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October 9, 2014 1:25 PM, EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. — Duane Long has run everything from an array of companies with more than 2,000 employees to a logistics firm with 40 trucks, a breadth of experience that he brings to his new role as chairman of American Trucking Associations.

But the time he regularly spends on the road also keeps him connected to the challenges fleets and drivers face, Long said.

“I see the traffic, I see the potholes, I see the construction and the truck stops,” said Long, chairman of Raleigh-based logistics company Longistics, which specializes in serving the pharmaceutical industry. “I go in looking like a truck driver, and I see how they are treated.”

MC&E 2014: Complete coverage

Long said the way drivers and fleets are treated on Capitol Hill will be a key focus of his tenure as chairman, which began Oct. 7 at the conclusion of ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition, where he took over from Philip Byrd Sr., president of Bulldog Hiway Express.

Read the rest of this profile in the Oct. 13 issue of Transport Topics.