The American Truck Dealers (ATD) elected Jodie Teuton, vice president of Kenworth of Louisiana and Southland Truck Leasing, as chairwoman of the organization during an event in Las Vegas last week.
In her opening remarks as the ATD’s first female chairperson, Teuton looked to the future, calling for a widening of employment pools, as well as stressing education and training for employees. She also highlighted challenges facing the industry, such as adapting to changing technology, navigating legislative and regulatory issues, and finding those employees.
“We’re seeing the advent of new power sources,” Teuton said. “We need to understand how autonomous and assisted-vehicle legislation will affect our industry in the future, and how new technology will impact customer demand.”
The ATD represents more than 1,800 heavy and medium duty truck dealerships in the United States. Yet among their issues are a lessening interest in such dealerships as a source of employment.
“We want to be the employer of choice. We provide well-paying jobs that support families and communities,” Teuton said. “The quality of our operations rests in the teams we build.”
In addition to building on education efforts, Teuton said she will champion advocacy efforts on behalf of the organization and urge dealers to push for greater involvement with lawmakers.