Freightliner has donated three Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadias to Be Pro, Be Proud, a workforce development initiative led by the Associated Industries of Arkansas and dedicated to building interest in careers in transportation, manufacturing, construction and utility.
The donations were announced Tuesday in Nashville during the ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting.
“We’re honored to further support Be Pro, Be Proud’s mission to help pave a pathway of professional development for the nation’s skilled trades,” says Greg Treinen, vice president, on-highway market development at DTNA. “This valuable work is helping to create a pipeline of talent for a variety of industries while providing young people career opportunities in not only Arkansas, but also across the South and the U.S.”
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Freightliner and its dealer partner, Doggett Freightliner, have a long history of supporting Be Pro, Be Proud that first began in 2015 with the low-cost lease of a Freightliner M2 Sport Chassis to transport their first 40-ft., training trailer. In 2019, Freightliner and Doggett expanded their support with matching cash donations to enable Be Pro, Be Proud to acquire a Fourth Generation Cascadia capable of moving a then-new 53-ft., training trailer with two slides that expanded to provide more than 1000 sq.-ft., of training space. In 2026, the organization will receive three all-new Cascadias to haul additional mobile workshops.
“We are both humbled and grateful for the support of an industry giant like Freightliner and can’t thank them enough for helping enable our goal of reaching students throughout the country to stoke their interest in the high-demand technical professions we promote,” says Andrew Parker, executive director of Be Pro Be Proud.
The Fifth Generation Cascadia went into production in 2025 and builds on a 20-year legacy of serving North American fleets safely, efficiently and profitability. Freightliner says drivers for Be Pro, Be Proud will benefit from the latest advancements to the highly aerodynamic form factor and engine technologies, industry-leading features of the Detroit Assurance Suite of Safety Systems and business intelligence tools that will provide clear insights into the performance of their trucks.
