Plexiglass panels reveal the trailer's load of baseballs. Each of the 14 panels, six in each side and two in the rear, weighs 300 pounds.  Photos: Old Dominion Freight Line

Plexiglass panels reveal the trailer's load of baseballs. Each of the 14 panels, six in each side and two in the rear, weighs 300 pounds. Photos: Old Dominion Freight Line 

Major League Baseball bills itself as the “national pastime” and, notwithstanding the popularity of football and basketball, baseball is a fixation in the USA and several other countries. And did you know that MLB has an Official Freight Carrier?

It’s Old Dominion Freight Line, which is stepping up to the plate with a special promotional trailer holding an untold number of baseballs. It’s making its debut this week in Miami, where the annual All-Star Game will be played, starting at 7:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday night.

The vehicle promotes the sport and Old Dominion’s “OD Seats to the World Series” sweepstakes. OD will award a pair of tickets to one game of each of the next three World Series to the person who can come closest to guessing the number of baseballs it would take to fill this customized trailer.

“We’re helping our customers and fans celebrate the national pastime by delivering the ultimate premium experience – tickets to three consecutive World Series,” said David Carter, Old Dominion’s vice president of marketing communications, in a press release. “This prize underscores our daily promise to our customers, delivering premium service.”

Trailer was vinyl wrapped for the trip to Miami and the All Star Game. Wraps came off at Marlins Park. Tractor is a Freightliner New Cascadia.

Trailer was vinyl wrapped for the trip to Miami and the All Star Game. Wraps came off at Marlins Park. Tractor is a Freightliner New Cascadia.  

Wabash engineers designed the 28-foot by 102.3-inch pup trailer and workers at the plant in Lafayette, Ind., assembled it, OD says. It’s a Duraplate model modified with 14 plexiglass inserts, two in the rear and six in each side.

Each panel is 2 inches thick and weighs 300 pounds. Thus the trailer’s tare weight is much more than a standard pup van, 15,760 pounds vs. 9,700 pounds. And no, they're not revealing the payload, so you baseball fans can't divide that by the weight of an official MLB baseball, between 5 and 5.25 ounces. 

After the All-Star Game, the special Wabash National trailer and Freightliner tractor depart from Miami on July 12 and begin begin a cross-country tour through August, visiting the seven MLB Clubs that Old Dominion sponsors: the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals. Fans can enter the sweepstakes online at odfl.com/tickets.

“The ‘OD Seats to the World Series’ tour allows us to connect with fans across the country, and introduce the Old Dominion brand to logistics and freight managers and baseball fans,” Carter said.

In addition to the sweepstakes and baseball trailer reveal, MLB legends Dave Winfield, Tim Raines, and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez will appear at Old Dominion’s FanFest booth in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Watch for the special trailer on the road during its 9,000-mile tour, Old Dominion says. These dates are subject to change:

  • New York Mets – July 14, 15, 16
  • Boston Red Sox – July 17, 18, 19, 20
  • Chicago Cubs – July 24, 25
  • Chicago White Sox – July 26, 27
  • Texas Rangers – July 29, 30, 31, August 1
  • California (Anaheim) Angels – August 4, 5, 6
  • Kansas City Royals – August 18, 19, 20

To learn more about OD’s Seats to the World Series, follow #HomePlateFreight and Old Dominion on Twitter: @ODFL_Inc and Facebook: Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. For more information about Old Dominion, visit ODFL.com or call (800) 432-6335.

About the author
Tom Berg

Tom Berg

Former Senior Contributing Editor

Journalist since 1965, truck writer and editor since 1978.

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