AHEAD OF ME

1^st Guard® Develops another iPhone® Application for Truckers

Venice, FL– November 30, 2009 – Truck insurer, 1^st Guard Corporation, has developed another iPhone application called AheadofMe, designed for the American trucker in mind.

AheadofMe can be easily downloaded for free from the Apple iTunes store.

Simple in design, AheadOfMe takes into account the users current location and factors in speed and direction of travel to determine the future destination.

Additionally, the application displays the high and low temperature along with speed, latitude & longitude and course direction giving the user a full view of their environment.

“AheadOfMe is the first app of its kind that gives our customers quick information pertinent to them being on the road. It was designed specifically for long-haul truckers who will benefit from knowing destination and weather info at a glance,” stated Daniel Ribar, Chief Information Officer of 1st Guard Corporation.

About 1^st Guard Corporation

1st Guard Corporation is a leading truck insurance firm providing physical damage and nontrucking liability insurance to leased owner operators and small fleet owners. First Guard Insurance Company, rated “A” by AM Best, is a direct-writer for truck physical damage insurance and an affiliate of 1st Guard Corporation based out of Venice, Florida.  First Guard Insurance Company is the only specialty truck insurer in the country that does not market through independent insurance agents.

Media Contact:

Courtney Wilson

941.485.6210

courtney@1stguard.com

www.1stguard.com

ROADKING SHOCKS

Big-Bore mono tube design provides better ride & handling under all driving/load conditions

Shocks are a custom rig’s primary buffer between the road surface and the springs, and on up to the cab. Worn-out or poorly designed shocks means a long, unpleasant  ride for the driver.

Shocks also control the springs, which keep the tires planted on the ground. Bad shocks can lead to premature tire wear.

All that can quickly change for the better by upgrading to the new RoadKing 2- 5/16″ big-bore monotube shock absorbers. These new offerings from RoadKing Shocks LLC are designed with  the sophistication and ruggedness that deliver the ultimate in performance.

The new RoadKing shock absorbers are the biggest bore shocks available for class 8 trucks. RoadKing shocks have been designed specifically for class 8 trucks and deliver up to 10 times more control force then the competition. RoadKing shocks keep the tire connected to the road surface, saving you money and the great ride means less driver fatigue at the end of the run.

The competition offers a shock absorber that was originally designed for passenger cars and light duty pick-up trucks. RoadKing shock absorbers were designed for heavy trucks.

When you compare the RoadKing shock piston displacement area to standard OEM and aftermarket trucks, the RoadKing shocks have 280% more piston surface area. The standard OEM and aftermarket shocks have 1.5 square inches of piston area. The RoadKing shock has a large 4.2 square inch piston area that delivers up to 10 times more control force than the competition.

Features like Spherical rod bearing mounting, two urethane shaft oil seals and the highest rated salt spray chrome shaft available means great savings in tire replacement and shock replacement over the life of the truck.

RoadKing shocks are factory re-buildable and are designed to last 350,000 to 400,000 miles between rebuilds. RoadKing Shocks LLC continues to be the leader in offering the finest ride control products to the class 8 truck owner. Contact RoadKing Shocks today and get all the facts on why RoadKing Shocks are the best choice in class 8 truck shocks.

CHARITY ORGANIZATION DELIVERS THE GOODS

Illinois-based Haulin’ For Humanity provides cargo delivery services for other non-profits

In a time when truckers and trucking companies are facing tough times and every operational dollar is watched under a microscope, Haulin’ For Humanity is delivering the goods for free. John Gervase, a Burr Ridge, Illinois, owner-operator says  “We’re a new non-profit trucking organization focused on helping other non-profits by hauling cargo free of charge.”

The rig Gervase’s is using to haul goods is a full-on custom 2000 Pete 379 extended hood donated to their cause by an unnamed source who believes in Haulin’ For Humanity’s cause.

“Our truck is available only to nonprofit organizations and churches,” says Gervase. “ We can provide hauling for cargo such as food, clothing and building supplies with a 53-foot van trailer or flatbed as appropriate. Our travel radius is 300 miles but arrangements can be made for needs beyond that range.

Gervase says the organization’s creed is simple: “If the need is there, we are there.”

As every trucker knows it costs money to keep a rig in operation. “To help cover trip costs,” says Gervase, “we ask for a donation that is appropriate to your organization’s financial situation.”

Haulin’ For Humanity is currently looking for partners, sponsors and donors to help them meet the financial needs to keep the truck running such as fuel, maintenance, and insurance.

“We are a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt charity and 100% of all proceeds go directly to the operation of the truck,” explains Gervase. “No salaries are paid. All financial records are available for review.”

If you would like to be a part of this charitable organization, or just find out more about its services, call John at 708-205-1516 or email him at john@haulinforhumanity.com.

Photos Say It All

The perfect gifts for those who take pride in their ride!

Christmas is just around the corner and if you haven’t a clue what to get your trucking buddy, trucking spouse, or trucking boss, think outside the typical Christmas gift box.  Think art.

Think photographs of their favorite custom rig in a frame, on a coffee mug, calendar,  mouse pad, coasters, or even T-shirt.

Or maybe you just want to sent a Christmas card someone’s way with a picture of your own truck, or hang a custom tree ornament picturing it.  We have those as well.

We’ve got the pictures and the place to buy them. Images are from our in-house files, so they are top-shelf and many never seen before. You can get them printed on just about anything you want. WWW.BIGRIGPHOTOS.PRINTROOM.COM.

Just go to our photo web site and browse through the multiple galleries listed on the left of the home page.

Those open up into images we’ve gathered in the last year. Click on the photo(s) you like, and then on the different gift options to see how they look.

Special 10% discount is in place, so start your Christmas shopping early!

PRO TIP: Cleaning Headlights

Today’s sealed headlights age over time and that process is sped up by an accumulation of road grime and salt, compounds which deteriorate the plastic and turn it yellow or foggy. Clouded or discolored headlights are a big safety issue–especially in the winter. Here’s a pro tip on how to quickly get your custom rig’s headlights back into like-new condition:

1. Apply a liberal amount of Polish to (0000) Steel Wool.
2. Scrub headlight aggressively for about 1 minute. Do this to each headlight two times. Let the product dry between each scrubbing.
3. Liberally apply Polish to a Red Shop Rag and scrub each headlight again for about 1 minute. Repeat again and let the product dry between each scrubbing.
4. Let Polish dry completely and then wipe clean.
5. If you have questions about this procedure, give ‘ol Gordon Crissy a call at Gord’s Polish.

Tip courtesy of Big G’s Detail & Polish; 866-664-6737

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PRO TIP

Installing 8″ Stacks On Custom Rigs Equipped With DPF Exhausts

“One of the problems we have run into on the DPF trucks being customized here at Pro-Fab is not being able to put big stacks and big Pickett-style elbows on them,” says shop owner and custom fabricator Randy Kaylor.

So the Manheim, PA, fabrication and installation experts figured out a slick work-around that keeps the factory DPF system intact while providing the monster stack custom-look: They designed a faux exhaust to use the monster stacks, leaving the factory exhaust/muffler in place.

” This is one way of getting the look of big pipes,” says Kaylor, who used Anthony Fishkelta’s custom rig from Grand Street Warehouse in Moonachie, NJ, as the guinnea pig. “The truck was ordered with a weed-burner exhaust setup from the factory,and then we fabricated new brackets to support the belly cross-over and the 8″ pipes.

Custom brackets were fabricated to hang the faux exhaust's cross-over pipe.

“So now our customer  has the look of big pipes on a DPF truck. It’s a very clean , custom look,” Kaylor says. We agree. If you have any questions, contact Pro-Fab Associates: www.pro-fabassociates.com; (717)-664-4216

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Do-It-Yourself

Custom KW Door Window Trim

Give your Kenworth’s cab the chopped look by adding upper window trim panels

A popular customizing trend  among KW owners is adding a painted trim piece to the top of the door window frame to give  the cab a chopped look.

The trim fits along the door lip at the top of window without interrupting the window operation and there are a number of aftermarket stainless offerings available. (Prices range from $90-$120 pair.)

But if you are the do-it-yourself type, you might like to give a shot at making them yourself. The painted version makes the top look chopped, whereas the polished stainless variety provides more shine than slam.

The way customizers at Car Craft Truck Works, Elizabeth Truck Center’s customizing arm, build ‘em is to make a cardboard template of the side window trim. The template extends from the top of the inner door frame lip at the top of the window opening down to an imaginary line even with the front visor and rear roof split.

That template is then transferred to 3/32″ aluminum. The aluminum is cut and a 1/2″ lip is rolled along the bottom edge to 1) give the side visor rigidity and 2) a smooth, almost invisible custom edge.

The aluminum is then sanded, primered and painted to match the color of the truck. The window visor is installed using automotive/industrial double-sided sticky tape along the upper door lip to hold it in place. — Bruce W. Smith

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BIG RED

Frame-up resto takes this 28-year-old Pete from an oil-field workhorse to Build-Off champion

By Bruce W. Smith

Jerry Diemoz is like a teenager being handed the keys to a dream car. Diemoz, the owner of J&R Trucking, an oil-field operations company out of Rock Springs, Wyoming, is all giggly and barely able to take his eyes off Big Red, an ’81 Peterbilt he’s owned from day one. It’s one of the three custom rigs entered in the Big-Rig Build-Off.

Diemoz has logged more than 1.6 million miles in its cab, most of those miles plying the nasty roads and drilling sites of Wyoming’s oil and gas fields hauling rigging and equipment.

But what he sees before him isn’t the old workhorse anymore. It’s a full-on custom show truck.

“I’m amazed, I’m amazed!” he says looking inside the cab. “It’s great!” He’d not seen it finished until the day he came to the Louisville event and walked into the Build-Off display area where Jim Raines, S&J Truck Sales’ president, handed him the keys. His excitement mirrored the thoughts of the three judges for the Industry’s Choice award.

Big Red originally went into the S&J shop in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to have the renowned repair center (and winner of the Build-Off in 2007) give the 28-year-old truck a working rig’s facelift.

The Cat 3408 was already out and awaiting overhaul.  “But when I found out about Jim and the work they do,” Diemoz says, “everything changed. Jim started on it and everything changed again, because he’d been invited to enter a truck in the Big-Rig Build-Off – and we decided it’d be Big Red.”

“As the rebuild progressed,” says Raines, “we tore it down and began with new double-frame rails custom-built by P.G. Adams in South Burlington, Vermont. From there we rebuilt the truck from ground up.

“We replaced all the sheet metal in the hood, cab and sleeper, converted the front axle over to hub pilot-style, and put in the custom stainless boxes.”

Diemoz requested spreading the rebuilt locking drivers from 46 to 60 inches to “make it ride better over those washboard roads we have in the oil and gas fields.”

S&J fabbed new fenders to cover the new Bridgestone drivers wrapped around sparkling Alcoas and built the custom stainless deck plate and frame covers.

Alum-I-Tanks provided 185-gallon saddle tanks to replace the original 135s, Valley Chrome the front bumper, and Roadworks the rest of the chrome trim as well as the custom firewall and engine air intake.

While all that was going on, sound-deadening material and custom speaker enclosures were installed. The Pioneer sound system, rear camera, DVD player and police scanner were wired and mounted.

Then Ft. Wayne’s Marquart’s Custom Creations refurbished the interior in leather, including re-covering the new Comfort Ride seats. Meanwhile Rockwood Products handled the hard interior panels.

Hundreds of miles away in Elco, Nevada, at Elite Motor Works, Big Red’s tired 450-hp V8 received its own special service. Elite’s experts did a block-out rebuild, popping in bigger injectors, oversizing the bore and upsizing the turbo. The result: a 1,000-hp Cat.

When it came back to S&J they fabricated a new air-intake box and redid all the electrical and plumbing to accommodate the bigger stable of ponies.

After all the wrenching and fab work was done, Big Red made a trip across town to Hoosier Trailer & Truck Equipment, where they deftly applied the finishing touches using Dupont Imron 6000 Polyurethane Autumn Leaf and black as the primary colors to make Big Red shine.

And shine it does. The list of modifications reads more like a parts inventory for a custom truck fabrication and repair shop.

But it’s the one item listed at the end in bold type that says it all: 2009 Big-Rig Build-Off Industry Award.

“I spec all my company’s trucks for the work we do so they are ‘custom’ in that respect,” says Diemoz, running his hand along the stainless deck plate.

“But nothing on this level. This is my first custom rig. The thing I like most about it is the detail that Jim did on it. He’s very, very proud of his work and he has reason to be.”

When Diemoz was asked if Big Red was headed back to the muddy oil fields, he said, “No way. We are literally building a showroom for this truck. After all, as my wife says, ‘Our home is one Peter built.’ Now it’s time for it to retire.”

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LightForm allows you to bend light!

Unbelievable custom lighting schemes are now possible, thanks to Grote Industries and their new LightForm, a completely new, advanced LED lighting “film” technology. Now truck customizers and restylers can bend lighting around corners, over contoured areas and into complicated shapes.

At less than 1 millimeter thick, LightForm flexible LED lighting film is uniquely superior for creating dazzling, razor-thin edge lighting effects that are as bright at one end as they are at the other.

It installs quickly and easily and fits in tight spaces that were previously inaccessible to lighting.

“This is one of the most radically innovative lighting products to come along in decades,” said Grote. “LightForm™ will change the shape, design and application of interior and exterior vehicle lighting in ways we haven’t even begun to imagine. In the evolution of lighting, this is a totally new species.”

During the presentation, Grote suggested that the audience throw away everything they know about LED illumination, and explained that at less than 1 millimeter thick, LightForm™ is a highly-advanced, thin-film, solid-state lighting device.

Grote added that LightForm™ is a most environmentally-friendly lighting technology.

Showing the components that make up a standard LED marker lamp, Grote compared and contrasted the material volume used to make an equivalent marker lamp using LightForm™ and underscored the reduced environmental impact.

Grote also explained that with less material, mounting a LightForm™ lamp can be quickly accomplished via a peel-and-stick method, using the familiar adhesive now found on conspicuity tape and other similar products.

Grote also noted that the company would draw on its considerable optical expertise to engineer never-before-seen light patterns and configurations.

“We can achieve the same FMVSS 108 photometric requirements for a P2-rated marker lamp, with just two percent of the material used in a traditional LED lamp,” Grote said, “all while eliminating the installation cost and time associated with drilling holes, affixing mounting brackets and utilizing traditional fasteners.”

Grote underscored his company’s intimate understanding of the demanding needs of the commercial vehicle marketplace and said Grote engineers have already subjected the product to a rigorous battery of stress tests including salt baths, extreme humidity, heat and cold. “LightForm™ is already hardened and robust—far beyond the mere prototype stage,” Grote said.

“When one considers the weight, energy use and aerodynamic advantages associated with an exterior application of LightForm™, we’ve really accomplished something significant,” he added, “but when you consider that you can now bend your lighting around corners, over contoured areas and into complicated shapes, we’ve simply changed the entire lighting equation.”

LightForm™ will also shift paradigms in vehicle interiors, according to Grote, offering myriad advantages over current accent and environmental lighting solutions.

“Tomorrow’s truck interiors, as well as a variety of other vehicle interiors including aircraft and watercraft, will be much more interesting, attractive and functional because of LightForm™,” Grote said.  For more information go to: Grote Industries or call (800) 628-0809

JAWHORSE helps custom riggers

Builders and do-it-yourselfers often need an extra pair of helping hands on projects. Now, it’s JAWHORSE, from Rockwell Power Tools, to the rescue.

The JAWHORSE is a heavy-duty, folding work station and clamping system that is constructed of heavy-gauge, powder-coated steel throughout, the sturdy JAWHORSE

can support up to 600 pounds. Yet, it weighs only 43 lbs. for easy portability. The wide-stance tripod design of the JAWHORSE keeps all three non-slip, rubber-padded feet firmly on the ground, even on uneven terrain. When open, it measures 39 in. L x 39 in. W x 35 in. H.

The JAWHORSE folds to 30 in. L x 14 in. W x 14 in. H., about half the size of a golf bag, and has a built-in wheel for easy transport.

The JAWHORSE’s, 8 in. x 3 in. steel jaws open to 37 in., which is wide enough to hold any standard door. With an optional Plywood Jaw, you can secure a 4 x 8 ft. sheet of plywood. By pumping a foot pedal, the work piece is compressed to the desired tightness –up to 2,200 lbs. of gripping force. The foot pedal is equipped with a stirrup to prevent your foot from slipping, and the clamping jaw travels 1 in. with each stroke of the pedal and can clamp at any point so it is infinitely adjustable and precise.

JAWHORSE Welding Jaw

The JAWHORSE ($199.97) is available on rockwelltoolsdirect.com and other

Miter Saw Station with Rollers ($79.99) – fits a miter saw to the JAWHORSE.

Plywood Jaw ($49.99) – adapts the JAWHORSE for sheet goods up to 52 in. wide.

Welding Jaw ($99.99) – secures welding work.

Clamping Work Table ($69.99) – coverts the JAWHORSE into a heavy-duty clamping

work table.