Volvo Trucks North America will serve as the exclusive sponsor of the American Trucking Associations’ America’s Road Team for 2027, its 25th consecutive year supporting the program.
“America’s Road Team represents the very best of our industry,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “These captains are recognized not only for their millions of safe driving miles, but also for their leadership and professionalism they bring to the road every day. Safety has been in the DNA of Volvo for nearly 100 years, making this partnership a natural fit. We’re proud to support these ambassadors as they travel the country in the all-new Volvo VNL, helping inspire the next generation and strengthen the trucking industry.”
America’s Road Team Captains are professional drivers chosen for exemplary safety records and their ability to speak about the industry. There are currently 92 active captains, and because many stay involved well past their two-year terms, the roster has grown into a standing corps of ambassadors. Captains have logged approximately 428 million safe driving miles over the 25 years of Volvo’s sponsorship, 213 million of those by the 92 captains active today.”
A Trusted Voice for Trucking
The captains’ experience behind the wheel forms the foundation of their work as trusted voices for the trucking industry. They testify before lawmakers, run ride-alongs for policymakers and reporters, and talk to students at career fairs and schools about what the job actually requires. ATA counts more than 230 safety events since 2019, and the program has reached an estimated 2.5 million people.
The newly selected captains will tour the country in a fully equipped, all-new Volvo VNL 860 that transports the ATA Interstate One mobile classroom to events and communities nationwide. Volvo Trucks’ vision Toward Zero Accidents is demonstrated through the all-new Volvo VNL’s next-generation suite of digital and mechanical safety systems, including advanced driver assistance and occupant protection technologies designed to safeguard lives and mitigate the risk of serious injuries in the event of an accident.
Safety First
“Volvo’s record of safety firsts for heavy-duty trucks in North America includes the high-strength steel cab, electronic stability control and an automatic emergency call system that connects the truck to 911 after airbag deployment,” Volvo said. “Integrated side curtain airbags are now standard equipment on new Volvo truck models built for this market. The three-point seat belt, invented by Volvo in 1959, remains the company’s best-known safety contribution.”
America’s Road Team
America’s Road Team, established by ATA in 1986, is a national outreach program that recognizes the role of more than 3.6 million professional truck drivers in the U.S. economy. Volvo Trucks has been the program’s sole sponsor since 2002.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe.
