Ride of Pride Roars from North Carolina to the Capitol

Freightliner employees customize a Cascadia truck to be escorted by hundreds of motorcyclists this Memorial Day

CLEVELAND, N.C. (May 23, 2008) – Memorial Day travelers may notice something different when they hit the highway this holiday. Escorted by hundreds of motorcyclists from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., the Freightliner® Ride of Pride will make its seventh annual trip to the Capitol to honor veterans, POWs and MIAs. The one-of-a-kind truck leading the way is a sparkling Freightliner Cascadia™, fully customized with symbols of America and the Armed Forces. Designed by employees at the Cleveland, N.C. truck manufacturing plant, the 2008 Ride of Pride will tour the state in May, making stops to pay tribute in several North Carolina communities, before making the Memorial Day weekend trip to join Rolling Thunder, a national group that honors veterans.

Ed Keeter, shift manager at Freightliner’s Cleveland truck manufacturing plant and a veteran of the Vietnam War, said the idea for the ride came in 2001— before the war in Iraq—when he and other employees were looking for a way to honor veterans as Memorial Day approached. “At the plant we had a number of reservists who were being called up for active service, so we wanted to support them and other vets past and present,” Keeter said. Initially the idea was to decorate a Freightliner truck and drive it to the local veteran hospital for a visit. “When we approached the plant manager he was very supportive. With all the volunteer support, the idea just blossomed and we decided to go all the way to Washington, D.C., and back,” he said.

Employees at the Cleveland, N.C. truck manufacturing plant volunteer their time to design the artwork and coordinate the 400-mile ride. This year’s truck features an American flag, a bald eagle, the POW-MIA emblem and symbols from each military division, all decaled over the orange cab owned by Schneider National, Inc., of Green Bay, Wis., which will add it to its nationwide fleet of more than 10,000 trucks.

Last year’s driver, Lowell Wilderman, a 22-year Navy veteran and 19-year employee at Schneider National, said that being the chosen driver was an honor. “I had seen pictures of the truck, but seeing it pull in and knowing that I would be driving it was amazing, the pictures don’t do it justice.” The recognition given to the driver is a humbling experience, he added. “Everybody asks me if the truck is mine, so I tell them that it’s everybody’s truck, for what it stands for,” said Wilderman. The 2008 driver will be chosen and announced prior to the trip.

“This event brings great pride to everyone involved in it. The truck has high visibility on the road, which helps us honor our fallen heroes,” said Lamando Parker, an employee at the Cleveland plant who is heading back to Iraq this summer. Jeff Phillips, an Army veteran and 15-year employee at the plant feels proud that Freightliner is so supportive of military service members. “I love being involved in this event. The support from Freightliner is continuous, even year round, and it’s a good feeling to see that commitment from your company.”

“The Ride of Pride symbolizes respect for – and pride in – our service men and women around the world,” said Dennis Damman, director of engineering for Schneider National. “Schneider’s commitment to safety and service go hand-in-hand with the military’s pledge to protect and serve our country. The opportunity to have one of our drivers behind the wheel for the second year in a row is a tremendous privilege.”

The journey to Washington D.C. begins with a sendoff ceremony at the plant at 7:30 a.m. Friday, May 23, that includes guest speakers and a flyover by a Black Hawk helicopter from the North Carolina Army National Guard. While in Washington, D.C., volunteers will visit Washington Hospital Center to host a party for veterans and hand out gift bags filled with items donated by Daimler employees in North and South Carolina.

On Sunday, May 25, the group will join a procession through the capital with nearly a million motorcyclists participating in the Ride for Freedom, sponsored by Rolling Thunder, a national non-profit with 80 chapters dedicated to publicizing POW-MIA issues.

The Ride of Pride truck is a Freightliner Cascadia, a new truck model launched last May. The vehicle boasts a comfortable ride, superior handling and improved fuel efficiency. It features a new DD15 455-560 horsepower engine from Detroit Diesel and variety of upgrades and accessories, from seats to mud flaps, that were donated by Freightliner suppliers (see Truck Bio).

The Cleveland, N.C., truck manufacturing plant employs more than 2,900 people in the production of Freightliner brand heavy-duty trucks. Daimler Trucks North America, LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 3-8 vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star, and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.