Kevin P. Knight, a co-founder of Knight Transportation and the longtime chairman and CEO of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc., is retiring from the company, Knight-Swift said today.
In his stead, the Knight-Swift board of directors has appointed Lead Independent Director David Vander Ploeg as its new chairman. And Knight has agreed to continue serving as a consultant for a period of two years following his retirement.
Knight was a driving force in the 2017 merger between Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation, which formed what it calls the industry’s largest full truckload company; operating with a fleet of roughly 19,000 tractors, 58,000 trailers, and employing 24,000 people.
Knight served as CEO of that company from 1994 to 2014 and as executive chairman of the board of directors.
“As I have been approaching this transition in recent years, I knew this bridge would have to be crossed at some point,” Knight said in a release. “For me, our merger with Knight and Swift was our greatest collective achievement. The reunification of the Swift and Knight families, combined with timing, diligence, operational improvements, and significant financial returns, enabled us to achieve everything that followed. I am deeply grateful to everyone whom I have had the opportunity to work with.”
