American Freightways Rebuilds After Twister

Freight was flowing less than two days after a tornado flattened an American Freightways terminal in Oklahoma City.

One of several twisters that ripped through Oklahoma on May 3 with winds of up to 318 mph totaled the facility, destroying close to 200 trailers and eight tractors. But the destruction also took a human toll as two truck drivers lost their lives in a heroic effort to shield fellow employees.

The company wasted no time in recovering from the physical damage of the disaster, however.

"Americans don't lay down," said John Sherman, a spokesman for the less-than-truckload carrier based in Harrison, Ark.

"Our associates were anxious to get back to work," he said. "I've talked to some people who have said it's actually been a part of the healing process for them."

Brad Mott, the manager of the resilient Oklahoma terminal, said the terminal and its workers were completely back up to speed in terms of freight capacity.

For the full story, see the May 24 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.