Donation to Offer New Vantage Point for National Postal Museum Visitors

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum announced that Freightliner Trucks will donate a Columbia cab-cutaway to be featured in “Networking a Nation: Star Route Service,” a new exhibition opening Feb. 21 in the museum’s transportation gallery.

“The cab-cutaway from Freightliner Trucks is an exciting addition to the National Postal Museum’s exhibits,” said museum director Allen Kane. “From behind the cab’s steering wheel, visitors can gain a whole new perspective on how mail is moved.”

More than 150 years ago, postal officials expanded the nation’s mail service and hired contractors to serve the new routes. Legislation establishing the new mail service called for contractors to carry the mail with “celerity, certainty, and security.” Weary of repeatedly writing these words in ledgers, postal clerks substituted “* * *” and the phrase “Star Route” was born.

“We jumped at the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful and educational exhibit by donating our Columbia cab-cutaway to the National Postal Museum,” said Jonathan Randall, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks. “We are very proud of the vital role Freightliner vehicles have played in the postal industry’s history. Through this cab-cutaway exhibit, people who might not normally see the inside of a heavy-duty truck will be able to enjoy the firsthand experience of being inside a real-life big rig.”

Freightliner Trucks is a division of the Freightliner Group, headquartered in Portland, Ore., and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. The Freightliner Group produces and markets Class 3-8 vehicles and is a company of DaimlerChrysler, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.

The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., in the Old City Post Office Building across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information visit the museum’s Web site at postalmuseum.si.edu.

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