The Long Road to Economic Recovery Begins in Trucking

It’s no secret that 2011 was a rugged year for American businesses all across the board. With stock markets rising and falling like oceans in an earthquake, and economic uncertainty looming around nearly every corner, many businesses – both large and small – felt a need to tighten their belts and trim their costs.

Neither is it any secret that 2012 promises to be a long, steep climb out of our national slump. That’s the bad news. But D.W. Lift Sales has good news as well: the trucking industry, for one, is booming again. The statistics would seem to prove it.

Freightliner, for instance, is adding 1,100 manufacturing jobs to its Cleveland, N.C. manufacturing plant, a full 72% increase in the number of personnel currently working at that location. The new manufacturing jobs reflect the fact that there’s a six-month backlog for Freightliner’s Cascadia truck model. American trucks are in high demand both domestically and abroad, in markets as far-ranging as Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Likewise, in December of 2011 alone, the North American trucking industry added 5,100 jobs, a full 3.2% increase in a single month. Transportation and warehousing added a full 50,000 jobs in December as well. Part of that figure can certainly be attributed to the need for extra lifters and haulers for the Christmas season, but a number like that is still something to celebrate beyond the holidays. If the United States had an annual GDP of 3.2%, we’d be well on our way to rooting ourselves out of our economic gloom.

Being that we at D.W. are the largest combination delivery equipment packager of our kind in the nation, we’ve certainly witnessed a strong rise in sales on our end. Even as our sales ramp up, the “thank-you” notes from our clients keep pouring in. As Scott Foster, President of BLS Trucking, writes, “We have been doing business with D.W. Lift Sales for over 10 years and purchased several hundred trucks, trailers, and forklifts. They have been a key supplier of equipment for our business. It has been a pleasure doing business with them. We can always count on them to get us the right equipment when we need it and at a fair price.”

There’s a growing sense of optimism that American industry is planted firmly back on its tires, and roaring at full speed ahead again. At D.W. Lift Sales, we’re certainly proud to be at the nexus of American economic recovery.

Freightliner Announces the Ultimate Design Competition for Collegiates

It’s a brainstorm to the finish line. From November of this past year through February of this year, thousands of the brightest and most talented college students in America have been sweating out the details of designing a perfect Freightliner truck for the future. The contest is part of an overall effort by the U.S. manufacturing sector to rekindle American minds towards a passion in industrial design.

To that effect, all the stops are being put out to say the least. Three hard-working collegiate finalists, selected by commercial vehicle design experts from Daimler, will receive invitations to the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), where their designs will be prominently put on display. The winner among those finalists will receive a $20,000 college scholarship and the offer of a paid internship at Freightliner Trucks.

According to J.T. Reed, director of marketing for Freightliner Trucks, “Freightliner Trucks is the undisputed leader in cutting-edge truck design, innovation and engineering… The truck design contest will provide us with the opportunity to uncover not only some of the best and brightest designers, but will also keep us on the leading edge as we create the next generation owner-operators’ dream truck.”

But no one is saying that designing a dream truck is going to be easy. Functional challenges like aerodynamics, reduced ease of maintenance, increased payload capacity, and personal comfort (a serious consideration since so many trucks are their drivers’ homes away from home) are being scrutinized meticulously by the judging panel. Freightliner hopes and expects that the results will be nothing short of path-breaking, and we at D.W. are inclined to agree.

We’re looking forward to learning who wins the contest. Why wouldn’t we be? Chances are, we’ll be stocking their product within the next coming years.