North Carolina Trucker Beats the Odds
23 March 1998
North Carolina Trucker Beats the OddsVolvo Trucks Awards $120,000 Truck To 'Best Drive in the Game' Sweepstakes Winner GREENSBORO, N.C., March 22 -- Since Super Bowl Sunday, ten finalists have been dreaming of hearing their name announced during Volvo Trucks' "Best Drive in the Game" sweepstakes grand-prize presentation at the Mid-America Trucking Show. But, only one finalist, Donald Norman, East Bend, N.C., left the show as the owner of a new Volvo 770 highway tractor, valued at $120,000. "I've been driving trucks for 42 years and the Volvo 770 is my first new truck -- and it's the best one on the road," said Norman. For Norman, winning the Volvo 770 marks the second time this year he's beaten the odds. Norman was seriously injured six months ago and has just returned to his job as an owner/operator and proprietor of East Bend Equipment, Inc., East Bend, N.C. Now, Norman is looking forward to growing his business with his new Volvo truck. The on-stage award ceremony took place in front of 18,000 trucking professionals during the Volvo-sponsored Brooks & Dunn concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., March 21. Mid-America is the trucking industry's largest trade show. Norman and nine other finalists in the "Best Drive in the Game" sweepstakes received an all-expenses-paid trip for two to participate in the award ceremony. The "Best Drive in the Game" sweepstakes was a watch-to-win contest created to support Volvo Trucks' 30-second Super Bowl commercial. Volvo Trucks was the first heavy-duty truck manufacturer, and one of only a handful of business-to-business companies, ever to advertise during the Super Bowl. All sweepstakes contestants received a game card featuring a Volvo phrase. To qualify to win the Volvo 770, the phrase on a participant's game card had to match the winning phrase revealed during Volvo Trucks' Super Bowl commercial. The grand-prize Volvo 770 features many of the amenities of home and office, including sleeping accommodations for two, PC work station, an entertainment center, and a kitchen sink. All first-place winners received a laptop computer, complete with a transportation productivity software package. In addition to the new truck, Chevron Lubricants will pay for the cost of all lubricants Norman purchases at a Volvo dealership in the first five years of ownership. Chevron is the primary lubricant supplier to Volvo Trucks. Volvo Trucks North America manufactures Class 8 Volvo trucks and tractors. The company leads the heavy-truck industry in the areas of safety research and development, quality manufacturing processes and environmental care. The company also markets Volvo heavy-duty diesel engines, transmissions, axles and rear suspensions. Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., Volvo Trucks North America is a subsidiary of Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden. SOURCE Volvo Trucks North America