Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BiTA) announces the appointment of Chris Burruss as the alliance’s first president. The blockchain association was launched to help develop common standards, certification, and education of blockchain technology in the trucking and transportation industry and has been on fire since it launched in mid-August.
Over 160 companies have applied to join, ranging from early-stage startups, to large technology providers in the space, to the largest carriers and 3PLs. The Alliance believes that 85% of all truckload transactions can be represented by at least one member, showing the breadth and scale of the member institutions.
Burruss is a 25-year veteran of the trucking industry. He served as president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) for 10 years; the only national trade association exclusively serving the truckload segment of the trucking industry. Prior to that he held positions as president & CEO of the Tennessee Trucking Association and vice president of the Missouri Trucking Association.
“I am honored to be a part of developing the framework for this massively important and transformative technology. While I am not a technologist by trade, I understand the issues and challenges that carriers, shippers, and 3PLs face in their operations. Since the internet, we have never seen a technology that is as powerful and offers to change an entire society to the level that blockchain will. The opportunities in our industry for using this technology are tremendous,” said Burruss.
During his career, he has worked with trucking companies of all sizes; from small carriers to Fortune 500 companies. In addition he has worked closely with the vast vendor community that serves the trucking industry. Chris has lobbied on behalf of trucking at the local, state and national levels. He has also worked closely with state and federal agencies on trucking-related matters.
“We have had an enormous interest in blockchain technology from across the industry. Companies that have agreed to join are doing so because they understand the power of the technology to transform transportation and society at-large,” said Craig Fuller, BiTA co-founder. “We wanted to develop proper governance and equitable standards and guidelines for member institutions that encourage collaboration and foster trust. We believe Chris can facilitate that.”
Burruss is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He and his wife Kathy have been married for 28 years and have two grown children and a grandson. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and fishing, the outdoors, cycling, brewing craft beer and spending time with family and friends.
Blockchain is a technology that the World Economic Forum said could be one of the most important technologies to transform society and enhance the lives of billions. Deloitte mentioned that by 2025, over 10% of global GDP will be stored on the blockchain. The technology has been described as connecting two parties without mutual trust who have a natural reason to trade information or assets and instantly establishes trust, transparency, and accountability between them. It provides a record of human exchange and lowers uncertainly between counter-parties.
The nature of blockchain is such that it provides identity management, asset tracking, and mitigates reneging on deals without the need for a third-party, corporation, or government to arbitrate claims. It is all done in the technology framework itself.
BiTA plans to host its first meeting with members only on November 16 at Georgia Tech. For membership infomation or to join go to: www.bita.studio.
