Founded by four members of the Knight family, including former CEO and now Chairman Kevin Knight, the Phoenix, Arizona-based company began operation on July 19, 1990 with just a handful of trucks and has grown to approximately 4,800 tractors, more than 5,000 associates and revenues of more than $1 billion. Today, Knight operates approximately 1,800 Volvo models in its fleet.
“Knight Transportation is known for being one of the best-managed companies in the trucking industry, so we are proud that we have been one of its major business partners for many years,” said Gӧran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “We are pleased that Knight chose Volvo Trucks to help celebrate this milestone.”
“With this being our silver anniversary, we wanted drivers to participate in the celebration with special trucks,” said Dave Williams, Knight’s vice president of equipment. He said the Volvo VNL models were a natural choice to mark the occasion because of Volvo’s long-standing relationship with Knight, dating back to 1996.
“Some of the core principles that move Volvo forward – safety, sustainability and strong engineering – are values that appeal to us,” Williams said. “We have relationships with Volvo from the very top to the local level that truly address the needs of Knight’s business. And it’s a truck that our drivers enjoy driving.”
The Volvo VNL 670, Volvo’s best-selling truck ever, features a 61-inch tall sleeper and is available with the Volvo D13 or D16 engine or the Cummins ISX15. The Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission is standard. The model year 2016 VNL 670 incorporates advanced aerodynamic upgrades and underhood enhancements that that improve fuel efficiency by up to 3.5 percent compared to the previous-year models.
Knight assigned the anniversary trucks to terminals throughout the U.S. The first two special edition trucks were displayed earlier this year at a celebration for associates and their families at corporate headquarters in Phoenix.
Knight Transportation chose to mark its 25th anniversary with silver Volvo VNL 670 models featuring special anniversary decals. Volvo has supplied trucks to Knight since 1996 and is one of the Phoenix, Arizona-based truckload carrier’s longest-standing business partners.
Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,200 dealers and workshops in more than 120 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 16 countries across the globe. In 2014 more than 117,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, and drive systems for marine and industrial applications. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo’s work is based on the core values quality, safety and environmental care.
The Volvo Group, which employs about 100,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells its products in more than 190 markets. In 2014, the Volvo Group’s sales amounted to about $38.2 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and are traded OTC in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.volvogroup.com or www.volvogroup.mobi if you are using your mobile phone.
August 5, 2015