ATRI Taps TeamOne Executive Siplon as New Leader

ATRI names TeamOne’s Page Siplon as next president and COO

The American Transportation Research Institute has named Page Siplon as its next president and chief operating officer, positioning him to lead the trucking industry’s primary not-for-profit research organization after Rebecca Brewster retires in early 2027.

Siplon will join the ATRI staff next month and work alongside Brewster during the transition. He will assume the organization’s top leadership responsibilities when Brewster steps down in February 2027.

Brewster has led ATRI for 25 years and has spent 34 years with the organization. Her retirement will mark the first change in ATRI’s top leadership in more than two decades.

ATRI’s board has formed a search committee to oversee the process of identifying the organization’s next leader. The institute conducts research focused on improving safety, productivity and operating conditions across the trucking industry.

“Page brings a deep understanding of the trucking industry and the challenges facing motor carriers and their employees,” ATRI said in announcing his appointment.

Siplon most recently served as CEO of TeamOne Logistics, a Georgia-based company that works with carriers to provide drivers and other employees. His work there focused on workforce issues, including driver recruitment and retention, safety and the operational challenges confronting motor carriers.

Those issues remain central concerns for professional drivers and fleets. Recruiting and retaining qualified drivers, maintaining safe operations and managing the costs associated with compliance and employee health all affect how efficiently freight moves and how much pressure is placed on drivers in day-to-day operations.

Before joining TeamOne, Siplon was executive director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics. He also founded the Georgia Logistics Summit, which ATRI described as one of the nation’s largest logistics conferences.

Siplon has additionally served as vice chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. His background includes work across trucking, logistics and supply-chain policy.

His appointment was announced as the American Trucking Associations prepared for its annual conference. The announcement came one day after ATA announced Mark Colson, the current head of the Alabama Trucking Association, as its next leader.

ATRI operates as ATA’s not-for-profit research organization, but it conducts research and surveys on issues affecting the broader trucking industry. Its findings are frequently used by carriers, drivers, policymakers and industry groups to evaluate safety, costs and operating conditions.

One of ATRI’s best-known annual projects is its survey ranking the top issues facing trucking. The results separate responses from motor carrier management and professional drivers, providing a view of where the two groups agree and where their priorities differ.

The survey results are expected to be released around the ATA’s annual meeting. Driver and management responses have often produced noticeably different rankings, reflecting the different pressures each group faces in the freight system.

For drivers, the survey can highlight concerns tied directly to life on the road, including compensation, parking, regulatory requirements, traffic congestion and the availability of safe operating conditions. For fleets, the results can emphasize costs, labor availability, insurance and compliance.

ATRI also recently launched separate surveys examining driver health and wellness. The driver survey asks participants to share information anonymously about their health and their experience maintaining wellness while working on the road.

The carrier survey seeks information on issues including the duration of drivers’ medical cards, insurance costs and other performance indicators. Motor carriers have been encouraged to share the driver survey with their employees.

A medical card, formally known as a Medical Examiner’s Certificate, confirms that a commercial driver meets federal physical qualification requirements. The status and duration of those certificates can affect a driver’s ability to remain in service and a carrier’s ability to staff its fleet.

ATRI said the health research is intended to examine how driver health may affect safety, operational risk and costs. Those questions are especially relevant to drivers, whose work can involve long hours seated behind the wheel, irregular schedules and limited access to consistent health-care and exercise options.

Brewster’s tenure has included many of ATRI’s major research efforts and its expansion as a source of data on trucking operations. She has been recognized by organizations including the Women In Trucking Association and Fleet Owner magazine.

With Siplon joining before Brewster’s retirement, ATRI will have a period of overlap to support the leadership transition. The change comes as the trucking industry continues to rely on research to address workforce challenges, safety performance, operating costs and the practical effects of regulations on drivers and carriers.