ETN SAFETY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Meeting Title: ETN Safety Council Meeting
Date: 8/4/26
Time: 11:30am
Location: Thompson Truck Group

Attendees: ETN Safety & Maintenance Council

Called By: Tennessee Trucking Association
Chair: Denna Mintz – Phillips & Jordan, Inc
Vice Chair: Angela Corbett – Great West Casualty Company
Secretary: Brian Fox – Morristown Drivers Service, Inc.

Call to Order

Denna Mintz welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order.

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

• Motion to Approve: Denna Mintz
• Seconded by: Debbie Davis
• Outcome: Minutes from the previous meeting were approved.

Old Business

• There was no old business brought before the council for discussion.

New Business

• Registration is now open for the Fall Conference, scheduled for November 5–6.
• The Annual Convention will be held September 20–23.
• Congratulations were extended to Mike Woody, who was recognized as the 2025 Safety Director of the Year.
• Kendall Craig announced that donations are currently being accepted for the Annual Convention auction.
• The next council meeting will be held during Industry Day at the Knoxville Scales. The council discussed considering Industry Day as a recurring meeting location for future years.
• A representative from the Tennessee Highway Patrol was present and made available to answer questions from attendees.

Discussion Topics

Opening Remarks: Council Meeting Schedule

The council discussed moving future council meetings back to Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays.

Motion: Kendall Craig – Peterbilt
Second: Glenn Green - Phillip Jordan

Result: Motion carried. Future council meetings will return to Wednesdays.

Guest Presentation

Presenter: Premier Truck Group / Freightliner

Presented by:

• Joe Kidd – Field Sales Engineer
• Trent Nobles – Aftermarket Sales Manager

Presentation Topic

Safety and Maintenance Technologies

The presenters provided an overview of Freightliner's latest safety systems, with a focus on the Detroit Assurance ABA6 platform and its enhancements over the previous ABA5 system.

Topics Covered

• Comparison of Detroit Assurance ABA6 standard and optional safety features.
• Increased field of view and improved object detection with ABA6.
• Active Brake Assist 6 (ABA6)capabilities, including:
  • Multi-lane braking assistance
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Curve recognition
  • Detection of offset and angled vehicles
• Front Guard Assist – Alerts drivers when a pedestrian is directly in front of the vehicle.
• Side Guard Assist 2
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Collision warnings
  • Right-turn braking intervention at speeds up to approximately 12 mph.
• Active Lane Assist 2
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane keeping assistance
  • Lane change assistance
• Attentive Driver Protection
  • Monitors steering wheel engagement while cruise control is active.
  • Alerts the driver if hands are removed from the steering wheel, providing an added safeguard during potential medical emergencies.
• Active Side Guard Assist 2
  • Left-turn braking assistance at speeds up to approximately 14 mph.
• Cross Traffic Assist
  • Designed to help prevent T-bone collisions by applying braking based on vehicle speed and cross-traffic detection.
• Side Guard Assist Coverage
  • Monitors alongside the vehicle to the rear of a standard 53-foot trailer.

Discussion Following Presentation

The council engaged in discussion with the presenters regarding:

• Common maintenance issues and failures associated with advanced driver assistance systems.
• Truck design improvements to reduce slips, trips, and falls, including:
  • Three-point contact practices
  • Grip tape placement on grab handles
  • Catwalk material and layout
• Recommendations for fleets to introduce new safety technologies through smaller truck orders before implementing fleet-wide specifications.
• Whether truck manufacturers are developing additional design improvements to reduce workers' compensation injuries associated with entering and exiting commercial vehicles.

Closing Remarks

• The council thanked Premier Truck Group and Freightliner representatives for their informative presentation.
• Members were asked if there were any additional comments or follow-up items. None were presented.
• Due to scheduling conflicts, only three council meetings will be held this year.

Motions

Council Meeting Day

• Motion to move future meetings back to Wednesdays, effective October 21.
• Motion: Kendall Craig - Peterbilt
• Second: Glenn Green - Phillip Jordan
• Result: Approved.

Adjournment

• Motion to adjourn the meeting.
• Motion: Kendall Craig – Peterbilt
• Second: Glenn Green - Phillip Jordan
• Result: Approved.

Next Meeting: October 21, 2026

Meeting Minutes Prepared By:
Brian Fox – Morristown Drivers Service, Inc.