In this segment, the Dart Network Podcast welcomes two very special guests to our Driving Through History Series. We will be joined by Dart Chairman of the Board Don Oren and his wife, Bev. We asked Don to reflect on the history of the company, its impact on the industry and his 66-year career in executive leadership with Dart. Through our discussion with Don, you’ll hear some compelling examples of the can-do attitude and undying perseverance that helped Dart find success and build a sterling reputation in the trucking industry. Also, during this podcast, you’ll hear some great perspective from Bev Oren, who is seen as a pioneer in trucking with her leadership of Dart’s HR Department, beginning in the 1970s and extending well into the 1990s.

The Dart Network Podcast welcomes ATA President & CEO Chris Spear as a special guest in our Driving Through History Series. The ATA is the nation’s largest organization representing the trucking industry. Chris spent some time with us by phone, sharing his perspective on this milestone anniversary for Dart. In this wide-ranging interview, we talk about the changes Dart has witnessed and influenced in the trucking industry during the company’s 85 years of operation.

In Part 2 of our conversation with ATA President & CEO Chris Spear, we get more of his observations on Dart’s ability to sustain and grow its business across all of the changes that the trucking industry has seen during the past 85 years. During this segment, you’ll also hear Chris discuss the important contributions that Don Oren, the Oren family and Dart have taken to help bring positive changes to the trucking industry, like the standardization of the 53-foot trailer.

John Hausladen, the President of the Minnesota Trucking Association, considers Dart and the Oren family as valued partners in furthering the image of trucking and serving as an example for the membership of the state association. We talked with John about the impact that the Oren family and Dart have made within the state and across the trucking industry over the company’s history.

As part of our series, we wanted to make sure to represent the perspective of the people behind the wheel within the Dart Network. During his 42 years as an owner-operator in the Dart fleet, Larry Severson became known as “Larry The Legend,” and it’s easy to see how he earned that title. Larry logged more than five million miles of accident-free driving. He Larry was honored as the top person behind the wheel by the Minnesota Trucking Association in 2004. In 2011, Larry Severson was recognized by the Truckload Carriers Association as the organization’s Contractor of Year. In this segment, Larry shares his experience with Dart while looking back at a great career in trucking.

One of the best parts of producing this series was the opportunity to chat with some of the retired stalwarts at Dart. Looking back at the company's history, Joyce Jordan was one of those difference-makers for Dart. Joyce served as Dart’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing for many years prior to her retirement in 2013. As you’ll hear in this podcast, Joyce was a real trail blazer and pioneer in the trucking industry, becoming one of the first women to lead the sales force for a major carrier. We had an opportunity to catch up with Joyce by phone from her home in Texas. Joyce talked about her days with FleetLine and Dart and how she found her road to success in the trucking industry.

Alan Swenson joined Dart in 1967 and held a variety of executive positions over a 48-year career with the company. In Part 1, we talked with Alan about joining the company and get his observations on how Dart has grown over the years. We also asked Alan to look back at his most lasting memories of his time at Dart and share with us what he’s doing these days in retirement. You’ll hear about his son, Scott, who has been a part of the Dart fleet for more than 40 years.

In Part 2 of our conversation with retired Dart executive Alan Swenson, we asked Alan to take us back to the days before deregulation and working to get hauling authority through the Interstate Commerce Commission. Alan shares the challenges that were faced during the ICC days, and he looks back at how the industry changed following deregulation in 1980.

In this segment, we’ll meet Stephanie Williamson, the Vice President of Revenue Management at Dart. Stephanie has been a part of the Dart Network now for 25 years, starting as a fleet manager and serving organization in a number of roles. Stephanie has a long history in the trucking industry. Her parents were both drivers, and, as you’ll hear in this podcast, Stephanie spent some time behind the wheel herself a few years before coming to the Dart Network in 1994. Stephanie shares some valuable insights on the approach the executive leadership at Dart has worked to open doors and allow the company’s people to grow their careers.

Gary Randall joined Dart as a summer intern in 1982. Today, he is Dart’s VP of Operations. In this segment, we asked Gary to look back at Dart’s history and the changes he has witnessed in Operations over the years as the trucking industry continues to evolve. Gary also shares his Mt. Rushmore of leaders who have made left their mark on Dart.