Trucking news and briefs for Friday, June 11, 2026:
PGT Trucking celebrates safe drivers, 45th anniversary
PGT Trucking inducted five new Million Mile Drivers for safe driving in 2025, including Christian Garcia, shown on stage with COO Chad Marsilio, President Gregg Troian and CEO Pat Gallagher.
PGT Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 72) recognized 50 Million Mile Drivers and 109 Safe Drivers at its annual Million Mile Safe Driver Celebration at Acrisure Stadium recently. The event also marked the 45th anniversary of the company.
The company inducted five new Million Mile Drivers who have logged at least 1 million accident-free miles: Paul Brown, Christopher Chupp, Christian Garcia, Lucio Tolayo and Jarrod Waugh. Safe Drivers honored at the event have driven for the company for more than five years without an incident.
"In today’s challenging workplace environment, it is incredibly important to recognize strong talent, hard work and continued loyalty," PGT Trucking President Gregg Troian said.
Several annual award winners were also announced, including Company Driver of the Year Clarence Hall and Independent Contractor of the Year Ronnie Johnson. Million Mile Driver Ricky Franklin won the grand prize, a 2026 Ford F-150.
Pat Gallagher, PGT Trucking founder and CEO, praised the 159 drivers for their dedication despite increasingly congested highways and aggressive motorists. "I am honored to recognize these 159 drivers for their commitment to safety, excellence and professionalism," Gallagher said.
Mack unveils USA-themed NASCAR trucks
Nearly 2,400 fans voted online to determine the patriotic wrap now featured on three Mack Pioneer trucks — a red, white and blue scheme displaying the emblems of all six military branches. The wrapped Pioneers are among 11 all-new Mack Pioneer 76-inch High-Roof Sleeper models recently added to the NASCAR fleet.
Mack Trucks is partnering with NASCAR for the ninth consecutive year to support #NASCARSalutes, an annual campaign honoring U.S. military members, veterans and their families.
Nearly 2,400 fans voted online to select a patriotic wrap design for three Mack Pioneer models. The winning red, white and blue scheme features emblems from all six military branches.
The custom vehicles are part of an expanded partnership with Mack, the Official Hauler of NASCAR, which recently added 11 new Mack Pioneer 76-inch High-Roof Sleeper models to its fleet. The three wrapped trucks will remain in active service throughout the season, traveling track to track.
The vehicles made their debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend. Their next stop is Sunday at Pocono Raceway for the Great American Getaway 400.
Venti AVs move 340,000 containers, surpass 500,000 miles
Autonomous vehicle company Venti Technologies said its fleet has surpassed 500,000 miles traveled and moved more than 340,000 containers, marking a significant milestone in autonomous logistics.
The company, which specializes in AI-powered vehicles for industrial yards and logistics hubs, said it has operated its fleet 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two and a half years. According to Venti, it is currently the only company running driver-out autonomous vehicles in full production within real-world logistics environments.
The self-driving trucks transport loaded shipping containers through mixed human and robot traffic without relying on dedicated lanes or specialized infrastructure. Venti officials said the onboard systems handle all localization and decision-making, allowing the vehicles to park within 1-inch accuracy.
"Global logistics sites and supply chain nodes are burdened by many inefficiencies, including labor shortages, human error, and rising costs," Heidi Wyle, Venti’s founder and CEO, said in a statement. "Venti uses AI to eliminate friction in the supply chain, thereby providing customers with transformational and sustained cost savings."
The company's autonomy platform collects 1 million data points per second from each vehicle. Venti says this continuous stream of operational data is being used to build a foundational AI model to support autonomous logistics across diverse industrial environments while monitoring vehicle health for predictive maintenance.
