ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations presented its 2025 Cathy Evans Highway to Victory Award to Jim Utley, vice president of government services for the Bennett Family of Companies, honoring his extensive legislative advocacy and leadership within the national freight sector.
Utley serves as vice chairman of the ATA's Government Freight Conference. Before entering the transportation sector, he spent nearly thirty years serving in the U.S. Army, where he developed the operational discipline and organizational leadership that he later applied to commercial logistics and motor carrier operations.
Ed Gilroy, ATA chief advocacy and public affairs officer, noted that Utley transitioned his military fortitude directly into civilian freight advocacy. At Bennett, Utley concentrates on streamlining how motor carriers interface with the Department of Defense, particularly regarding military base access for commercial drivers, policy reform for sensitive freight movement, and secure credentialing standards.
What This Means for Drivers
Utley's legislative efforts directly target regulatory bottlenecks that frustrate professional truck drivers on a daily basis, including outdated security screening protocols. His work helped advance the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, which overhauls redundant federal credentialing systems to save time and reduce costs for OTR truck driver professionals. Better base access policies and streamlined security clearances mean fewer delays at defense installations for carriers hauling sensitive loads. Furthermore, his active support for the independent contractor model protects owner-operator businesses from restrictive federal reclassifications that threaten independent business models nationwide.
Industry Reaction
Industry leaders praised Utley for bridging the gap between national defense logistics and commercial motor carrier operations. The Cathy Evans Highway to Victory Award, named after the longtime ATA lobbyist, is presented annually to individuals who drive meaningful policy results at both state and federal levels. Previous recipients include top executives from Prime Inc., Werner Enterprises, J.B. Hunt, and Combined Transport Inc., highlighting the heavy-hitting roster of operators who have shaped federal trucking policy over the past decade.
Key Points
- Jim Utley received the 2025 Cathy Evans Highway to Victory Award from the American Trucking Associations.
- Utley serves as vice president of government services for Bennett Family of Companies and vice chairman of the ATA Government Freight Conference.
- He served nearly 30 years in the U.S. Army before transitioning to a leadership role in the commercial trucking sector.
- His legislative priorities include base access reform, sensitive freight security, and protecting the independent contractor model.
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