Stoops Freightliner of Indianapolis, Ind., has added a new sales group to its family of dealerships.

Stoops Specialty Trucks specializes in custom-built trucks for owner-operators. Gary Horton, general manager of Stoops Freightliner, has named Jeff Jones sales manager for Stoops Specialty, which will be based at Stoops' Fort Wayne location.
Stoops Specialty Trucks has partnered with Bentz Transport Products in Fort Wayne, Ind., to manufacture an exclusive line of aftermarket, 100-inch, fully-integrated sleepers for the Freightliner Columbia, Century Class S/T and Coronado models. According to Jones, this program was developed in response to market demand for larger, fully-integrated, high-quality sleepers on Class 8 tractors and straight trucks.
The engineering and tooling efforts required for this new aftermarket sleeper program were significant, according to Keith Bentz, president of Bentz Transport Products. "This is the first production 100-inch fully-integrated sleeper brought to market," says Bentz. "It is also the largest integrated sleeper available."
Bentz adds, "The design and fit-and-finish result in a high-quality product with a factory-made appearance, combined with all of the features of a custom sleeper."
Targeted to husband-and-wife teams in the tractor/trailer and expediter market segments, enhanced features such as bigger beds, larger refrigerators, auxiliary power units and shower/toilet accommodations are offered. The SST100 conversion on the Freightliner Columbia, Century Class S/T and Coronado tractors is designed to offer spacious and luxurious accommodations in a lightweight package.
The SST100 on the Columbia CL112 straight truck chassis is designed to meet expediter requirements for a 22-foot van body with a 40-foot overall length. The roof is low enough to allow a refrigeration unit to be installed above the sleeper for highly specialized climate control applications.
The first model, the SST100, will debut at the 2005 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., booths 6885 and 4205, March 31-April 2.