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Yesterday, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) named Paul Bergant, who recently retired as president of intermodal and chief marketing officer of J.B Hunt Transportation Services Inc., the winner of the 2012 IANA Silver Kingpin Award. He will receive the award Nov. 12 during the opening general session of IANA's Intermodal Expo in Anaheim, Calif.

Established in 1977, the award recognizes an individual's "significant, long-term contributions to intermodalism," IANA officials said in a prepared statement. The association recognized Bergant for "his relentless drive in developing and fostering a domestic intermodal service 'as good as a truck' that transformed the intermodal freight transportation industry," they said.

After joining J.B. Hunt in 1980, Bergant quickly embraced the changing landscape of the trucking industry after deregulation and identified a need for motor carrier-railroad partnerships, IANA officials said. Through a unique collaboration, he created a new "intermodal service that was 'truck-like' in its execution and performance," they said. Bergant then promoted the service to shippers, especially retailers. The service showcased domestic intermodal's economic value and use as a long-term capacity solution, IANA officials said.

"In the last 20-plus years, we have seen an amazing transformation take place in domestic intermodal. This positive change would not have been possible without industry entrepreneurs and leaders such as Paul," said IANA Chairman Dave Manning.

Bergant also helped mentor and educate young intermodal industry professionals as a frequent university guest lecturer. He serves as a board member of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver.

Past Silver Kingpin Award winders include Union Pacific Railroad Vice President of Intermodal Operations Barry Michaels; Comtrak Logistics Inc. founder Mike Bruns; Hub Group Inc. executive Thomas Hardin; intermodal pioneer Gordon Miller; long-time Mi-Jack Products Inc. employee Raymond Tippit Sr.; Rail Management Services Inc. President John Gray; and Progressive Railroading co-founder Frank Richter.