90th Anniversary of Wingfoot Express Run

(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its historic Wingfoot Express truck fleet, which on Apr. 9, 1917 began regular nonstop delivery service between Akron and the company’s fabric mill in Connecticut.

Deliveries were initially handled by a single five-ton Packard with a specially built body. Over time, Goodyear added trucks to the fleet, including the first sleeper cab truck.

Steve McClellan, vice president of Goodyear commercial tire systems, said he “is especially proud of our kinship with America’s truck drivers.

“Back then, we viewed truck drivers as heroes for making the perilous journeys that kept the flow of goods and raw materials moving. Our perception hasn’t changed a bit,” McClellan said.

A 1917 Packard Model E 3-ton truck – similar to the models used in the first fleet – is housed at Wingfoot Commercial Systems’ headquarters in Ft. Smith, Ark., and will make visits at Wingfoot Tire Center grand-openings nationwide.