Early in 2014, Jeff Hanneman, the Fleet Garage Foreman at the StarTribune in Minneapolis contacted Brown Industries’ Business Development Manager Bob Foster and indicated there were a number of straight trucks to be included in their upcoming purchasing plans. He expected the equipment configurations they used in the past would very likely change. The pending sale of the newspaper to Minnesota businessman Glen Taylor, along with the hiring of a new Director of Fleet and Logistics, prompted a complete re-examination of their delivery fleet. Given the significant pressures that a digitally-oriented world has created for the newspaper industry, maximizing asset utilization was the guiding force in developing new specifications.
For several decades, the fleet consisted of single axle units with 15’ van bodies and tandems with 24’ bodies. All the bodies were 96” wide because two paper carts fit side by side and allowed minimum lateral movement. Interior height was 85” because that was all that was required for cart loading, and in addition, allowed the trucks to access their production facility by a couple of convenient routes that have low clearance bridges near the plant.
All the new van bodies are mounted with a front mounted twin-cylinder direct lift hoist that allows the driver to level the floor if a drop is being done at a location that is sloped. A single cart of papers can weigh as much as 1,200 pounds, so the hoist capability was determined to be a must for the new equipment. The single axle based unit was lengthened to 20’ and all the bodies were spec’ed at 102” O.D. width and 103-1/2” I.D. height. These new dimensions allow them to haul a wide variety of freight when the trucks are not delivering newspapers, increasing asset utilization by hauling general freight locally and back hauling loads that might be available for units doing outstate deliveries.
Over several months, Jeff and Bob Foster worked through numerous specification revisions culminating in an order for six 20’ units and three 24’ tandems.
Their fleet now includes an additional four tandems, two of which are equipped with Palfinger ILD-44 rail gates.
Dick Lallak, Circulation Operations Manager, is extremely pleased with their decision to equip the trucks with Brown Cargo Van bodies. Their day to day operations are as tough on equipment as any freight-hauling operation. Thirteen BCVI bodies are meeting the test daily, and more are in the works as older trucks come up for replacement.
A little bit about some of our people
Jeff Hupke CEO
Jeff joined Brown Industries and the B12 Transportation Group as CEO in January 2016 (Brown is part of the B12 Transportation Group along with Diamond Coach Corporation). Jeff’s most recent experience prior to Brown was in roles as CFO, COO, CEO and Executive VP over a ten year period at Safe Fleet Corporation (formerly ROM Corp.). While at Safe Fleet, Jeff led the company through a period of tremendous growth and innovation in the fleet vehicle component space, including the completion and integration of nine add-on acquisitions in a five year period. Prior to Safe Fleet, Jeff held senior leadership roles at Kansas City start-ups MachineryLink and Netsales. Jeff is a graduate of Purdue University and holds an MBA in finance from Indiana University.
Robert “Bob” Foster Business Development Manager
Bob joined Brown Industries as a Business Development Manager in June 2015. Bob has nearly four decades of sales and sales management experience in both trucks and truck bodies and equipment. Bob sold Chevrolet trucks for a full line dealer and liked it so much he soon transitioned into the truck equipment world. Bob has been a Salesman and Sales Manager in the truck body business for the past 27 years and worked for Kolstad, LaHass, Delta-Waseca, Marion Body Works and most recently Towmaster in the Minnesota-Wisconsin area.