International receives large Class 8 truck order from Heartland Express

April 29, 2004
Heartland Express, Inc., a leading truckload carrier, has placed an order for 2,800 International 9400i trucks to replace its current fleet of trucks over the next three years, International Truck and Engine Corporation announced.

Heartland Express, Inc., a leading truckload carrier, has placed an order for 2,800 International 9400i trucks to replace its current fleet of trucks over the next three years, International Truck and Engine Corporation announced.

Russell Gerdin, Heartland Express’s president and chief executive officer, said a key element in the decision to switch to International was its reputation for quality, which was underscored when Heartland discussed International with industry executives.

“Our goal is to have the newest fleet and the best-quality equipment,” Gerdin said. “Quality has never been a question for International trucks.”

Among other factors in the decision was the performance of the International 9400i, the service record and scope of the International dealer network, as well as an excellent relationship with local International dealer Hawkeye International Trucks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jordan Feiger, vice president and general manager, International Heavy Vehicle Center, said the agreement reflects International’s continued success in growing the heavy business and its focus on improving the profitability of its customers.

“Heartland Express is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best managed small companies,” said Feiger. “We’re pleased to support Heartland Express’s continued business leadership and its focus on profitability, lower operating costs and greater uptime.”

Deliveries of the truck order will begin in May and continue through the end of 2006.