Bill Tucker, second generation CEO of Tucker Company Worldwide, passes away at 85

Logistics Management regrets to report that William J. “Bill” Tucker, second generation CEO and freight transportstion industry leader of Haddonfield, N.J.-based Tucker Company Worldwide, the oldest privately held freight brokerage in North America, passed away on October 30, at the age of 85.

Tucker played a pivotal role in the trucking deregulation movement both nationally and locally, advocating for, and educating those in the industry.

When freight transportation deregulation was taking hold in 1970, Tucker co-founded the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), a trade association and community of third-party logistics organizations that continues his legacy of advocacy and education. When TIA was established, there were a few dozen North American-based brokerages, whereas today there are more than 20,000. And he co-created TIA’s Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) program, through which thousands of individuals have been certified. In 2001 Tucker was honored with TIA’s Heritage Award for distinguished lifelong service, and he was named the Traffic Club of Philadelphia’s Transportation Person of the Year in 2004, shortly after retiring. 

Tucker is survived by sons Jeff and Jim Tucker of Haddonfield, and his six grandchildren, Anna, Jacob, Suzanne, James, Kathryn and Megan. His beloved wife Barbara passed away in 2021. He was an avid golfer, reader and writer.  

Born May 18, 1938, in Norwood, PA to Jacob and Ruth Tucker. Bill was a drummer in a jazz band in Philadelphia, paying his way toward a B.A. from Temple University in 1961. After seeing John F. Kennedy on campus in 1960, he was moved to join the first class of the Peace Corps, serving in the Philippines. In 1971, after his father’s death, Bill left a promising career as a computer programmer to acquire Tucker Company and earned his master's degree in business. Throughout his career, Bill cemented a legacy as a trailblazer in the transportation industry.  

Tucker was an enlightened business owner and built a safe culture at his company, subscribing to Hal Rosenbluth’s philosophy, “The Customer Comes Second,” where you hire the best people and treat them well, and they’ll take care of your customers. Whether one was an employee, a customer or supplier, he sought to build trusting relationships.

“To this day, I have not met anyone who worked as tirelessly and selflessly as my dad,” said Jeff Tucker, CEO of Tucker Company Worldwide. “He was equally focused on lifting an industry as he was in growing his company.”  

Jim Tucker, President of the company, shared “though he was considered a true pioneer and expert in his field, he was a man of the utmost humility, who always referred to himself as a mere ‘student of industry.’”

In lieu of flowers, the Tucker family asks for donations to be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association of Delaware Valley.