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Didn't find out about it until I read the current issue of Land Line magazine, but Glenn Watkins died on March 17th.
His place in history: Back in the late '30s/early '40s, Consolidated Freightways was looking for a way to carry more freight per truck. None of the truck manufacturers they approached was prepared to build the truck they wanted (aluminum cabover, for less weight and length tied up in the tractor, leaving more of both available for cargo), so they decided to build it themselves. Glenn is the last member of the team which designed the "no-name" trucks. In 1942, the "in-house" developed trucks were given the name "Freightliner" - now one of the biggest brands in North American trucking.
As for the title, "Business Class" is Freightliner's medium-duty product line. While it's unlikely that any have been fitted out for that particular role, it would have been appropriate for Glenn to have taken his "last ride" in a Freightliner.
His place in history: Back in the late '30s/early '40s, Consolidated Freightways was looking for a way to carry more freight per truck. None of the truck manufacturers they approached was prepared to build the truck they wanted (aluminum cabover, for less weight and length tied up in the tractor, leaving more of both available for cargo), so they decided to build it themselves. Glenn is the last member of the team which designed the "no-name" trucks. In 1942, the "in-house" developed trucks were given the name "Freightliner" - now one of the biggest brands in North American trucking.
As for the title, "Business Class" is Freightliner's medium-duty product line. While it's unlikely that any have been fitted out for that particular role, it would have been appropriate for Glenn to have taken his "last ride" in a Freightliner.
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