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As a boy, when he was not breaking tires or washing trucks, Chris John canvassed the Louisiana countryside with his father, who was trying to get himself sent to Baton Rouge by the local voters. Trucking executive John N. John Jr. ran for office three times before he secured a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1972.

James E. Sheriff of Roadway Express topped off an eventful year with one of trucking’s highest honors: the National Driver of the Year Award from American Trucking Associations.

Jason Malufau, the son of American Trucking Associations employee Toni Malufau, is the recipient of the first ATA Scholarship Fund award, a $4,000 grant for college expenses.

Next time you think you’re running out of things to worry about, walk through the maintenance shop and check the bolt bins. There are enough potential disasters lurking there to give your corporate legal counsel ulcers.

For Erv Madsen, the mudslide that wiped out two miles of Highway 95 Oct. 16 is more than just an inconvenience. It could be enough to put him out of business.

Consolidation continues to dominate the financial scene in trucking. In the past week alone, three truckload carriers, a leasing company, a distribution firm and a truck parts distributor announced deals.

Volvo Truck Corp. has temporarily stopped production of heavy trucks at its Curitiba, Brazil truck plant because of concerns the global economic crisis may visit Latin America’s biggest economy next.

Bering Truck Corp. selected Central Truck Center in Landover, Md., as its first dealer. The dealership owned by Jim Burgess will sell the complete line of Class 3 through Class 8 Bering trucks in the Washington, D.C., area.

Atlas World Group expects its 1998 revenue to top $500 million for the first time in the company’s history. Chairman Walter E. Saubert said revenue should increase about 10% over 1997’s $490 million, and profits will exceed $7 million compared with $5.6 million.