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Con-way Truckload, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and American Trucking Associations Team Up for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month


don't text and drive (select to view enlarged photo)

JOPLIN, MO--April 23, 2013: Con-way Truckload, a full truckload carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. , hosted an event this morning with the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) and American Trucking Associations' (ATA) America's Road Team (ART) in recognition of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

During a press conference held at Con-way Truckload's headquarters in Joplin, Mo., representatives from the three organizations highlighted key safety tips for sharing the road with trucks, including distracted driving and blind spot awareness, as well as safe following and passing distances. Con-way professional drivers and ART Captains Stephanie Klang and David May were also on hand to offer firsthand safety perspectives and demonstrate safe driving skills during ride-alongs in ATA's "Share the Road" tractor-trailer.

"A fully loaded tractor-trailer can take the length of a football field to come to a complete stop," noted ART Captain and Con-way Professional Driver Stephanie Klang. "This is probably a surprise to the motoring public. There's simply no room for distraction on the roads -- events like these present a powerful way to educate the public that we all play a role in keeping our roadways safe."

At the event, the MSHP introduced its "Gone Too Soon" campaign, a multimedia program focused on educating drivers about the dangers of distracted or impaired driving, seatbelt safety and speeding. According to Lt. John Hotz, assistant director, public information and education division, Missouri State Highway Patrol, the state recorded nearly 20,000 distracted driver related crashes in the first three quarters of 2012 alone.

Con-way Truckload executives also spoke about the various safety and training programs at the company, stressing the importance of driver awareness and their commitment to keeping roads safe.

"Safety is our number one core value at Con-way and we invest heavily in training and technology to ensure that we are one of the safest carriers in the industry," said Bert Johnson, vice president, human resources and director of driver recruitment and safety, Con-way Truckload. "Distracted driving is a serious problem on America's roads. As a transportation company, we can become a part of the solution by sharing our knowledge and expertise in safe driving skills. We want to make sure everyone makes it home safely every day, not just our drivers."