Five new board members elected to OOIDA Board of Directors

When the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Board of Directors meet in April, they will be seating five new alternate board members.

Every two years, OOIDA’s voting members cast ballots to elect alternates to the Association’s Board of Directors. Voting for the two-year alternate positions closed on Jan. 31 with five new alternates elected. On Feb 6, Bob Esler, chairman of OOIDA’s Nomination-Election Committee, announced the names of the newly elected alternates.

The new alternate board members are Linda Allen of Spring Hill, Fla.; Rodney Morine of Opelausas, La.; Brad Peterson of Brookings, S.D.; Danny Schnautz of Pasadena, Texas; and M. Carl Smith of Marysville, Ohio.

Linda Allen entered the trucking industry 10 years ago during the economic recession, when both she and her husband lost their jobs. At the time, her husband knew how to drive a truck so they both got their CDLs, bought a truck and obtained their own authority. Linda says she knew virtually nothing about the industry or the business at that time, but then she learned about OOIDA.

Senior OOIDA member Rodney Morine comes from a trucking family. His grandfather, his father and his uncles were all truckers. Rodney says he knew from the time he was 5 years old that he wanted to join the family trucking ranks.

Brad Peterson joined OOIDA seven years ago, because he wanted to belong to an organization that helps in all aspects of trucking. Brad reads Land Line religiously to stay informed on industry issues as well as follows trucking news and listens to Road Dog radio. He believes education is one of the keys to succeeding in trucking.

Senior Member Danny Schnautz’s love for trucking and his passion for the industry started much earlier than most. Danny’s father was a trucker, and the truck was Danny’s first daycare. He took his first truck ride at just 2 days old, and trucking has been in his blood ever since.

Carl Smith first joined OOIDA in 1983 and has been in trucking most of his adult life. Carl knew he wanted to be a truck driver at age 12. After high school, he joined the Army and learned to drive as part of his training. Carl bought his first truck in 1983 through a lease-purchase program with Riss International in Kansas City, paid off that truck and bought a new one in 1985.

The new alternates will be sworn in by OOIDA President Todd Spencer at the spring meeting of the OOIDA Board of Directors.