FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2005
Contact: Michael Corby
904.632.3310

Cypress Truck Lines to donate two retired vehicles to FCCJ diesel tech program

For decades philosophers and songwriters have opined that it is better to burn out than to rust out. Two late-model diesel trucks that might otherwise soon be retired won't have time to burn out or rust out. They're instead becoming a rather hefty donation to the Diesel Technologies program at Florida Community College at Jacksonville for students to train on diesel maintenance and repair.

Cypress Truck Lines will have the two trucks delivered to the Downtown Campus on the morning of Dec. 20. The actual delivery will be provided by Southern Crane and Wrecker Service. According to Professor Gary Denton of the College's Heavy Duty Truck and Bus program, the towing service alone is valued at hundreds of dollars.

"It's an investment for us," say Cypress Truck Line Maintenance Coordinator Ronnie Carr. Carr himself trained at Florida Community College in the late 1990s. He says his company is donating the trucks--a 1989 and a 1993 model, each with over one million miles on them--because they realize that technicians need "real-world" equipment to work on to effectively learn maintenance and repair.

Students who complete the certificate program can expect starting pay between $10-$13 hourly; more with Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. For more information about the Heavy Duty Truck program at Florida Community College at 904.646.2300.