“We all have the shared goal of keeping the highways safe”

Fred Fakkema: From Traffic Enforcement to Fleet Transportation Safety & Compliance

In an interview with TMAF on how law enforcement and the trucking industry can and should work together, Fred Fakkema, now vice president of safety and compliance at Zonar Systems, Inc., told us he wanted to be a trooper since he was a young boy. Fred told his mom he wanted to be a trooper when he was just six or seven years old and made that dream happen as soon as he was able. After serving three years in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, Fred joined the patrol.

After graduating from the academy, Fred started his career in law enforcement as a Trooper and worked in traffic enforcement. Fred also served as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain, where he oversaw the Commercial Vehicle division, WSP Academy and transitioned into Government and Media Relations as a Legislative Liaison.

While Fred ran the Commercial Vehicle division, he established a partnership with the Washington Trucking Association. Discussing the partnership, he said, “I am really proud of the relationship I built with Washington Trucking Association (WTA) while I was in charge of the Commercial Vehicle Division. We did great things in highway safety — from safety messages on trailer wraps to putting troopers in trucks for enforcement. That great relationship continues today!”

The project, called Step up and Ride, put troopers in the truck with drivers. Fred explained that the partnership between the WSP and WTA turned into a federal program called Ticket Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT), which helps to build awareness and educate passenger and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers about safe driving behaviors around one another.

Fred described his time with the Washington State Patrol (WSP), “I was blessed with a 25-year career.” He added, “I was living my dream every day. It was a pretty great 25 years.”

Fred Fakkema joined Zonar Systems after his long career in the WSP. Fred has worked at Zonar, a smart fleet management company, for over eleven years, where he is dedicated to improving safety and compliance for all customers, including trucking companies. In his role at Zonar, Fred works to ensure the company’s products and solutions and customers meet federal, state and local requirements. In addition, he is a member of several committees and serves as Vice-Chair of ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board.

Fred recognizes that there are several shared goals and opportunities between the trucking industry and law enforcement organizations. Some of the top shared concerns to address for truck drivers and motorists are a focus on decreasing distracted or impaired driving, increasing parking spaces for truck drivers, and the rise in the staging of accidents against trucks.

When discussing the shared safety concerns between both trucking and law enforcement, Fred said, “We all have the shared goal of keeping the highways safe.” Some of the ways to work together to improve safety for both groups is through move over laws, slow down laws and ensuring vehicle safety and security, Fred discussed.

When describing some of the special moments in his career, Fred stated, “There are so many great things about law enforcement. Although you see the worst of society at times, you still see the positive and good in people, and it makes a difference.” Some of the highlights of his career include the times “when you’ve had an impact on people around you and when you see them succeed.” For example, Fred felt especially proud when there would be a graduating class of new troopers from the Academy. He was also honored for five years to teach as a guest counselor and instructor for The Youth Leadership Program hosted by the FBI National Academy. Fred said he still gets calls and messages today from graduates of the program and enjoys hearing stories of their success.