Former ATA Chairman Duane Acklie Dies at 84
Duane Acklie, an attorney and banker who built one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers and served as chairman of American Trucking Associations in 2000 and 2001, died at 84 on Sept. 17 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Acklie supplemented his wide-ranging business career with his civic life. He was active in Republican politics at the national, state and local levels from 1960 to 2016, according to an obituary prepared by the Roper & Sons Funeral Home of Lincoln.
Prior to becoming ATA chairman, Acklie was chairman of the Contract Carrier Conference of the Truckload Carriers Association form 1978 to 1980. He also served on boards of directors for USO, the military personnel assistance organization; the Nebraska State Highway Commission; the Nebraska Economic Development Commission; the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation; and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Lee Shaffer, chairman of the Kenan Advantage Group, preceded Acklie as ATA chairman in 1999 and 2000, and remembered him with fondness.
“Duane Acklie was the consummate chairman of the board of his company and of ATA. I truly loved and respected the man,” Shaffer said, adding that Acklie deserves credit for organizing the process that resulted in Bill Graves being hired as ATA president.
He also founded the Acklie Charitable Foundation.
His company, Crete Carrier Corp., of which he was chairman, also owns Shaffer Trucking and Hunt Transportation. Having annual revenue in excess of $1 billion, Crete ranks No. 33 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
Acklie was born Dec. 14, 1931, in Madison County, Nebraska, to William and Irene Acklie. He graduated from the University of Nebraska’s law school and served in the Army from 1955 to 1957.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Phyllis Acklie, and two of their three daughters, Laura Schumacher and Holly Ostergard, as well as four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Daughter Dodie Nakajima predeceased him.
Crete remains in the family and is run by Tonn Ostergard, who married Holly Acklie.
A memorial service is scheduled for Sept. 22 at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln. Burial will be a private ceremony at Wyuka Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations can be made to the Wyuka Historical Foundation.
