Through thick and thin

Nov. 1, 2009
Back in 1929, John and Catherine Cooper started Holland Motor Express, hauling grain and hay for West Michigan farmers expanding the very next year in the teeth of the Great Depression, with the purchase of a truck and trailer that John drove each day from his home base in Holland, MI, to Chicago. Eight decades later, the Cooper legacy lives as a regional LTL carrier with 4,000 tractors and 8,000

Back in 1929, John and Catherine Cooper started Holland Motor Express, hauling grain and hay for West Michigan farmers — expanding the very next year in the teeth of the Great Depression, with the purchase of a truck and trailer that John drove each day from his home base in Holland, MI, to Chicago.

Eight decades later, the Cooper legacy lives as a regional LTL carrier with 4,000 tractors and 8,000 trailers. “In 1929, the founders were confident they could be successful in spite of the Great Depression,” said Jeff Rogers, president of Holland. “Since then, our experienced professionals have met the challenges of 13 recessions by sticking with a plan to offer our customers the best value.”

The original Holland opened service centers in Chicago, Holland and Grand Rapids, MI. By 1939, the company employed 58 and had revenues of $300,000. Charles Cooper, John's son, became president in 1958, leading the company past $1 million in yearly profit until Holland was acquired by TNT North America in 1984. The company later changed its name to US Freightways Corp. in 1996, and then to USF Corp., and finally to USF Holland before being acquired by then-Yellow Roadway Corp. (now YRC Worldwide) in 2004.

A new online entertainment channel provides information on the new MaxxForce engines in a unique, on-demand format. Navistar's MaxxForce TV has debuted at www.maxxforcetv.com with four unique episodes including a game-show format during which participants have the opportunity to win cash and prizes.

In the first episode, Maxx IQ, Joe Elmore, host of Horsepower TV on the Spike Network, tours truckstops and other locations around the country, quizzing drivers on their engine knowledge. There is also a chance to participate online. Along with having some fun, viewers can learn more about Navistar's MaxxForce engines as the company transitions to meet the 2010 EPA emissions regulations that go into effect Jan. 1.

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