World Trade Center Convoy

Monday, September 28 was a momentous day in Mercer history. Twenty‐five Mercer trucks were loaded with steel beams from the fallen World Trade Center. The trucks departed Tuesday morning with police escorts, in convoy, from Maryland to hangar 17 at the JFK airport in New York City. Upon arrival at JFK, the trucks were staged to stay the night and unloaded on Wednesday. These beams will be parts of 9/11 memorials and distributed to museums worldwide.

To honor the victims and heroes of September 11th, the Mercer contractors cleaned and polished their trucks and adorned them with American flags and banners. Some trucks shut down ahead of time to get ready. “These loads were a labor of love,” says Mercer Truck Operations Manager, Dana Bibb. Although each truck was given a modest payment, many contractors offered to volunteer their services just for the honor of participating in the event.

As the convoy departed, employees that had worked with these beams for the past several years, examining and testing them, lined the drive, waving and crying as they left. A first grade class was brought out to witness the event.

Roads were closed and the top tier of the George Washington Bridge was shut down and cleared to give them safe passage. One solemn moment occurred when they entered Delaware. A fire truck was pulled over to the side of the road and had displayed the American flag over its side. Five firemen were standing on top, saluting as our trucks went by.

Tim Lester, Mercer contractor and firefighter, was one of the trucks able to participate in the convoy. Lester says, “As a firefighter, this was by far the most painful and emotional shipment I have ever been a part of. There isn’t any way to describe how it felt having fellow firefighters and other public service personnel standing along the way, either saluting or cheering us on. From the very moment we left, seeing all of those people lined up crying and applauding at the same time, I knew this was a trip to be remembered.”

Other Mercer contractors were also moved. Pat Valenti said, “I’ve never felt so truly honored to pull a load.” Tim Faircloth agreed, “This was a once in a lifetime experience and I was really glad to be a part of it.”

The convoy was arranged by Lynn Nelson, an agent from Mercer’s Norfolk, Virginia office. “As it came together, I was more proud to be with a company like Mercer. Now that it’s over – there are no words to describe the experience. From the professionalism of all the contractors involved, to my own excitement buying the flags and banners to be flown – to the trip itself. Seeing the fire truck at the Del Memorial Bridge with the men on top saluting just broke my heart. I am truly honored as an American to have been a part of this small but significant role in American history. These Mercer contractors are just some of the best in the business.”

To view the photo slideshow of this event, click here.

This article was featured in the December 2009 issues of Best Driver Jobs magazine and Movin' Out.