Jeff's Bar
The 2015 Cascadia just got a bar. I like to call it Jeff's Bar. The first time I opened the door of a Cascadia and 
climbed in, I thought something in it could be improved. There was a bar at the back of the driver's door and not one in the front. The driver had to climb up into the cab using the steering wheel as one of the 3 points of contact. They had to stop on the steps, grab the back bar and then grab the steering wheel. I suggested that it would be a safer system if there were a bar on to the front of the driver's door.
This week, I had my first peek into the interior of the 2015 Cascadia Evolution. There it was. The bar on the front side of the driver's door. I dubbed it Jeff's Bar. Clark Bar had already been used. Now, to some it is not a big deal. To me Jeff's bar is a symbol of Freightliner's willingness to communicate with drivers to build a better truck.
It is not much. I didn't make a suggestion for a huge mechanical change that would improve the performance of the truck. It is just a simple metal bar. A metal bar that can prevent driver injury. That is what I am proud of. Face it. The driver pool is aging. Many of us are not as athletic as we once were. Having this bar makes it easier to enter and exit the truck safely. In the winter when those steps can get slippery, Jeff's Bar can prevent a slip and fall accident. The driver no longer has to reach up to grab the steering wheel when entering the truck. There is a bar there that won't move. If the driver happens to be taller they can easily remove the bar.
It is a running joke around the house that when I quit trucking, I am going to buy a bar. It would be a simple bar and grill-a one man operation. It would be on the Ahnapee River Trail near our house. I could rent bicycles. It would not be one of those fancy bars with all the chrome and neon. It would be a simple bar where you could get a beer and a burger after riding a bike or hiking the trail. It would be a simple bar, like
the one in the Cascadia.
Whenever a bar near the trail goes up for sale, I suggest that we buy it. My wife threatens to kill me. Eventually, I was allowed to build a bar for our house. It is a simple sturdy bar, yes I could dance on it. Well I can stand on it to change a light bulb. Come to think about it, the bar in my house is like Jeff's Bar in the Cascadia. It is simple. It is strong. It can be moved to satisfy the end user. Come to think of it, once the 2015 Cascadia goes into full production, there will be more Jeff's Bars, than Applebee's, Toby Keith's and Margaritavilles combined. How cool is that? I am a chain.