Martial arts transformed Jim’s self-perception from former drug abuser and failure to successful entrepreneur and Master Black Belt. In 2004 he was inducted into the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Master Instructor of the Year. As a speaker and author of Amazon bestseller, Think Like a Black Belt, Jim tours internationally presenting his philosophy of Black Belt Mindset for corporate and conference audiences and how he continues to move forward by utilizing the power of Social Media.

Recognized as one of the country’s leading motivational speakers, he is a regular guest on TV and radio programs including FOX News, BBC Worldview and FOX Across America. Regardless if you are beginning a new business, seeking to grow your business or facing major obstacles as in the case of professional drivers, Mr. Bouchard has proven that any hardship can be overcome when you can “Think Like a Black Belt.”

Andy is Director of Business Development for AireDock which is one of the leading companies providing stationary truck idle reduction equipment at trucker resting facilities.  He is also president of Andrew J. Warcaba & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm located in the Chicago, Illinois Area.  As a Management Consultant, Andy has the opportunity to engage in a broad range of assignments. Over the years, he and his cadre of associated Architectural, Engineering and Subcontractor Companies have helped to reshape the Motorist Service Plaza Industry along our Nation’s Interstate Highway System. Mr. Warcaba has worked on several service plaza improvement and re-development projects that have become very successful on North America’s Interstate System.

In all of his design and planning efforts, Andy has always tried to take into consideration specifications that would improve parking conditions for truckers visiting rest areas and travel plazas.

Trucking Social Media welcomes back for the 3rd year Richard Wilson as a speaker for the 2013 convention. Rich is the President and CEO of TCRG, LLC- Transportation Compliance Resources Group.

Since 1976 Rich has been a driver, Owner operator, Small Fleet owner, Dispatcher, Broker, Fleet Operations and Safety Manager as well as a Safety & Regulatory Manager and Consultant.
Rich writes, and develops new training manuals, does on site carrier safety training programs and acts as a safety management consultant. He is a regulatory researcher who is experienced in on-site compliance review and corrective actions. Rich has acted as a regulatory representative for Owner operators, small fleets, large fleets, as well as Transportation Compliance consulting for International clients. He is familiar with accident investigation, insurance loss pay and cost lost analysis.

Jeff Barker is an 18-year OTR veteran driver with over 2 million safe miles as well as a columnist for LandLine Magazine since 2005. Jeff has had many roles in his trucking career including a Heavy Truck and Transport Refrigeration Mechanic, a company driver, and an owner operator.  Mr Barker is also concerned about safety and availability of truck parking and  has created the FaceBook page, Support Better Independent Truck Stops. He is  a regular Guest Speaker on many trucking-related radio shows, continually voicing his ideas and opinions joining the many who desire to “Raise the Standards of the Trucking Industry”

Jeff is an devout believer in Truck Driver Health and Wellness. He is also an avid cyclist and creator of the Ride and Roll program which teaches drivers the health benefits of bike riding and how to carry a bike with them on the road. He is also an advocate for improving the overall image of the truck drivers to help them earn a higher level of respect. His Presentation for this years event will be, “More Respect and Wages- How bad do you want it?”

Kylla Leeburg- Social Media Coordinator for Truckers Against Trafficking

Kylla is the grassroots activist who co-founded, along with Kendis Paris and Lyn Thompson, Chapter 61 Ministries and is also one of the originators of the Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) organization (2007).  Kylla also helped to co-found OATH, Oklahomans Against Trafficking. Ms. Leeburg was named national social media coordinator for the TAT 501(c)3 organization in 2011. Her effective use of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for the organization mission has helped educate the entire trucking community about human trafficking more rapidly than she could have thought possible using traditional networking events alone.

By recruiting the men and women on the front line of the trucking industry to act as modern day abolitionists, TAT has helped improve the public image of truck drivers and been effective to mobilize broad support using social media.

Desiree Wood – Founder of “REAL Women in Trucking” and a co-founder, along with Sandi Talbott, Shelle Lichti, and Alison Morris of the Women Truckers Social Media Network.
The www.REALwomenintrucking.com blog has grown into a community called the “Women Truckers Network” (WTN), hosting a bi-weekly free phone conference and new blog talk radio program. The mission of the REAL Women in trucking group is to network female professional drivers with friendship and to provide accurate information to woman entering trucking so they are able to make knowledgeable choices when they enter the industry.

Desiree Wood continues to be an instrumental and valued part of the truck parking research group, working with Hope Rivenburg, Andy Warcaba, and Richard Wilson, for the truck parking survey and OTR driver focus group  to be presented at the 2013 trucking social media convention.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER

Kristy Chaney is the daughter of Kerry Chaney, a member of Face Book’s: Deaf Truckers United group.

Kristy will be attending the convention as our Sign Language Interpreter. She has been our sign language interpreter for the last 3 years at the Truck Driver Social Media Convention.