Gary Salisbury promoted to president and CEO of Fikes

From left, Jerry Davis, Jim Smith and Gary Salisbury. (Courtesy Fikes Truck Line).

The Trucker News Services

4/29/2008

HOPE, Ark. — Fikes Truck Line has announced a transition in its leadership team with Gary Salisbury being promoted to president and CEO and Jerry Davis to executive vice president.

Jim Smith, owner and former president, will continue in his position as chairman of the board.

“Both Salisbury and Davis have been here since the beginning,” Smith said, noting that both joined the company as independent contractors. “Their promotions are well-deserved and allow us to capitalize on our strengths. These changes will create more opportunities for everyone and solidify the future of Fikes.”

Smith bought Fikes Truck Line in 1981. At that time, Fikes was an intrastate carrier with nine owner-operators. Within two years, Smith expanded operations, acquiring 48-state authority in 1983.

As he set out to grow the business, Smith said he followed a personal philosophy of “hire the person with the most want-to and teach them what you know.”

The first two contractors he signed on were Gary Salisbury and Jerry Davis.

After several years of hauling goods for Fikes, Salisbury and Davis became members of the staff, heading up dispatch and safety departments for the growing company.

Salisbury joined the executive team in 1995 and Davis became a vice president in 2001, giving Fikes the unique advantage of a management team with first-hand experience behind the wheel of a truck, Smith said.

In his tenure at Fikes, Salisbury has worked in almost every aspect of the company, including dispatch, sales and recruiting, and his leadership skills have been instrumental in growing the business into the $70-million operation, Smith said.

Most recently, he was senior vice president and COO, a position he had held since 2003.

Davis spent his first five years hauling for Fikes until Smith asked him to found a safety department in 1986. Davis set out to build their award-winning safety and insurance program from the ground up, with a dual-focus on the interests of contractors and company.

For more information on Fikes Truck Line, visit www.fikes.com or call (800) 643-6611.

To read a recent profile on Smith and Salisbury, click here.