CLEVELAND — The Freightliner plant in Cleveland is ready for its close-up.
“American Trucker,” a TV show about truckers, will feature the Freightliner manufacturing facility at 10 p.m. today on the Speed network.
The TV series focuses on the backstories of truckers and their industry. Robb Mariani hosts.
Tonight’s show is about a long-time Freightliner Trucks customer, Quincy, Ill.-based Gully Transportation, a regional hauler with some 225 vehicles in its fleet. More than 95 percent are Freightliner trucks.
The episode will include the production of one of Gully Transportation’s newest trucks — a 2011 Cascadia — in the Cleveland manufacturing facility.
“My father started the business with just one truck in 1947, and in 1964 he purchased his first White Freightliner and as our business has grown, our relationship with Freightliner Trucks has grown,” said Michael Gully, vice president for Gully Transportation, in a press release. “Not only do our drivers love the handling and comfort, but as a business, we appreciate the trucks’ efficiency and reliability.”
Although Gully Transportation continues to add new vehicles to its fleet — most recently a combination of 10 Cascadia and Coronado trucks — what really interests Gully, and what brought American Trucker to the company, is his hobby of collecting truck memorabilia and restoring antique trucks.
Gully’s special interest trucks are Freightliners. He currently has about 11 antique Freightliner trucks in his collection, including that original White Freightliner that helped launch the business more than 50 years ago.
“I’ve always been fascinated by Freightliner trucks. When I was younger, they were the ‘Cadillacs’ of our fleet, and we still consider the Freightliner product to be the best,” said Gully. “The company has always been on the leading edge of process and product development, and we’re proud to be a partner.”
Gully attributes the operating efficiencies of his Freightliner trucks to Gully Transportation’s success.
“In today’s competitive market with tight operating margins, it is essential that Gully Transportation ‘Run Smart’ with its continued choice in Freightliner products,” said Gully. “We achieved these results for many years with the FLD, and now are finding the same ‘efficient machine’ reliability with the new Cascadia trucks.”