Transport Topics Names Seth Clevenger Executive Editor

Clevenger, a staffer since 2011, takes over the publication's newsroom and editorial operations, reporting to American Trucking Associations' Kala Burke.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Transportation

Isometric editorial illustration of stacked plain freight trailers on a teal plinth with a thin oxblood spine, set against a cream field. — Transport Topics has promoted longtime staffer Seth Clevenger to vice president and executive editor, putting him in charge of its newsroom and editorial operations. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Transport Topics has promoted Seth Clevenger to vice president and executive editor, placing him in charge of the publication's newsroom and editorial operations. Clevenger will report to Kala Burke, American Trucking Associations' senior vice president of marketing.

Why it matters

The promotion puts a longtime trucking journalist at the helm of a 92-year-old publication as the freight market emerges from what the extraction describes as the longest downturn in industry memory. Leadership continuity matters for coverage of an industry in transition.

Clevenger has covered the trucking industry for 15 years and managed the Top 100 lists for nearly a decade, while the RoadSigns podcast he helped launch in 2018 has surpassed 200 episodes. The extraction does not specify plans for the publication beyond the leadership change.

The players

Seth Clevenger

Clevenger is a longtime trucking industry journalist who has spent his career at Transport Topics and previously helped launch its RoadSigns podcast.

Kala Burke

Burke is the senior vice president of marketing at the American Trucking Associations, the trade group that oversees Transport Topics operations.

The details

Clevenger began his career at The Dover Post Co. in Smyrna, Del., and graduated from Miami University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in English-Journalism. He joined Transport Topics staff in 2011 and previously served as managing editor of features and multimedia. The print product was relaunched as a magazine in July.

2005: Clevenger graduates from Miami University.
2011: Clevenger joins Transport Topics staff as a reporter.
2018: Clevenger helps launch the RoadSigns podcast.
July 2026: Transport Topics print product relaunches as a magazine.
November 6, 2026: Clevenger's promotion to executive editor is announced.

Industry Landscape

Trade publications covering trucking have followed the freight market through its recent downturn, and this leadership change places a veteran editor at the helm as the sector begins to recover. The extraction does not detail competitive positioning against other trade titles.

For readers following the trucking industry, the change signals the editorial direction of a major trade source for freight news. The extraction does not describe changes to subscriptions, pricing or access.

The takeaway

Leadership changes at trade publications can signal shifts in how an industry's developments are covered, and readers tracking freight should watch for editorial direction under new leadership.