ATRI Names New Chair and Two Board Members
Trucking operators relying on ATRI research should watch whether the new board leadership shifts its agenda.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in People
The American Transportation Research Institute elected Ben McLean, CEO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, as chairman of its 13-member board, succeeding Derek Leathers of Werner Enterprises. ATRI also appointed Ben Banks and Nathan Meisgeier to the board, a change operators in freight trucking should note for industry research direction.
Why it matters
Leadership changes at ATRI shape the research agenda that trucking operators rely on for cost, safety, and operations benchmarks. McLean's move into the chair follows a long tenure on the board, and the new appointees bring carrier and legal perspectives into the governing body.
The 13-member board is led by a chair who completed four years of service, with McLean joining the board in October 2017. Meisgeier has held his Werner role since January 2024, while McLean has led Ruan since 2015.
The players
American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)
A trucking industry research nonprofit that produces cost, safety, and operations research used by carriers and policymakers.
Ben McLean
CEO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems since 2015, a Ruan leader who has served on the ATRI board since 2017.
Derek Leathers
Chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises, who completed four years as ATRI board chair.
Nathan Meisgeier
President and chief legal officer of Werner Enterprises since January 2024, newly appointed to the ATRI board.
Ben Banks
President of TCW Inc., newly appointed to the ATRI board.
The details
ATRI's board sets the direction for research that carriers, shippers, and policymakers use when evaluating trucking costs and safety. Electing a new chairman changes who presides over that agenda and how board deliberations are run. Adding Banks and Meisgeier brings the perspective of a carrier executive and a corporate legal officer into those deliberations.
Timeline
McLean was first appointed to the ATRI board in October 2017.
McLean became CEO of Ruan in 2015.
Meisgeier became president and chief legal officer of Werner in January 2024.
ATRI announced the new chairman and two board members on October 31, 2026.
Market Landscape
ATRI is one of the principal trucking-industry research bodies whose board membership draws on the leadership of large carriers and logistics firms. This board change keeps that carrier-led governance pattern in place while rotating in new executives.
Operators who use ATRI research should watch whether the new chairman and board members change the research topics or publication schedule. Carriers may want to review ATRI reports as they are released to see if the agenda shifts.
The takeaway
Trucking operators should track ATRI's upcoming research releases to see whether the new board leadership shifts priorities on costs or safety. Carriers relying on ATRI benchmarks should file the next published report to compare against their own operating data.
Further reading
For more on the executives shaping the industry, see the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TheTrucker.
