HOLLOW SOULS

If you really want the interior of your custom rig’s cab to stand out when the doors are opened, nix the round mixer stick for a Hollow Soul.

Hollow Soul is part of Outlaw Customs new shifter line for Peterbilt 379’s.

These custom shifters come with genuine Eaton isolators and are hollow so the shift knob’s airlines run inside the twisted stick for a truly custom look.

Available in various lengths and finishes. Prices start at $475. www.outlawcustomshd.com; (303) 952-8109

WINNER HANDED KEYS TO SEQUEL

Ohio man hits the road driving his new custom rig home after winning Custom Rigs’ sweepstakes

John Lacusky wasn’t present at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas when his form was pulled from the clear plastic box filled with other hopefuls entries to win the Win Big With Custom Rigs Sweepstakes.

Lacusky had never seen the interior of The Sequel until this afternoon when he sat in the driver's seat of his very own custom rig.

Nor did he hear Ice Road Trucker Alex Debogorski (see our web video) announce he was the winner.

But the Cortland, Ohio resident was overjoyed when Custom Rigs’ publisher Brad Holthaus called him with the great news and to assure him it wasn’t a hoax.

Lacusky was showing even more emotions when Holthaus actually handed him the keys to The Sequel at our Tuscaloosa, Alabama, offices this afternoon.

“I’m sorry my emotions are showing,” said the owner-operator of Lacusky’s Trucking said as he stood looking at his new truck. “I can’t believe I’m so lucky. I still keep asking, ‘Why me?’ I’m so lucky.”

John Lacusky (left) is handed the keys to his new ride by Custom Rigs publisher Brad Holthaus at the magazine's offices in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Lacusky was one of thousands of CDL holders who entered the Win Big With Custom Rigs Sweepstakes.

"I don't believe it. TV, popcorn maker and swiveling seats?" Lacusky surveys the customized sleeper before taking The Sequel on the road back to his home in Ohio.

And now he and a trucking buddy are on the road headed home behind the wheel of his own custom rig.

The ’98 International 9400 was fully customized by the Chrome Shop Mafia and re-powered by Detroit Diesel.

Now that power and custom work is at the command of one very happy Ohio trucker who’s headed back home with a huge smile and tears of pure joy in his eyes.

Congratulations, John.

WHISKEY CAFE FUNDRAISER

American Cruisers’ 3rd Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show in NJ to Benefit Samantha Horneman

We are holding a third fundraiser for Samantha on Oct 4 @ Whiskey Cafe, 1050 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst, NJ from 9am to 4pm (Big Rigs should arrive by 7-7:30am)…Big Rigs, Bikes & Cars!

This is the end of the year show for the American Cruisers! They asked for us to come back againg to benefit Samantha!

We will be having 3 raffles going on. 1 is a diamond tennis bracelet,2 is a fishing trip for two aboard the Miss Belmar and the 3rd is a water color painting from the Special Olympics with a song about trucking. It is numbered and signed by the artist and song writer. Raffles will be sold all day!

For those of you that do not know about Samantha, she is a very special girl. She was born on December 19, 2008, with numerous congenital heart defects threatening her life.

To complicate matters more, she also has Alagilles Syndrome ( liver disease) and pulmonary colleterals which are the worst doctors have ever seen because they are only a 1/2 of millimeter long. Their tiny size makes it very hard for her doctors to work with, which is one of the biggest problems Samantha faces.

Because of all of these challenges little Samantha has a very hard time gaining weight. She is 8 months old and only weighs 9 lbs. 13 oz. We are hoping the monies raised will help her overcome all her life’s battles.

Christian Chapson, of Vierzon, France, crafts scale replicas of some of the best known American custom trucks on the circuit

By Lucinda Coulter

East Coast Large Cars Owner Richie Acosta was amazed the first time he saw his prize-winning 2005 Peterbilt 379 extended hood replicated on a 1/24 scale on MySpace.

“I know my truck by heart because I built it myself,” says 40 year-old Acosta, a Little Ferry, N.J., resident and owner of West Coast Large Cars. “I couldn’t believe it. He’s very precise. It makes you feel like it’s a real truck”

He, like other big rig aficionados who’ve seen their trucks replicated on Christian Chapson’s MySpace page, are intrigued by the hobbyist, a native resident of Vierzon, France, who has had a creator’s passion for the tiny trucks since he was 12.

Chapson builds and sells European model trucks for about $680 and a truck-trailer combo for $1,082. But he says he collects the nearly 125 American replicas he’s made from old-school to outlaw as a personal treasure.

The eerily lifelike miniatures displayed on the website involve a skill the hobbyist has honed over 32 years. In a telephone interview from his home, Chapson says that as a preteen he was smitten when an older brother bought him a special book, Big Wing. It featured 1960s trucks made in the United States.

All made on a 1/24 scale, the Class 8 models include Internationals, Kenworths, Macks, among others, and his favorite – the   Peterbilt 379. “They were the king of steel,” he says.

As American styles evolved, the craftsman’s adoration increased. The outlaw minimalist-styled wide plate, chrome steel bumper and chrome grills, Chapson says in a translation, “give the trucks a threatening, aggressive” look, one so powerful it “blows me away.”

He says that the nearly six-month process of building a truck helps him relax from his daily work making Sperian safety harnesses in a factory near Paris. He pores over pictures from trucking magazines and websites that specialize in old school as well as newer models.

He designs patterns from plastic 1 to 1.5-mm thick, cuts aluminum pieces on a lathe and uses pre-fab pieces for only interior pieces, such as steering wheels, and tires. Automobile paint covers the body before he airbrushes the rigs’ finishing accents.

American truckers such as Acosta and Randy Supak, of Novosad Enterprises based in Caldwell, Texas, say they hope to persuade him to sell and ship his American models, but doing so would mean convincing him that no tiny headlight or exhaust pipe would be broken en route.

Doing so would be worth the effort to those who admire the artisan’s replicas. The depth of detail struck Supak when he saw his 4-axle truck, 4-axle trailer and 2-axle jeep being re-created in miniature on Chapson’s website.

“I’d really like to have it, and I’m gonna’ bother him enough just so I can get it. The guy’s really talented.”

After Chapson completes a model in his home workshop, he displays them in a special place – on shelves in his dining room. He says soon a new cabinet will replace the shelves to showcase his beauties.

Both his 12 year-old daughter and a nephew apprentice are learning the handcrafted tradition, which, he says, makes him proud.

Those who hope to meet Chapson may be able to do so come summer 2010. He plans to visit New Jersey truck shows, among other places, he says, “to see all the trucks in a superb exhibition.”

TRUCK STOP REMODEL

Oak Grove 70 Petro boasts new chrome shop and restaurant

OAK GROVE, MISSOURI — Oak Grove 70 Petro has just completed a major remodel of its chrome shop, gift store and Iron Skillet restaurant.

“Our customers are continually complimenting us on what we’ve done with this remodel,” says Steve Aderman, General Manager.

The updated chrome shop and gift area have been redesigned and expanded to provide a more open feel for customers.

“We wanted people to walk into an area that is welcoming and spacious. This new design accomplishes that,” says Delia Moon Meier, Senior Vice President.

The Iron Skillet restaurant also received a makeover that included new seating, a new buffet, new decor and lighting fixtures.

“The restaurant has a whole new fresh look,” says Aderman. We also nearly doubled our seating by revamping our banquet room into dining space.”

The Oak Grove 70 Petro also remodeled main floor restrooms and installed a new Moonstruck Java coffee station, as well as a new entrance vestibule complete with automatic doors.

Oak Grove 70 Petro is part of the Iowa 80 Group family of companies that include: Iowa 80 TA Truckstop, Walcott, Iowa; Joplin Petro, Joplin, Missouri; Kenly 95 TA Truckstop, Kenly, North Carolina; Truckomat Truck Washes in N. Little Rock, Arkansas; Temple, Georgia;Effingham, Illinois; South Holland, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Walcott, Iowa; Oak Grove,Missouri; Joplin, Missouri; Kenly, North Carolina; Hebron, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;

Laredo, Texas; Wytheville, Virginia; CAT Scale Company, Walcott, Iowa and Iowa80.com,Walcott, Iowa.

Sep 24, 2009 13:51 ET

COURT WIN BIG FOR CALIFORNIA TRUCKERS

Port Trucker in Los Angeles Wins Hotly Contested Court Battle  Over Misclassification of Drivers

LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire – September 24, 2009) – Trucking companies in the Port of Los Angeles won a resounding court victory this week against the ongoing efforts of the State of California, and Attorney General Jerry Brown, to force them to stop using independent contractor drivers to dray containers in California’s ports and to use employee drivers instead.

In a civil action filed in Superior Court by the attorney general against Pac Anchor Transportation, Inc. and truck owner Alfredo Barajas, Case No. BC 397600, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White held that a federal law, which protects motor carriers from state regulation, preempts claims against motor carriers brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”).

The federal law, part of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (“FAAAA”), prohibits states from enacting and enforcing laws that are “related to” motor carrier prices, routes, or services in order to maximize competitive forces in the trucking industry.

Judge White agreed with the “very strong” argument advanced by attorneys Neil S. Lerner, Arun Dayalan, and Arthur A. Severance of the Sands Lerner law firm that claims against motor carriers under the UCL are preempted per se under the FAAAA.

Judge White held that the attorney general’s case, which was based on the allegation that the defendants had improperly classified drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, would have a significant effect on motor carrier prices, routes, and services and was therefore preempted under the FAAAA.

Judge White found that the attorney general’s actions threatened to erect entry controls that would discourage independent contractor drivers from participating in the trucking market, thereby frustrating Congress’ intent to maximize competitive forces in the trucking industry.

This ruling is the second blow this year to the continuous efforts of the State of California, and its political subdivisions, and to the ongoing efforts of the Teamsters, to force California’s port trucking companies to switch from an independent contractor driver business model to an employee driver business model.

The message from the courts is now very clear: the state should stop meddling in the port trucking industry.

MIRRORS LIKE NO OTHER

Texas Chrome Shop Builds Billet Mirrors To Order

Tired of running plain-Jane mirrors on your 379? Step up to a pair of one-off Texas Chrome Shop’s custom aluminum billet mirrors. Triple R Diesel’s Texas Chrome Shop division is turning up the heat in the truly custom parts world by offering aluminum billet mirrors like the ones seen on our show-winning Project One.

Custom designed to your specifications and cut with our in-house CNC machine, these mirrors will set your rig apart from the others. You tell us what you want, and we’ll do the rest!  $1,599/pair. (210) 410-6161 and ask for Roland; www.TripleRDiesel.com

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Every Labor Day weekend the normally quiet streets of St-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec come alive as big-rigs drag race uphill to the delight of 20,000 screaming fans

by Mike Bradford

For the past six years, our neighbors to the north have put on one of the more mind-blowing events in big-rig motorsports: The annual uphill diesel truck drags in Quebec, Canada.

Does big-rig drag racing catch your attention?  How about with loaded trailers – wheel-to-wheel against your opponent racing up a two-lane street with a ten-percent grade?

Every labor day weekend the normally quiet streets of St-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec, Canada, come alive with the sounds of diesel engines pushing huge horsepower much to the delight of twenty thousand screaming fans standing mere feet from the tractors and combos.

How do you drag race uphill?  First hook up to the event-supplied box trailer loaded with a 50,000-pound payload and roll up to the staging line where a set of wheel chocks are used to hold you in place.

Now wind the engine against the governor, watch the Christmas tree and dump the clutch on the last yellow because if you wait until you see green the other guy’s rear doors will be your view up the big hill.

For the next 900 feet it’s nothing but pure horsepower and shifting madness. The strongest motor and the swiftest stick wins.

COME ONE, COME ALL

Be prepared to give your truck a weekend workout because it’s a double- elimination ladder in both bobtail and combo contests. Lose once, you’re still in the game. Lose twice and you watch along with 20,000 other race fans.

One thing very evident is the competitor’s efforts to keep performance modifications under their hat: nary a hood was open and when asked about engine specs, there are a lot of answers like “around” and “in the neighborhood of.”

Jacques Lafleur and Patrick Lajoie show off some close bobtail action. Notice the lack of an air cleaner top of the 'star.

The most heard reply was “not quite enough.”

But from the sound of the engines and the smoke rolling from the stacks it was pretty evident the majority of these rigs were far from factory stock.

Oversized turbos, tweaked fuel pumps, massive injectors, big cams, and a lot of electronic wizardry lie beneath the hoods.

Variety was in full view as well. Petes, Kenworth’s, Macks and a single Autocar all cowboy’ed up to test their muscle and shifting abilities against a hill so steep the St-Joseph de Beauce ordinances normally ban truck traffic.

FOR FUN & CHARITY

Uphill drag racing action may be the centerpiece of this event, but Saturday evening there was a parade made up of 300 of the most beautiful working trucks from all corners of Quebec that took almost three hours to witness.

Somewhere in the tire smoke and flames is Bob and Jean Raymond's "Showtime" Superliner.

It was a heart warming thing to see as fans lined the streets hooting, whistling and giving thumbs-up approval to the drivers and their machines, which were filled with family and friends.

The drags are also a way to give back to others.

So far event organizer Benoit Gagnon has been able to donate thousands of dollars to several charities including a racer who’s child has recently been diagnosed with leukaemia.

More good news is if you missed the 2009 show you have eleven months to get your passport, juggle the work schedule, and be one of the many thousands to attend next year’s show.

If you are feeling really froggy, jump in the truck, head north and challenge the hill yourself!

I’d like to give big thanks to Benoit Gagnon and his team for making my first trip north of the border a great experience.  Fire up the computer and go to www.bigrigdragracing.com for a bunch of pictures and information.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Big-rigs pulling their wheels off the ground, engines screaming, and tires barking quickly stirs the adrenaline. But there’s nothing more exciting than being inside a rig heading up the hill.

The author's view during his ride-alongs with Jacques Lafleur in his 2000 Western Star running both the bobtail and loaded trailer combo.

I was fortunate enough to ride along with Jacques Lafleur in his 2000 Western Star running both the bobtail and loaded trailer combo.

In bobtail trim when the hammer was dropped I quickly went from sitting on the edge of the bunk to being thrown back against the rear of the cab, feet in the air with a force that would rival any hot-rod four wheeler.

When hooked to a wagon, Jacques dumped the clutch at 2200 rpms and shifted the 13-speed with blinding precision. Even with a full load on and power divider locked, the Detroit Series 60 powered ‘star experienced a bit of wheelspin for the first 20 feet.

Crossing the finish line our beast of burden was motoring along at nearly 60 mph, in only 900 feet.  A ride for sure that will be remembered for my lifetime.  Thanks Jacques! – MB

Below are more Mike Bradford images of the 2009 uphill drags in St-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec, Canada:

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New Product: Aero Wheel Covers

RealWheels Aero-Covers Improve Mileage

(SEPT. 8, 2009 GURNEE, IL) – - Trucks push a lot of air! That means fuel consumption and MONEY.  Recent aerodynamic studies have concluded that even small changes to a truck’s silhouette can have a noticeable impact on airflow, and inevitably, fuel consumption.

Since the flow of air around wheels is one of the most aerodynamically disturbed areas of a commercial truck, an aero-style wheel treatment has a profound effect on the way a truck slices through the wind.

Chicago area manufacturer, RealWheels Corporation (RWC), has been manufacturing a different version of aerodynamic cover for over fifteen years, but during the early days it was primarily purchased for visual styling and appearance.   During the past 18 months, RWC redesigned the Aero-Cover, making significant advances in the product.

Covers were then installed on numerous trucks and then taken through a series of real world tests.  The company is now offering those results FREE of charge to any owner/operator or fleet concerned with fuel economy.

“It’s the right thing to do,” explains RWC Vice President, Jhan Dolphin.  “The testing was very time-consuming, but we were very pleased with the results.   Most in the industry already know that anything aerodynamic can help, but seeing just how quickly it began saving companies money was very powerful.”

Aerodynamics is nothing new, but RWC has taken this concept to a completely new level with a product that not only addresses the aerodynamic challenges of wheel design, but also helps to promote your brand, logo and/or product.  They can be printed with anything!

While the accounting departments of large truck fleets are taking notice of the fuel savings, their marketing departments are getting creative with the various image or logo possibilities.  Imagine adding a company logo or image to every wheel in their fleet.  There’s no argument that a polished aluminum or 4-color printed wheel cover looks much better than a rusty truck wheel.  Promoting your message is just a nice added bonus.

RealWheels has spent over thirty years making vehicles look better, and finds the new AERO-series appeals just as much to the truck owner looking for better styling as those looking to save fuel.  Their Aero-Deluxe covers actually create the look of a custom wheel.

They are created from light-weight, polished aluminum, and then coated with a highly reflective and eco-friendly process called RealGloss.  The Aero-Custom covers are created from high-impact plastic, are no-frills and provide a very solid and sturdy appearance.

The Aero-Graphix covers are the ones that can have anything printed on them in full color, and they even offer an Aero-Clear style that allows all the benefits of aerodynamics without covering your bright polished wheels.

When you consider the amount of consumer and industrial goods that travel our nation’s highways every day, the impact that improved aerodynamics can have on fuel costs and the environment is substantial.  Having access to these important “Aero” test results will definitely help companies to GO GREEN.  Test data is available, by calling RealWheels Corporation at (847) 662-7722.