KIRKLAND, Wash. — J&R Schugel recently took delivery of a Kenworth T680 during a special ceremony at Kenworth’s manufacturing plant in Chillicothe, Ohio as part of J&R Schugel’s 50th anniversary celebration and to show support for Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Representatives from Kenworth, a division of CSM Companies, and J&R Schugel were on hand for the event. To commemorate its milestone anniversary, J&R Schugel had its new T680 specially wrapped in support of the nonprofit organization, DAV, to recognize the services and sacrifices made by our nation’s military veterans.
“It’s a privilege to collaborate with Disabled American Veterans in honoring those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom,” said Courtney Antonsen, J&R Schugel human resources director. “Our uniquely wrapped Kenworth T680 truck will proudly journey across the country, symbolizing our appreciation and dedication to supporting veterans and their families. We also extend our gratitude to CSM Companies for their generous $25,000 donation, which will directly fund vital services for veterans.”
In addition to bringing awareness to DAV, J&R Schugel’s dealer, Wisconsin Kenworth, presented a check for $25,000 at the event to be donated to DAV on behalf of J&R Schugel.
According to a media release, for J&R Schugel, going above and beyond to serve customers employees, and the local community is a key value the family operating company lives by. Since its founding in 1974 by Jerry and Rich Schugel and their father Harold, the company’s driver-centric culture stands out among competitors in the industry. The New Ulm, Minnesota-based truckload, dedicated, and regional transportation services provider has a history of wrapping its Kenworth trucks to bring awareness to causes that are important to the company and its drivers.
“We have a special culture here at J&R Schugel, and we take a lot of pride in supporting various causes to support our drivers and the community,” said Antonsen.” Our trucks give us a unique opportunity to spread awareness of these causes across the country.”
In addition to its latest themed truck in support of military veterans the company has three other specially themed T680s that bring awareness to causes including, breast cancer, mental health, and autism.
“J&R Schugel has been a great customer for years, and we’re proud of all their efforts to partner with charity organizations and bring awareness to important causes throughout the country and in their local community,” said Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “Disabled American Veterans is an excellent organization that helps support our military veterans in need, and J&R Schugel’s latest themed T680 will help get the message out about DAV as it travels all across the country.”
J&R Schugel is 100% employee-owned and operates more than 700 trucks, most of which are new model Kenworth T680s specified with 76-inch sleepers, a mix of PACCAR MX and Cummins X15 engines, and 12-speed automated transmissions, according to the release.
According to Antonsen, the company is on a three-year trade-in cycle with Wisconsin Kenworth to keep equipment new for its drivers and to reduce downtime. In the past few years, J&R Schugel’s fleet has been transitioning to Kenworth’s latest T680 model, which was introduced in 2021.
“All of our trucks are currently 2021 models or newer,” Antonsen said. “In the past few years, we’ve been cycling into the new T680 model, which our drivers are finding to be a nice upgrade. The new interior features and technology, such as the digital display and sharper exterior design of the truck, are what stand out to our drivers. They spend most of their day in their trucks, and we believe providing them with new, premium equipment helps with overall job satisfaction.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
