last word

Thanks for giving, buddy!

TMI MultiMedia's November 2002 “Trucker Buddy of the Month” John Conway, an owner-operator leased to Werhane Enterprises out of Lena, IL, meets with the students of one of the five classes he writes to and visits with his blue Pete regularly. In recognition of his contributions as a Trucker Buddy, Conway will receive a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on his students and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise. “We are proud to be a part of the Trucker Buddy program,” noted Kelley Walkup, director of advertising & administration for TMI-MultiMedia.

Back to the Future

Industrial designer Luigi Colani dusted off his 25-year-old prototype tractor-trailer for the 59th International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany. The truck actually logged over 1,200 miles during a U.S. tour in the 1980s.

Advertising never hurts

According to an AP report out last month, it wasn't hard for police to track down two teenagers wanted for vandalizing lawns — they committed their crime spree with a parent's pickup emblazoned with their business's name. Seven lawns, apparently belonging to schoolmates' families, were marred by a “zigzagging truck that also hit a tree in one yard and a street sign.” The 15-year-old boys were arrested and released to the custody of their families, who presumably took away the keys.

Wish upon a Pete

The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses. William Edwards wanted to attend a truck show and tour a truck factory. He did both this fall, as a guest at The Great American Truck Show in Dallas and at the Peterbilt plant in nearby Denton. “The whole thing was really amazing,” says Edwards, 18, who was flown in with his family from Yuma, CO. “I was expecting just a tour of the plant, but everyone there really made it special.” Edwards, who recovered from Hodgkin's disease about a year ago, is a high school senior who plans to study diesel tech and one day hopes to operate his own tractor-trailer.

Traffic-stopper

It's not easy to stop traffic in New York City, unless you're W.J. Casey and you're moving a chunk of the historic Williamsburg Bridge. But that's all in a day's work for the Union, NJ-based hauling and rigging firm. Casey got the FDR Drive along the East River closed to haul a walkway for the bridge linking Brooklyn and Manhattan. The walkway consists of 24 bright-red steel sections, each weighing 100 tons and measuring 120 ft. long, 28 ft. wide and 20 ft. high, that Casey transported on Goldhofer dollies pulled by Kenworth T800s.

Here's looking at you, kid

Spotted by our intrepid reporter outside Freightliner's Mount Holly, NC, manufacturing plant, these truck cabs give new meaning to the term “eye candy.”

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