Kelle's (Dick Simon's kid)

http://www.kellestransport.com/kelle_simon.php

 

Wow, I'm sorry and no pun intended but I can't blieve how far off the story all of you are except Kwray with the story of how the skunk became the symbol. The story he states is the "basic" sum it up explination. I actually have one of the monthly mag's they sent out some where that has the full story in it.

Kelle is in fact, Dick's son. I forgot why they done away with the flag containing the skull and cross bone's but they changed it with the skunk holding the flag containing heart's which was a symbol of showing the family. One was Dick's, his wife, Kelle, another son which I don't remember his name and I believe a grand child and that's why the heart's where different size's. I actually have a Die Cast truck, from the SLC terminal, along with two shirt's one is still brand new and another is worn out from wearing it over the year's and I still do from time to time along with paper's and mag's from the company and even a set of CB anntena's off one of the Freightliner Centuries from the first order. It was in fact a really good company to work for.

As for the story on why they went bankrupt had a lot to do with recruting. One driver killed a family in a car after crossing the line on a two lane road and hit them head on and killed everyone in the car. Second lawsuit that brought them to bankrupcy was a nut they hired that slipped through the cracks who had been in and out of prison and mental hospital's most of his life who had a grudge againest the state of California, (forgot the reason) but he decided to drive around the state capital building in Sacramento a few time's before ramming his truck head on into the building after hours that night. 911 caller's said they could hear him screaming as he burnt alive and small explosion's after the fuel tanks ruptured on impact was from the can's of evaporated milk he was hauling.

I also have picture's of the tractor up close and personal after it was hauled back to the SLC terminal. The damage set the company back and caused them to go bankrupt which ended up getting sold to Jerry over at Swift and they changed it over to Central Refridgerated.

Here is the story.

"State Sues Trucking Firm Over Capitol Attack

August 17, 2001
The state has sued a Salt Lake City trucking company to pay for damage done by a company driver who slammed his big rig into the state Capitol in January. The suit seeks $13.5 million in actual damages and $100 million in punitive damages from Dick Simon Trucking Inc. Truck driver Mike Bowers, who had a history of legal and mental problems, rammed his vehicle into the Capitol's south portico.

Truck driver Mike Bowers, who had a history of legal and mental problems, rammed his vehicle into the Capitol's south portico.
The truck, carrying a load of canned milk, caught fire, killing Bowers and leaving the building with fire, smoke and water damage. Repairs are still being made.
The suit, filed Wednesday, says the company was aware of Bowers' emotional problems and hired him anyway.
Company officials were not available for comment."

This site has a spot where it say's the truck was going in excess of 70mph but Dick Simon's trucks were governed at 67.
http://www.1union1.com/bowers.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/18/news/mn-13625

That's just the story. I can't find the picture's and security camera video's of the crash on the web but have on a disc some where which may take some time to find but will share when I do. My user name should say a lot as that was the truck number we had.

I was a big follower of this company even after my step dad left them in 2000 long before I started driving. If they were still in business today I would go to work for them. I've met Dick and Kelle personally and everyone around there was cool as hell. Couldn't meet better people but there was a hand full of bad apple's like Mike.

 

You won't see a tractor with a Skunk on it as they have all been sold off. Their are a hand full of trailers still out there that have been sold off but the logo was never removed and Central had a couple left in the fleet they hadn't changed the logo on either but that was better than a year ago but I guess they are still out there if you saw one. Very rare sight.

And no, once a name is declaired under bankrupcy, it's gone. As I understand the only way you can bring a name back out from under such you would have to shell out far more money than the name is worth. The name and logo can no longer be used, ever.

 

I asked about the skunk and the flag on one of my first visits to Salt Lake City, I was told the flag was changed to "Sweet Simon" because some of the customers like Kroger "I believe it was" felt that the skull and cross bones represented poison, and being Dick Simon hauled their products they "at Kroger" asked for the skull and cross bones to be removed.

 

That sound's about right. I haven't seen the skull and cross bones sense they did away with the 48' trailers which they had two of sitting on the yard as storage. The nose was black, back door's black with the skunk in white and the name in red and the top and bottom edge's along the side's were black with an old school Thermo King reefer unit. I have a model in 1:87:1 scale (HO) of the old 48' trailer's in that scheme and a Mack CH model tractor in black with the original decals.

 

I've been with three companies over the last fifteen years, Dick Simon was the first, and without a doubt the best people I ever worked for in my life. Wherever you are Dick Simon, Thank You for the opportunity I had to drive for your team, and thanks for the wonderful memories!

 

I seen a truck and trailer in Twin Falls Idaho last month and the trailer looked brand new with simon trucking or simon transport with the skunk on the sides and back doors. I was told that simon is back in business but only has trailers and is hiring owner ops to pull his trailers so someone find out for sure and let us know, maybe the other simon brother is in business now??

 

I just went to a simon trucking websight that says Lyn Simon is the president and Helen in the other person heading up the company and that Lyn had been part of Dick Simon trucking. I just typed in simon transport and got to the sight, anyone have anymore info than this sight does?

 

I'm a wannabe so I latch on to every report about carriers. Most, of course, want experienced drivers. I did look up Simon. From what I saw on the website: http://www.kellestransport.com/index.php#1_3 it seems that Kelle Simon is in business for himself and has been since about 2003 or 2004. Anyway, the link above should get you to his website/application.

 

The sight i went to was simontransport.com for Simon Transport LLC 2 different companies probably Kelles brother. On the simon tranpsort page it has the skunk and says so stink-en dependable