Con-way donates first-ever LTL truck to legendary truckstop

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Con-way Freight has donated "Ole Number One," a 1983 Ford CL 9000 cab-over tractor, to the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum at a commemorative ceremony held.

Ole Number One was the company’s first tractor to go into service in the Midwest under the Con-way name.

The Con-way regional carriers were startups, with Con-way Central Express opening for business in June 1983.

Ole Number One was the first in the original fleet of 50 trucks and 150 trailers that began service in the company’s initial network of 11 service centers in nine Midwestern states.

"Back in 1983, on the heels of deregulation of the trucking industry, no one knew how this idea to launch a new trucking company — one that would focus exclusively on next-day freight service — would turn out," said David L. Miller, who started with Con-way Central Express (CCX) as an operations supervisor in Cincinnati in 1983, rising through the ranks to become president of the former CCX and COO of Con-way Freight before retiring last year.

"We’ve learned that it has become one of those rare success stories in trucking — a startup that stayed true to its roots and grew into an industry leader."

Miller attended the ceremony along with Dick Heyob, an original driver sales representative.

Heyob was among the first drivers to pilot Ole Number One when the company opened its doors. Heyob still drives today for Con-way Freight out of its Cincinnati service center.

The tractor was retired in 1992 with over a half-million miles in service and went on display in the company’s main lobby.

The company decided that the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum is a place where the truck could preserved for future generations and shared with a larger audience.