AMTA  E-News

May 2010

BFL's Sherry Orr, Associate Trades Award

SHERRY ORR (BFL Canada), was presented with the 2010 Associate Trades award, in Banff at the AMTA 2010 Management Conference (April 30 – May 2). The award, sponsored by AMTA, is presented annually to a member of the associate trades division who has demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment to AMTA. See directly below for more details about this year’s winner from the remarks delivered at the presentation ceremony:

Trucking is very dear to this year’s recipient of the Associate Trades Award. Sherry Orr literally grew up in the industry. Her father, John Ruteck, owned Trans Mutual Truck Lines and during her formative years, Sherry was more than happy to hang around the operation on weekends and during school breaks. She loved it so much, in fact, that John had to speak to her high school principal in order for Sherry to become the first female student in Alberta to take mechanics class.

This devotion to the industry took a serious turn in 1984 with John’s untimely passing. Sherry then was faced with a life-altering decision. She opted to drop out of university and assume the leadership of the family business.

In the beginning, Sherry faced a very trying time. Some of the staff, who obviously didn’t know her, felt she was too young and inexperienced to run a trucking operation and left Trans Mutual, taking their equipment with them. Fortunately, enough of the employees who did know Sherry remained and gave her their unwavering support. She also recalls other trucking executives – her dad’s competitors – being there for her so she didn’t feel quite so alone.

One of the first things Sherry did as head of Trans Mutual was become active in the AMTA (at the time it was the ATA). She felt that, if membership was good enough for her father, it was good enough for her. Joining the Board in March of 1984, she eventually ascended to the Presidency in 1998-99.

In 2004, Sherry sold Trans Mutual and embarked on a new career as a tier 2 insurance broker. Sherry chuckles when she says she knew very little about insurance when she was a trucking executive, but once she began studying the topic, she became fascinated with it.

In November 2005, Sherry joined BFL Canada Ltd., a national insurance brokerage and risk management firm. Her current title is Vice President, Client Executive, National Transportation Leader. She is responsible for all of BFL’s trucking clients across Canada and a favourite part of her job is visiting the trucking operations, as her love for the industry hasn’t waned at all.

Another aspect of Sherry that hasn’t waned is her devotion to the AMTA. She serves on “as many committees as she is allowed to serve on” including golf tournaments and Draw Down Dinners. She believes she has been involved in 15 Conference committees. That’s a lot of meetings and a lot of planning.

Sherry is adamant that she owes much to the industry. One way to give back is to be actively involved in the provincial association. As much as she gives, though, she continues to get back a lot. Mentors abound in those industry veterans who were friends with her father. These days a new generation of mentors are now sharing their expertise and support with Sherry – the sons and daughters of her dad’s buddies – young adults who, like Sherry, grew up in the industry. Many of these former and current mentors are now Sherry’s clients.

Speaking of support, Sherry also pays homage to the support she receives at home from teenage sons Mitchell and Ryan, who are so proud of their mom and her many accomplishments.

Finally, Sherry acknowledges the backing of her employer, BFL Canada, which is a great supporter of the industry. She says trucking and insurance are working closer than they ever have, and this partnership will only get stronger as it benefits both industries. She is excited to be at the centre of this partnership.

When she isn’t in the office or visiting carriers, Sherry enjoys golf, cycling, travel and wine tasting – not necessarily in that order. She confides that she is also both excited and terrified about the motorcycle course she will be taking in a few months.

This award she is about to receive came as a total shock to Sherry. She says she doesn’t volunteer in order to receive the awards, but because the work needs to be done and because she enjoys it and the people so much – and, of course, because she feels she owes the industry so much. I think that pretty well sums up the reasons for presenting her with this award. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our Associate Trades Award recipient, BFL’s Sherry Orr.