Quicker Set-Up Means Lower-Cost Paving Operations; Oshkosh Truck Subsidiary, McNeilus, Develops Portable Batch Plant for Concrete Paving Market

    OSHKOSH, Wis.--Jan. 24, 2001--McNeilus Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB], has developed a portable central-mix concrete plant specifically for paving applications. Called the T-21, this newly engineered batch plant is easily moved from one paving location to another, addressing the number one need of highway construction crews. It can be assembled on-site in as little as four hours, with minimal site preparation.
    "The new T-21 addresses the biggest profitability dilemma facing concrete paving contractors. Namely, the ability to quickly move and set-up a high-performance batch plant to increase efficiencies, and therefore profitability, on highway projects. McNeilus's first foray into the paving batch plant market is just one more example of McNeilus providing a full-line of products to meet the industry's needs," said Robert G. Bohn, chairman, president and CEO of Oshkosh Truck.
    "Not only is the T-21 engineered for mobility, but it features all the reliability for which the McNeilus brand is known. In the concrete placement industry, mobility and durability are the ultimate combination."
    Batch plants are used for mixing Portland cement, water and aggregate to create concrete at remote locations that are convenient to paving projects. The mixed concrete is discharged into waiting trucks, which then transport it directly to the construction site for pouring.
    The T-21's modular construction is a major advantage in bringing it to a job site. It's comprised of four primary sections: the mixing unit, the aggregate bin and batcher, cement silo, and auxiliary silo. These sections are transported separately and assembled at the job site.
    McNeilus's patented mixing unit design features a 12-cubic-yard drum with a polyurethane liner to provide an expected production life of 1 million cubic yards of concrete. This unique design features 12 mixing blades that provide 50 percent better mixing than competitive models.
    The plant's storage silo has a capacity of 112 tons of cement, which is enough for 500 cubic yards of concrete. An auxiliary silo is also available.
    The new plant was named for the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21. Enacted in 1998, this federal legislation authorizes up to $217 billion in funding for highway and infrastructure construction through 2003.
    Concrete is used extensively for paving highways, residential streets and airports, building bridges, as well as residential and commercial buildings.

    Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB] is a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies for the defense, fire and emergency, concrete placement and refuse hauling markets. Oshkosh Truck is a Fortune 1000 company with products marketed under the Oshkosh, Pierce, McNeilus and Medtec brand names. The company is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wis., and had annual sales of $1.324 billion in fiscal 2000.
    For more information, log on to www.oshkoshtruck.com or www.mcneiluscompanies.com.