmental and tax policy issues. Kuntz also is supportive of tort reform and attracting new drivers to the industry.

During his time as first vice chairman, Kuntz played a lead role in developing the ATA’s comprehensive truck driver recruitment campaign, which includes GetTrucking.com. ATA modeled its Company Driver Tuition Finance Program after a financing program successfully piloted by Kuntz at Watkins & Shepard as a means of addressing the company’s shortage of long-haul truck drivers.

Watkins & Shepard Trucking provides truckload (both dry van and flatbed), LTL, and brokerage services.

From a humble beginning 33 years ago that married a small 16-truck company and a beer distributorship, the company has grown to more than 700 trucks and drivers, 1,095 total employees and a nationwide network of 23 terminals and drop yards in 15 states.

Normally ATA officers hold one-year terms but Quinn and Kuntz served longer to fill the term of Mac McCormick, who died in a plane crash last year.