the last word

Oct. 1, 2006
Comfy beast Kris Edney's super-sized Kenworth W900 and 150-in. sleeper might very well set the gold standard for trucking luxury.
Comfy beast

Kris Edney's super-sized Kenworth W900 and 150-in. sleeper might very well set the gold standard for trucking luxury. Packed with a full kitchen, bathroom and shower, double bed, rich African cherry wood cabinets, hardwood floors, full-time satellite system, plus rooftop a/c and heat, his pride and joy offers more amenities than many homes. But he doesn't call it “The Beast from the East” for nothing — under the hood growls a 600-hp Cat mated to an 18-sp. Eaton Fuller transmission.

“Information is critical to operating our fleet of 2,500 trucks and 27,000 trailers. We need constant access to data…because paper records are now outdated in 30 minutes or less.”
— Mike Gabbei, vp-management information systems, Celadon Group, Indianapolis, IN

Smart thinker

Richard Lemley (l) the Environmental Industry Assns.' 2006 Driver of the Year (Small Commercial category) receives the keys to a new Heil Half/Pack front loader from Heil regional manager Larry Stone. Lemley's employer, Allied Waste Services of Albany (NY), provided the truck in recognition of his achievement. Lemley, who's piloted rigs for Allied for 18 years without a reportable accident, says, “You try to think ahead before you make your moves, and you always try to be alert.”

Snappy one-liner(s)

“Cent$less”
— Whitte Bros. Exchange, Troy MO

“Saddle Up”
— Watt & Stewart Trucking, San Angelo, TX

Freightliner aids Lions

Chris Patterson, Freightliner LLC president & CEO, presents the keys to a new Freightliner Business Class M2 106 medium-duty truck to Amber Kern, executive director of the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, which will use it as one of two mobile units that provide free health screenings to Oregonians.

“In Oregon, 591,000 residents are without health insurance and others live in rural areas where health care is not easily accessible,” Kern notes. “Mobile health screening units provide critical services to the people who need it most.”

“We're proud to support an organization that provides a critical service to so many people in our state,” says Chris Patterson, Freightliner president & CEO. “These mobile screening units touch the lives of many, many Oregonians, people who otherwise might not have access to preventative health services.”

Maintenance for the new truck, along with the truck previously donated, will be provided free of charge by Portland Freightliner, the dealership which helped arrange the vehicle donation.

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