Freestyle Transport of Vancouver, Washington, is the new owner of the “Everyday Heroes” Kenworth T680 Next Generation truck auctioned last week at Ritchie Bros.’ Perris, California facility. The winning bid, submitted by Freestyle CEO Serg Kodryanu, resulted in $260,000 from the sale going to Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), along with an additional $68,000 in additional donations from industry suppliers and trucking companies (including ICSA). As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, TAT is dedicated to stopping human trafficking by educating, mobilizing, and empowering truck drivers, truck stop employees and other industry personnel to report suspected human trafficking incidents.
Freestyle Transport specializes in delivering refrigerated and dry van freight throughout the lower 48 states. According to Freestyle’s president Edward Little, who is TAT trained, the company is in the process of getting all its executives, staff, drivers and volunteers TAT trained and looks forward to increasing awareness about the crime of human trafficking through its new Everyday Heroes Kenworth.
“I’ve been a long-time supporter of Truckers Against Trafficking and its mission to educate members of our industry to identify potential cases of human trafficking,” said Little. “As a former driver, I saw firsthand the opportunities our industry has to help human trafficking victims. We’re thrilled to have purchased the Everyday Heroes truck and help support such a great organization.”
To encourage members to get TAT-trained next month – January – which is National Human Trafficking Awareness month, ICSA members who log in to TAT through the link on ICSA’s website and complete the short online training to get TAT-certified will be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift card.
The Kenworth T680 Next Gen is fully loaded with a 76-inch sleeper and features the PACCAR Powertrain with a PACCAR MX-13 510-hp engine, PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission, and PACCAR DX-40 tandem rear axles. According to Little, the company’s new T680 Next Gen will join Freestyle Transport’s fleet of 47 trucks and will make runs to and from Washington state and Florida to generate more exposure to the specially decaled TAT truck throughout the country.
To make the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen truck possible, Kenworth Truck Company, Inland Kenworth, and other leading companies and organizations in the trucking industry provided significant support. Other sponsors include Alcoa, Arizona Trucking Association, Chevron, Davco, East Penn Batteries, Eaton Corporation, FlowBelow, GraMag, Horton, Independent Carrier Safety Association, Jost Fifth Wheel, Knight-Swift Transportation, Meritor, PACCAR Financial, PACCAR Parts, Pana-Pacific, PrePass, Ritchie Bros., Southwest Truck Driver Training, Tectran, The Vomela Transportation Group, Trimble, Utility Trailer Sales Company of Arizona, and WABCO.
Kenworth is The Driver’s Truck™. See what drivers are saying at www.kenworth.com/drivers.
Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.