Special Podcast Series Highlights Dart Transit's 85 Years in Trucking

EAGAN, Minn., Nov. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Dart Transit Company, one of America's leading nationwide transportation service providers, announced the release of a documentary podcast series commemorating the company's 85th anniversary. Produced in collaboration with the PodWheels Network, Dart's Driving Through History Podcast Series features a collection of interviews examining the evolution of the company during the past eight and a half decades within an ever-changing trucking industry.

Dart's Driving Through History series includes nearly five total hours of recorded material, and the interviews have been organized into 15 podcast segments following particular themes or topics. Series listeners will have the opportunity hear perspectives on the company's history and Dart's impact on the trucking industry as a whole. Featured guests include Dart Chairman Don Oren, American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear and Minnesota Trucking Association President John Hausladen. The series also spotlights current members of the Dart management team as well as some of Dart's retired executives.

Driving Through History is available through the PodWheels Network on a dedicated web page, PodWheelsNetwork.com/85years. The series is also available through Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud.com, Spotify, Stitcher and other popular podcast platforms by searching Dart Network Podcast. Visitors to DartTruckingJobs.com can find the 85th anniversary series in the Podcast section of the website.

"Dart is one of the preeminent truckload carriers in our industry today, and I really enjoyed being part of this podcast series that celebrates Dart's storied 85-year history and the leadership of the Oren family," said Mr. Spear, who participated in the series by phone from ATA's headquarters. "Like the 86 years since ATA's founding, Dart's history runs from the Great Depression through World War II, the Interstate Highway System being built in the '50s, all the way to deregulation in 1980 and beyond. Dart has seen all of that history, and Dart has shaped a lot of what our industry is today. Dart truly reflects and exemplifies what is best about our industry."

Launched by Don Oren's father, Earl, in 1934 with a single truck and trailer, Dart has been continuously owned by the Oren family for 85 years. As the series details, the Oren family continues to play an active daily role in the business. Mr. Oren is directly involved in the day-to-day operation of the company, and all three of Mr. and Mrs. Oren's sons – Dave, Dan and Brad – are leading companies within the Dart Network. For his interview in the series, Mr. Oren was joined by his wife, Bev. Mrs. Oren, too, played an important role at Dart, providing pioneering leadership of Dart's HR Department beginning in the 1970s. Through their shared stories and recollections, listeners to Driving Through History will hear Mr. and Mrs. Oren look back at the company's early years, its growth and its people while also looking forward to what's ahead for Dart.

Russ Moore, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, has spearheaded Dart's efforts to collect material for the series. Moore explained, "We have been producing the Dart Network Podcast for the past three years, primarily as a focused communications, engagement and outreach platform to owner-operators and company drivers in the Dart Network. When we began looking at ways to commemorate the milestone of the company's 85th anniversary, we wanted to explore how we could use our podcasts to highlight different aspects of the company's history and some of the great stories from the past. The PodWheels Network has developed a documentary-style interview series that went beyond our initial expectations. Not only does the Driving Through History series deliver interesting stories and valuable perspectives related to Dart and changes seen in the trucking industry, but these podcasts also serve as a living history for the company."

The series of podcasts offers a variety of current perspectives and reflections from the past. Dart Vice President of Revenue Management Stephanie Williamson, who earned the distinction of being named the Women In Trucking Association's Member of the Month for August of this year, dedicated part of her interview to look back at her career path during 25 years with the company, citing the inspiration provided by Bev Oren and Joyce Jordan. Jordan, who retired from Dart in 2013 and is also featured in the series, became one of the first women in the industry to serve as the vice president of sales for a truckload carrier. Meanwhile, Larry Severson, an owner-operator who spent 42 years in the Dart fleet until his retirement in 2017, provides an invaluable behind-the-wheel perspective. During his podcast interview, Severson recalls the nomination by Dart that led to his recognition by the Truckload Carriers Association as the TCA Contractor of the Year in 2011.

"It was an honor and privilege for the PodWheels Network to have the opportunity to collaborate with the team at Dart in the development of this series. Having worked for the past three years producing the Dart Network Podcast, and, through developing this series, we have learned a great deal about the history of Dart. We now have an even deeper appreciation for the high level of respect Dart has earned across the trucking industry during its 85 years in business," said Greg Thompson, the founder of the PodWheels Network and the executive producer of the anniversary series. "We would like to thank everyone involved in the development of Dart's Driving Through History series, especially all our podcast guests, who were very gracious with their time and perspective. It was a wonderful and fun challenge to highlight through our series of interviews the perseverance and innovation that have marked Dart's long drive of continued success. In addition to learning about the company and its place in industry history, listeners to the series will have the opportunity to hear first-hand perspectives on how Dart has led the way for positive changes in trucking."

SOURCE Dart Transit