The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association announced today that Jim Johnston, its long serving leader, has passed away at the age of 78 after more than a year-long battle with lung cancer.
Johnston, who served as OOIDA president and chief executive officer from 1974 to the present, died at his home in Grain Valley, Mo.
“The trucking industry has lost a visionary and crusader for the rights of all truckers,” said Todd Spencer, who will now serve as acting president of OOIDA. “He leaves behind a legacy of passion and persistence that we will undoubtedly look to as our inspiration going forward as we continue the mission of the Association.”
Johnston was one of a group of truck drivers that started the OOIDA in 1973, realizing that a unified voice was the only way for independent truck drivers to be heard in Washington. He fought aggressively to build the organization into what it has become today as the largest national organization of professional truckers in the country.
He continued to work full time up until only days before his passing and remained dedicated to his core mission and that of the Association – fighting for the rights of truckers.
“We are prepared to continue the fight as only Jim would want us all to do,” added Spencer. “He loved every minute he spent as a trucker, but when circumstances required it in the ’70s he stepped down from behind the wheel to give a badly needed voice to truckers, the real truckers that move America. Every driver today is better off because of that decision he made years ago.”
A memorial page has been set up for sharing condolences and messages to friends and family. A celebration of life that will be open to the public will be arranged and announced at a later date.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is a national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has more than 160,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the Greater Kansas City, Mo., area.
Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter