HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

There will be no news on Truckinginfo.com today as our staff celebrates the holiday. Please join us as we honor those who gave their lives for our country, as employees at two truck makers did with special trucks in honor of the holiday.

Employees at Daimler Trucks North America's Freightliner Truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C customized a Cascadia with a Detroit Diesel DD15 engine. This is the ninth year plant employees have volunteered their time to help coordinate the truck design, local outreach and a 400-mile ride from the plant to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the Ride of Pride project.

This year's Ride of Pride artwork is designed to show support for active duty personnel, retirees and families who have lost someone in service to the country, as well as for prisoners of war and those still missing in action.

The one-of-a-kind Freightliner Ride of Pride truck will be escorted by hundreds of motorcyclists as part of an annual Memorial Day ceremony honoring veterans, POWs and MIAs. Before its Memorial Day weekend trip to join Rolling Thunder, a national motorcyclist group that honors veterans, the truck toured North Carolina, making stops to pay tribute in several communities.

Volvo Trucks also will once again send a commemorative truck to Washington, D.C. as part of the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom taking place during Memorial Day weekend. The Volvo VNL 670 pays tribute to the sacrifices of America's military personnel. This year's design was developed by Volvo Trucks' New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., in conjunction with UAW Local 2069's Veteran Committee.