Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/328710
FIRST CLASS l 7 Enough to Perform, Small Enough to Care" — would soon ring hollow. And it could mean that Volunteer's signature fleet of Peterbilts might soon be replaced with a fleet that represented something less than the premium service upon which the Volunteer reputation had been built. But there soon emerged an option that ensured the familiar orange and gray Peterbilts that define the company's performance were still on the highways, and that the Volunteer Express legacy car- ried on. Quickway Distribution Services, Inc., a diverse Nashville-based hauler spe- cializing in refrigerated goods hauling, offered Baker a deal, finalized in October 2012, that resulted in Volunteer associ- ates becoming the new owners of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. "From that point on, our direc- tive from Quickway has been to con- tinue doing exactly what had helped make Volunteer so successful in the past," says current president and Chief Operating Officer Ken Hickman, a 25-year veteran at Volunteer Express. "We retained our identity — a large part of which is our Peterbilts." Model 579 arrival Volunteer Express has long served its diverse customer base of retail stores, manufacturers and distributors in need of both LTL and truckload services with a variety of Peterbilt equipment. About half of the fleet is made up of Peterbilt Model 587s in sleeper configurations. The spa- cious cabs appeal to the team drivers who serve the outer points of the company's operating niche on the East Coast. The Volunteer Express fleet also includes about 100 day cabs for the regional hauls that make up an LTL carrier's work base. The latest addi- tions to this portion of the fleet are Peterbilt Model 384s, the light- weight, tight-turning, fuel-efficient tractor that Peterbilt designed spe- cifically for the regional haul market. Additionally, about 20 Peterbilt medium-duty units, in straight-truck configurations, focus on smaller delivery and inter-urban routes. Getting much of the attention these days at Volunteer Express is a new arrival, the Peterbilt Model 579. Paired with a PACCAR MX engine, the Model 579 has been getting a workout since it's mid-summer arrival at Volunteer. First in a dedicated route from Nashville to Cincinnati and now with a team running it, the truck has put on 70,000 miles under the close scrutiny of driver and fleet management alike. "The team loves it," says Larry Baker, Nashville Shop Manager. "They tell me it turns on a dime. And the clutch is air-activated. You can depress it with your finger. "The driver on our dedicated route was very positive about it too. He really liked the visibility, the placement of the mirrors and the pulling power." What also has Baker impressed is the fuel economy of the new truck as it has been an impressive figure considering the areas in which it has been utilized. "Everything about this truck is designed to channel the air around it," says Baker. "The 'V' shape of the grill just scoots the air out to the sides. The visor channels it off and over the roof. The chassis fairings — it's all about reducing air resistance." Class impresses New Director of Maintenance, Jeremy Johnson, was instantly impressed by the new Model 579 and the rest of the Peterbilt fleet. "Immediately you're aware of the class of the equipment," says Johnson. "Drivers prefer it, mechanics prefer it, and you see why. Plus, the support we receive from PACCAR and Peterbilt has been phenomenal. Their 1-800 Peterbilt customer support line has really taken a burden off us and helped us meet our service and performance standards." And if ever there was any doubt that Volunteer Express wouldn't be run- ning business as usual, those fears were squelched when the company took deliv- ery of 39 new Peterbilts — including the new Model 579 — this summer. "If anything, that really sent the mes- sage that we were doing business as we always had," says Hickman. "Volunteer is as Volunteer was, and is poised to get even better." "Everything about the Model 579 is designed to channel the air around it." Ken Hickman (left) and Jeremy Johnson with a Volunteer Express Model 579, here and at far left.