STANFORD, Calif., June 12, 2006 When Stanford University decided the time was right for a teardown instead of a touchdown, Ferma Corporation and its Kenworth T800s were selected to help haul away the remains of the school™s 85,500-seat football stadium built in 1921.
Over the decades, Stanford Stadium hosted a steady stream of Stanford football games, track meets and graduation ceremonies in addition to national and international events like Super Bowl XIX and soccer events for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
It was Ferma Corporation, one of the leading demolition and general engineering firms in Northern California, that helped kick off the new $90 million, 50,000-seat, double-deck Stanford Stadium project to a fast start. Ferma™s equipment features 17 Kenworth T800s with Caterpillar C15 and C13 435hp engines, 13-speed transmissions, and 36,000 lb. rear axles. The company™s three new Kenworth T800 heavy haulers are equipped with 475hp engines. Ferma also has three Kenworth T300s, including two service vehicles and one flatbed.
We had two weeks to complete the job and we finished ahead of schedule, said Rob Verga, equipment manager for Ferma Corp. in Mountain View, Calif. The first week we worked from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on two shifts.
Ferma™s T800s pulling end dump trailers carried up to 18 yards of concrete per load, while Kenworth T800s pulling Ferma-designed debris trailers hauled from 65 to 70 yards per load containing the stadium™s aluminum bench seats, steel, metal and wood, noted Verga. Ferma Corporation was responsible for hauling approximately 500 loads with much of the material designated for recycling.
Ferma Corporation first began purchasing Kenworth trucks in 1990 and has relied on them ever since for their durability, driver comfort and retention, and resale value.
We™re really pleased with our Kenworths. They get the job done, said Verga. We have some Kenworth T800s with the new cab interior to help keep drivers comfortable and the drivers just love it. We don™t have driver turnover very often. Some have been here for 20 years.
Kenworths definitely have high resale value, said Verga, who was pleased that both a 1997 T800 and 1999 T800 sold recently for 60% to 75% of their original purchase prices.
We also get really good service, Verga said. Bay Area Kenworth, our dealer, treats us right and handles all our maintenance. They come and pick up the trucks and deliver them back to us when the service work is completed.
That kind of customer support, combined with Kenworth™s quality products, contributed to Kenworth™s reception of five 2005 J.D. Power and Associates awards for Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Over the Road Segment and Pickup and Delivery Segment Class 8 Trucks, Heavy Duty Dealer Service and also Conventional Medium Duty Truck Segment and Medium Duty Dealer Service.*
The stadium™s grand opening is scheduled for September 16 when Stanford hosts Navy on the gridiron. To access live webcam views of the stadium™s current construction status, visit www.stanfordstadium.com.
Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a leading manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth™s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. The World”s Best.
*J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on 2,049 responses from principal maintainers of heavy duty trucks who were surveyed in April-June 2005. Medium Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) based on responses from 1,809 owner/operators and fleet managers with Gross Vehicle Weight Class 5, 6, or 7 trucks surveyed in August and September of 2005. www.jdpower.com.
