Sport trophies in a hallway cabinet at Smith Transport’s maintenance building look nothing like the awards for customer service and safety displayed in its main office.
The trophies go back to the early 1980s for winning sled pulls and drag races. Company founder Barry Smith’s custom V-12 semi, the “Black Tornado,” beat Corvettes on the drag strip and once recorded the fastest quarter mile at the local racetrack: 113 mph in 12 seconds.
Sled pulls and drag races helped relieve stress from 18-hour workdays. The drivers, mechanics and office staff of Smith Transport were part of a racing team.
