Autocar Trucks President Jimmy Johnston to be Inducted into National Waste & Recycling Association Hall of Fame

Industry Leader and Veteran to be Honored at WasteExpo 2025

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Autocar Trucks is proud to announce the induction of its President, James "Jimmy" Johnston, into the prestigious National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) Hall of Fame.

Active in the industry since 1987, Jimmy has led Autocar Trucks since 2003. During his storied career, Jimmy has been a leader in the development and integration of body and chassis systems with a focus on improving safety and operational efficiency. He spearheaded the development of Autocar's innovative Power of One® (PO1) methodology that seamlessly integrates the work from multiple body and chassis manufacturers to allow them to work as one and seamlessly create a fully-integrated, work-ready truck.

Other key innovations in which Jimmy was involved include one-touch dashboard diagnostics and lightweight front-loader bodies.

"[Jimmy's] extraordinary level of energy and enthusiasm has made him a great ambassador for our industry," said Garwin McNeilus, Founder of refuse collection vehicle-maker McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing. "What I personally appreciate most about Jimmy is his openness to new, innovative ideas and his willingness to incorporate customer recommendations into the design and manufacturing process. His commitment to the customer is second to none."

"Induction into the NWRA Hall of Fame is the highest recognition we can bestow on a member," said Don Ross, NWRA Chairman. "These women and men have made extraordinary lifetime contributions to our industry and our association. Their leadership, innovation, and service have shaped the waste and recycling sector into what it is today."

The induction ceremony will take place on May 5, 2025, during the NWRA Awards Gala at WasteExpo 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hosted in partnership with industry news outlet Waste360, WasteExpo is North America's largest solid waste, recycling, organics, food waste recovery, and sustainability tradeshow featuring exhibitors and panelists from the public and private sectors.

The NWRA Awards Gala will be hosted from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Fontainebleau Hotel. To purchase tickets, please visit the NWRA website. 

Andrew Taitz, Chairman of Autocar said, "We are extremely proud of Jimmy, his focused customer obsession, his passion for the industry and the people he has faithfully served throughout his career. Jimmy has always treated Autocar as family and continued to think differently about how to solve customer problems, in what at times is a very challenging environment. When problems arise, as they do, Jimmy has always instilled the need to 'raise your hand and not point fingers.' Jimmy has driven an immense sense of pride and accountability at Autocar and every other organization in which he has played a role over a long and storied career."

If you would like to congratulate Jimmy, or view our latest innovations in refuse trucks, please visit booth #1061 at WasteExpo.

About Autocar Trucks
Autocar, LLC, manufacturer of severe-duty vocational trucks carrying the first specialized truck brand in North America, is the only American-owned and operated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of trucks. Autocar's severe-duty vocational trucks provide customers the perfect tool for their jobs with the most uptime, support, and impact on their bottom line. Autocar collaborates with customers to build trucks to their exact specifications and needs. Autocar's purpose-built severe-duty truck lines include ACMD and ACX cab-over trucks, the ACTT and its all-electric E-ACTT terminal tractors, and the DC-64 Class 8 work trucks. Autocar recognizes that performance and uptime are everything and offers every customer 24/7 access to its ALWAYS UP® direct factory support center staffed by expert technicians who engineer and build Autocar's trucks. For more information, visit www.autocartruck.com. 

About NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage solid, industrial/hazardous, medical, and construction/demolition debris waste, and represent equipment manufacturers and distributors, and a variety of other professional service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.

SOURCE Autocar