WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – January 6, 2023 – Leonard’s Express – a leading transportation services provider offering refrigerated trucking, dry van, warehousing and freight brokerage services – is showing support for veterans by giving several of its long-haul trucks a military makeover. As part of its patriotic “wrapped truck” program, the company has now vinyl wrapped five new trucks with a military-themed design for each of its terminals: Caldwell, Idaho; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Farmington, New York; New Castle, Delaware; and Taylorsville, North Carolina. The trucks are assigned to drivers who have served in the United States Military.
Gulf War Veteran Davey Wheeler, whose driving career spans 44 years, will drive the Leonard’s Express U.S. Navy truck for the next four-to-five years. Wheeler traveled to the New Castle terminal for a special ceremony to celebrate being selected for this prestigious assignment. Leonard’s Express Chief Operating Officer Kevin Johnson traveled from New York to personally present the keys to Wheeler.
“When I was approached by Leonard’s Express about driving one of these trucks, I told them I would be proud to honor the Navy in this way,” said Wheeler, who served as an officer’s cook for six and a half years aboard the U.S.S. Portland. In addition to serving in South America, the Mediterranean and throughout the Caribbean Islands, Wheeler was posted off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon in 1983. On October 23rd of that year, which was also Wheeler’s 20th birthday, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, which housed American and French service members of the Multinational Force, a military peacekeeping operation during the Lebanese Civil War. Wheeler was a member of a team that volunteered to be part of the rescue efforts. Sadly, there were few survivors. The attack killed 307 people, 241 of whom were Americans.
“This program is one of the many ways we honor veterans for their service and sacrifice,” said Shannon Struzik, VP of People and Development at Leonard’s Express. “We are profoundly grateful for the nearly 100 veteran drivers who work for Leonard’s Express.”
Contributing to a Good Cause
In addition to the profound sense of pride inspired by the military-branded trucks, Leonard’s Express has pledged to donate one cent for every mile each truck travels over the next four-to-five years. The proceeds will go to a charity that supports veterans, which each driver gets to select. Wheeler chose the Wounded Warrior Project.
With trucks running approximately 500,000 miles over the four-to-five-year life of ownership, Leonard’s expects the program to generate approximately $25,000. In addition, Leonard’s Express has a dedicated donation portal for each of the charities so employees can contribute too.
“At Leonard’s Express, our support of community, employees, and customers is central to our culture,” said Leonard’s Express CEO Ken Johnson. “It defines us as a company and as a great place to work. We support our veteran employees wherever possible and recognize their service to our country.”
“Being recognized for serving my country, it kind of hits hard, that your company is actually standing behind you for what you have done, and to put it out there for the public to see,” Wheeler explained. “Leonard’s Express is a great, great company to work for.”
Military Design Results in “Flashiest Fleet” Award
As a result of its military-branded trucks, Leonard’s Express ranked number one in Commercial Carrier Journal’s (CCJ) “Five Flashiest Fleets” competition. Each year since 1978, CCJ celebrates five fleets nationwide that display excellence in the design of their trucks. The publication receives dozens of submissions annually and chooses its top five carriers based on the overall graphic design of both the cab and the trailer. According to CCJ, “Leonard’s Express is a military-friendly company, and it boldly conveys that message with its trucks. The vibrant graphics recognizing branches of the U.S. military… communicate the fleet’s commitment to hiring veterans. The trucks are sure to catch the eyes of veterans making the transition to civilian employment — even at highway speeds.”
Leonard’s Express beat out 100 other fleets from across the country to win the Flashiest Fleet Award. For more on Leonard’s Express military-designed trucks, please watch this episode of the Leading the Way at Leonard’s podcast.
About Leonard’s Express
Leonard’s Express is a family-owned asset-based transportation provider based in Farmington, New York with offices located throughout the United States. We provide transportation solutions for a wide range of customers that encompass many industries. With our nationwide footprint, we are prepared to tailor a solution to fit your specific supply chain needs.
With our state-of-the-art technology and dedicated staff, Leonard’s Express is willing and able to provide dependable, diversified, and creative solutions that are responsive and cost-effective.
For more information, please visit www.leonardsexpress.com.
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Media Contacts
Madison R. Pfeiffer
Leonard’s Express
madison.pfeiffer@leonardsexpress.com
Jonathan Ghent
WritLarge PR LLC
jonathanghent@writlargepr.com
