ATHS celebrates 50 years of remembering and preserving truck history

It was 50 years in the making, as the American Truck Historical Society celebrated its founding with the unveiling of a hall of fame and more during a two-day event in Kansas City, Mo.

“It’s really a great day at ATHS,” Marty Glomb, first vice president of the American Truck Historical Society, said. “I’m continually amazed by the forward thinking and foresight of the folks that put this together 50 years ago and how far we’ve been able to come. We’re looking forward to the next 50 years and continuing our mission of remembering and preserving the history of trucking.”

The highlight of the celebration was the induction of the first American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame class, which included the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Clessie Lyle Cummins, John (Jack) and Gus Mack, and Dave Nemo.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the hall of fame’s doors on Oct. 15, and an open house was held for ATHS members on Oct. 16.

“When the organization was originally founded in 1971, they had this thought of a Hall of Fame,” Glomb said. “You have to walk before you can run, right? So here we are, 50 years later, and it’s finally coming to fruition. It’s really going to be an important part of the American Truck Historical Society and further remembering those who enabled so many of us to make a good living and be associated with the trucking industry.”

The announcement of Walmart Transportation, which also is celebrating 50 years, as a corporate sponsor added another layer to the weekend celebration.

Nathan Lewis, regional transportation manager for Walmart, said the opportunity came about through driver involvement. The ability to support what drivers are passionate about is the perfect fit for philanthropic endeavors such as this, Lewis explained.

“It’s a great opportunity, and we’re really proud to be able to support this,” Lewis said. “We have a lot of drivers who support this organization and some with roles here at ATHS. The drivers came to us with this and we love getting suggestions and ideas from our drivers. This will be a great way to give back to the industry and we’re excited about helping promote it.”

All in all, it was the kind of celebration the American Truck Historical Society envisioned it would be, and excitement for what’s to come in the next 50 years continues to build.

“It’s great. There are people from all over the country here,” Glomb said. “We have people from all different facets of the industry. We even have a few new trucks outside so people can see how far the truck itself has come from 1971 to 2021. It’s just really great to be able to come together, share stories and talk about what lies ahead.” LL