Haulin’ Ash

At 129,000 pounds and more than 98 feet, Burningham’s coal ash hauling tandem-trailer combo is one big custom rig

by Hib Halverson

Photos by author and Paul Hartley

The Burningham guys swapped the stock bumper for a smooth-finish Valley Chrome model, along with a VC drop visor. The headlight brackets and front and rear blinker bars are of the Double J variety. Haulin’ Ash has 250 lights, along with blue neon tubes over every axle and beneath the cab.

Half our electricity in the United States comes from coal-fired power plants, the typical power facility in the West burning 50 tons of bituminous an hour –about 1,600 pounds a minute.

Out of the fires comes ash – a lot of ash. Perhaps surprisingly, 43 percent of that ash, about 29 million tons annually, is recycled for use in chemical products and construction materials, primarily cement. It’s usually hauled from generating plant to cement plant by rigs pulling special 30- to 35-foot doubles. Such rigs’ GVWRs can scale as much as 132,000 pounds.

One of the most wicked ash haulers on the road is a rare 2005 Peterbilt 379X called Haulin’ Ash, owned by Burningham Enterprises of American Fork, Utah, located about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Gary and Jeff Burningham started the business in 1988 to pay for college as owner-operators hauling sand, gravel and anything else they could. Today Burningham has grown to 60-truck fleet hauling coal ash and aggregates. Haulin’ Ash is its pride.

“In 2005, Gary and Jeff were looking for a truck for heavy haul projects,” says Brad Rigby, a Burningham dispatcher. “Jeff ordered a 379X Peterbilt and was lucky enough to get one of the last ones.”

What arrived was a rare, special-edition Pete made only in the ‘04 and ‘05 model years, spec’ed the way many Burningham trucks are: with a

long nose, 270-inch wheel base, 475-hp Caterpillar C15 Acert engine, Eaton 18-speed double-over trans, Dana 46,000-lb. drive axles with 3:58 gears on a Pete air leaf suspension, 295/75R22.5 tires on Alcoa wheels and polished aluminum, four-strap fuel tanks.

“One day, Gary and Jeff put it in a local truck show and won Second,” says Rigby. “ Once they had a taste of the show truck life, they told Kerry McGraw and myself we could customize it.”

Rigby, Mcgraw and Kendall Curtis, all former company drivers, took to the task quite seriously, burning through what might otherwise be a 10-year project budget in just one. This customized ash hauler’s distinctiveness comes from its killer paint job.

Applied over the stock Peterbilt black Imron is some incredible airbrush work by Dan Langston. The owners’ last name provided the theme for the artwork: <I>burning ham.</I> Thus a big, ugly wild hog trailing smoke and blue flames is on the hood and the back of the sleeper. More blue flame and smoke adorns the tractor’s doors, the sleeper sides, the rear fenders and the trailers.

The interior’s a sick combination of chrome, leather and marble. Burningham's shop added chrome gauge covers and jeweled switch extenders while Contempo Tile handled the intricate black marble cab and sleeper flooring.

Prior to airbrushing Haulin’ Ash, Langston, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, known for his work on custom bikes, had never done anything larger than a pickup. Nevertheless, he finished the combo in 12 hours – an astonishing feat. More of Langston’s imaginative work is on the underside of the hood, where an underwater panorama of a hot-looking mermaid, a giant shark, a Kenworth lying on the ocean bottom, a sinking Freightliner and the two owners, Gary and Jeff Burningham, looking on through portholes.

“The scene portrays the sink-or-swim mentality of the trucking industry of late,” Rigby says.

Burningham’s custom rig has a mere 8,000 miles on the odometer. But that may change. With business slow, instead of buying new equipment they may put “Haulin Ash” to work pulling a set of newer trailers. “The truck was built so it can go on the road,” Rigby says. “If that happens, I hope I can dispatch from the driver seat, because nothing is better than driving something like this down the road and seeing the people’s reaction and approval.”

Besides truck beauty shows and work, Haulin’ Ash has another important duty: motivational assemblies at elementary schools around the Salt Lake City and Utah county areas. Burningham drivers challenge school kids to read more pages in books than they drive miles on the road during the school year. So far the race between the two has been close. We’ll have to wait and see whether the kids can keep up if she hits the road in earnest.

OWNER’S NOTEBOOK

TRUCK NAME: Haulin’ Ash

OWNER: Gary and Jeff Burningham, American Fork, Utah

MODEL: ‘05 Peterbilt 379X / ’95 Beal pneumatic trailer combo

BUILT BY: Burningham Enterprises

ENGINE: 475-hp Caterpillar C15 Acert w Pittsburgh Power computer

TRANSMISSION: Fuller 18-speed

PAINT/GRAPHICS: Factory black Imron; graphics by Dan Langston

INTERIOR MODS: Black marble floor in cab and sleeper; brushed aluminum instrument panel; unique “x-spoke” steering wheel; customized sleeper

EXTERIOR MODS: Fenders, turn signal bars, step tool boxes, eight-inch exhaust system, and visor are all aftermarket stainless or chrome upgrades; braided stainless air hoses; neon lights underneath; custom tailplate and deckplate

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of Custom Rigs magazine.

HELL ON WHEELS

Sherry Martinez and crew exorcised the demons of a troublesome truck, known as “666,” with some devilish customizations

By Ashley Vice

(Photos by Bruce W. Smith)

Sherry Martinez’s 1990 Peterbilt 379, affectionately known around Southern California as either The Mean Bitch or 666,  is visually hell on wheels born from personal trials and tribulations.

Martinez says her Pete, the first of three tricked-out trucks in the Mira Loma, Calif., based Jessica Martinez Trucking fleet, was designed to match the tough times that came with going independent.

“Its looks reflect the hell me, my husband, and my family went through when we first got it,” says Martinez, adding that they’ve owned the truck for ten years. “Everything that could go wrong with it did. But now it’s a part of my life and I wouldn’t give it up for any other truck.”

Martinez and her husband, Paul, flatbed mostly pre-fabricated concrete, like highway dividers and underground vaults used for sewer, water and power systems. Martinez says she’s the last person expected to hop down out of that cab.

With long brown hair and carefully manicured nails she admits, “I’m a little woman in a big man’s job.The best part is when I get to a job, get off my truck, walk about seven steps, turn around and watch everyone stare,” says Martinez.  The most common response to her Pete is “That’s your truck?”

She got into trucking being offered a permanent position driving after doing some customer service work for the company her husband drove for.  “Paul told me ‘Come on you’ll be good at driving,’” she says.

Co-workers placed bets on how long it would take Paul to teach her how to drive a truck when she started.  “I don’t take bets well,” says Martinez, a fiercely independent person. “I try to never lose; isn’t that the point? From beginning to end I think it took me two weeks.” She won every bet.

Martinez says that her truck, with its showy looks and chrome “666″ on the hood sides, is first and foremost a working truck. “If the local shows ask us to show up then we will, but I’d rather work.”

Transforming her truck into a showstopper was a family affair, says Martinez, who took a hands-on approach to customizing her rig. The 425hop Cat engine and the running gear are stock, but that can’t be said for the exterior.

Martinez, Paul, and Ernie and Jermaine Rubio painted the truck candy cobalt blue in the open shop behind their house while SoCal pin-striping legend Wild Bill airbrushed ghost flame and skull graphics.

“I kind of took him out of his comfort zone,” says Martinez of Wild Bill’s airbrush work. “He’d never really done something this big.”

Paddy Lyons of P&A Lyons Industries, (951) 658-2514, and his son Nigel crafted the side mirrors, a combination of ghost flame skulls and spider webs, to match the truck’s hellish theme and paint job.

Skull and web mirrors were crafted for Martinez by Paddy Lyons of P&A Lyons Industries to keep with the devilish theme.

“We’ve scared a lot of people with those mirrors,” says Lyons, who also crafted an aluminum piece that says “Mean Bitch” attached to the back of the truck. “There was a lot of design work to come up with what she liked, and then we had to get the size right so the mirrors were legal,” says Lyons.

The headlights and taillights also incorporate webbing. “My nephew and I made the headlights from different parts from different stores,” she says, adding that the webbed attachments were done by Lyons.

In all, 50 lights give the truck an eerie blue glow at night, including the clearance marker

lights on top of the truck, which Martinez can turn from amber (legal) to show glow blue with the flip of a switch.

Both the head and taillights were customized with webbing to match the truck’s side mirrors.

The nightmarish theme doesn’t end with this Pete’s exterior though. Opening the suicide doors installed by Jermaine Rubio reveals more ghost flames and skulls on the interior door panels designed by Isaac Espinoza.

Inside the truck Martinez enjoys BMW seats and a Sony audio/visual system, including a complete stereo system and custom speaker boxes with 12-inch kickers.  Jermaine also crafted a custom dash for Martinez by pulling out all of the stock controls and replacing them with new switches.

“We also put in a lot of three-way switches, so it went from one switch operating one thing to one switch operating two or three things.” To finish the look the dash was painted candy cobalt blue to match the truck’s exterior.

Martinez’s fenders were ground down to raw aluminum, accented with blue flames, and covered with a clear coat for extra shine. Detail work like the blue grating on her step box really complete custom look.

The Martinez family affinity for custom rigs doesn’t end with her truck.  Customizing is less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle, she says. “We like to look good in whatever we drive.” Since the family does most of the custom work themselves, Martinez says it’s very affordable.

In addition to their three tricked-out trucks, the Martinez family has several other custom vehicles including mini-pickups and Harley-Davidsons. Of course Sherry’s hog is painted to match her rig-right down to the skulls.

Just a sneak preview of one of the new videos we have coming out on our web site over the next couple weeks…from our Pride & Polish 75 Chrome Shop shoots. We’ll have a full interview with Travis Lyon, the owner/builder of this ultra cool ‘87 KW, as well as a  feature on it. Until then, enjoy this sneak peek!

V. GAINES ROLLIN’ IN STYLE

Gino Guadagni, owner of the flamed-out KW, Inferno Joe, featured in our Summer issue, sent us a photo of the custom rig that hauls his dad’s Kendall Oil Avenger to all the NHRA events.

V.Gaines’ custom rig is a 2005 319″ Pete 379X powered by a healthy 625 CAT backed with an 18 spd. Black pearl is the base and it’s setup with a drop frt axle, 22” bumper, custom grill, drop-single large headlights on JJ bars, front and back, drop visor, 10-inch Dynaflex stacks. All the graphics are custom made by Fineline.

SS Panelite extensions, SS deck plate, WTI fenders, custom Valley Chrome tailpiece, LED lights set the tractor off nicely. V. Gaines’ Kendall hauler also runs a four air horns and an SS Taylor Wing. Look close as the triple 150-gal SS covered tanks have leather covers on the ends. A custom drone box with Pete cap, twin rolldoors, generator, four-axle dump system, air scale system and air compressor supply the truck’s basic needs. ,

The interior – all 379X brushed SS, black with silver leather, all-chrome dash, SS door pouches, chrome door sills, arm rests, chrome/leather steering wheel gives the driver a sense of custom comfort.

The trailer is a 2005 Elite, 53’+ triaxle, smooth-side race transporter with SS full front, over 150 matching oval side lights, 2 HD frt mtd A/C units, mobile tracking satellite, crew lounge, two full fridges, full kitchen, bath, dining area (all with granite counters!), flatscreen, satellite, DVD and Playstation when the races are in rain delay or there’s a long lull n the action.

Dino says it also has two car stage above, plus a stage on the floor for a matching PT cruiser (turbo charged/nitro). The hauler also carries three bikes, a golf cart (all matching), along with a full race shop fitted with SS counters.

The work end of the trailer has carbon-fiber doors, an engine hoist, storage for four complete engines, two on-board computer diagnostic stations, clutch grinders, air compressor, gen set to power a city, full length canopy with matching canvas.

Not a bad ride for those NHRA truck drivers!

Gold fever – with a lot of elbow grease — spurs family to transform an aging Pete into a movie-themed treasure

Story and Photos by Bruce W. Smith

About the only chrome on Martinez’s 379 is found attached to the rolling stock. About the only chrome on Martinez’s 379 is found attached to the rolling stock.

When California flatbed hauler Ernesto Rubio turns into the Old Castle Precast prefabrication facility in the heart of Fontana’s industrial area, the security guards at the main gate wave him through as if he were a celebrity.

Inside the sprawling operation the gantry crane operators and industrial forklift drivers take extra care loading his deck with tons of pre-cast concrete highway dividers, underground vaults, railroad beds, or any other of a dozen items Martinez might be burdened with that day. 

Rubio appreciates the respect. But the jovial trucker knows it’s really his truck that’s the attraction.

Rubio has a passion for movies on DVD, and when the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy came out, he and his kids fell in love with it and he decided to paint his rig in the movies’ theme.

Dead Man’s Chest, the Cat-powered ’89 Peterbilt he drives for Jessica Martinez Trucking out of nearby Mira Loma, isn’t the work of some big-money shop or deep-pocket owners such as the Brinker’s show truck born from the same movie theme. It’s just the opposite: All the work was done on a very limited budget in a small, open-front garage behind his house.

 Leaving the interior in its old-school utilitarian state, he laid on a tangerine and black paint scheme — right down to the stacks, bumpers, and wheels — then enlisted his friend, airbrush artist Isaac Espinoza of Infectious Designs Custom Paint, to put a small pirate’s bandana at the back of the sleeper roof.  The bandana idea opened up a whole new concept.

“As the colors and simple thought of a pirate’s bandana broke through,” reminisces his sister-in-law, Sherry Martinez, “the life of the truck began. The driver became the pirate and the truck his treasure chest.”

The transformation drove the entire Martinez clan to pitch in and go for the gold, much like Captain Jack Black’s quest for treasure in the movies.

While Espinoza worked feverishly on the cab and sleeper illustrations, Rubio, with the help of other family members, went about custom painting and pinstriping the fenders, rails and fuel tanks and fabricating a visor and rear light bar — all in the back yard of their modest Mira Loma ranchette.

The interior of the cab and sleeper haven’t been touched. But Rubio says he has some ideas of how to customize them as well as time—and money—allow. Until that happens he’s enjoying the moment.

“My kids love my truck, and I enjoy seeing the faces of kids in the cars when they pass by. They are all smiles and waving, and a lot of them have their cell phones out taking pictures,” says Rubio. “We’re just having fun with it.”  

DRIVER’S NOTEBOOK

TRUCK NAME: Dead Man’s Chest

ONWER: Jessica Martinez Trucking, Mira Loma, Calif.

DRIVER: Ernesto Martinez

MAKE/MODEL: ‘89 Peterbilt 379

ENGINE: Caterpillar, 425 hp

TRANSMISSION: Eaton 18-speed

PAINT: Tangerine over silver brass/black; lettering by Wild Bill

GRAPHICS: Isaac Espinoza, Infectious Designs Custom Paint

INTERIOR MODS: Chrysler Towncar front seats

EXTERIOR MODS: Alcoa wheels, custom visor and rear light bar 

Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Summer 2009 issue of Custom Rigs magaazine. For the digital version of that issue, click here.

KWITCHERBITCHIN’

By Ashley Vice

(Lead photo by Paul Hartley)

Complaints come over the CB about high fuel prices, low pay and long hours. Texas owner-operator Drennon Durham’s response is lacquered across the rear window of his 2007 Peterbilt. One word say’s it all: Kwitcherbitchin.

Drennon Durham, owner of Kwitcherbitchin.

“Easy Money” is the 23-year-old entrepreneur’s CB handle, given to him by a fellow trucker in recognition of Durham’s success at such a young age. “I consider myself pretty young for a guy with a fleet,” he says. Kwitcherbitchin was Durham’s special project in his eight-truck fleet, launched when he was just 20 years old.

Fully customized by the Chrome Shop Mafia of 4State Trucks in Joplin, Mo., the Pete 379 extended hood flattop looks more decorative than durable, but Durham and the Mafia recognized and delivered on the need for a balance between showmanship and serious business.

The 550-hp Caterpillar and 18-speed Eaton Fuller transmission enable Durham to haul drilling rigs, pipe and equipment with little difficulty other than keeping Kwitcherbitchin’s candy-apple-red finish safe from damage. “I scratched it the other day, and I liked to have cried,” Durham says.

According to Joe Overfelt, Mafia body shop manager, Kwitcherbitchin was customized to fit its owner’s personality with a blend of “flash, style and attitude.”

Durham made a few changes to the truck before taking it to the Mafia, but the makeover was a collaboration, as are many of the Mafia’s custom projects: Durham’s ideas and CSM’s artistry, under the direction of Mafia boss Bryan Martin.

“Bryan and I sat down and made a list of things I wanted done to it,” Durham says, “and $40,000 later, here we are.”

That list was extensive, including a shiny stainless frame cover caressed with a custom airline box. The headlights, single squares mounted in the truck’s 22-in. American Eagle front bumper, are among the most talked-about features.

“Most of the time truckers want to know where the headlights are, because they’re easy to miss going freeway speed,” Durham says.

Kwitcherbitchin is outfitted with WTI rear fenders and a set of outlaw-styled front fenders to make it look just a little lower to the ground.

“You know lower is better,” Overfelt says. They also “dropped” the look of the cab and sleeper with a set of custom cab/cowl and sleeper panels. The job didn’t end there.

“We gave it attitude with a huge audio/video setup so Drennon can draw a crowd at the local truck stops with his old classic country boy tunes,” Overfelt says. The setup combines four 10-in. subwoofers and two 1,000-watt amps with a Panasonic head unit. The truck has a 20-in. flat screen with a DVD player and an Xbox 360. Durham says he’s considering adding satellite.

“The boys here at CSM love building trucks, but it makes it that much sweeter when the trucks we build fit the owners to a T,” Overfelt says.

Only a year since the truck was customized, Durham already is thinking about taking it back in for a few updates. “I would like to stretch it to 379 inches, so the wheelbase and the model would be the same,” he says.

At press time, Durham planned to show off Kwitcherbitchin at the 2008 Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Championship at the Mid-America Trucking Show. After that, it’s back to work. Durham recently sold his fleet, seeing the opportunity to pay off debts and make a good deal of money in a short time. He plans to continue working for the company he sold to.

“All the big guys around here are buying out the little guys to avoid competition,” Durham says. “It’s just easier to work for someone else and let them deal with the headaches, like taxes.”

He kept one truck: Kwitcherbitchin. “A guy offered $155,000 for it, but I have almost $200,000 in it and wouldn’t sell it anyway,” he says.

Selling his fleet, he says, gives him the opportunity to go to shows – and keep customizing. “Why not?” he asks. “I like to change things up and be different.” Durham says neither he nor his truck is what people imagine when they think of the trucking industry — and that’s the way he likes it. — CR

PURE MAYHEM!

Jersey’s Elizabeth Truck Center-led builders weave the hottest mods into an ’08 International ProStar for some truly twisted results

By Bruce W. Smith

(Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Truck Center)

Jersey isn’t the first place one would think of being a hotbed for customizing trucks. Gangsters ripping them off and hijacking their loads? Sure. But truck dealerships ripping a new rig apart and transforming what was once ordinary into an extraordinary work of rolling artisanship and craftsmanship? Fuhgetaboutit.

Such misconceptions are quickly dispelled the moment one lays eyes on Mayhem, James Carello’s totally tricked-out ’08 International ProStar.

Carello, the man behind Regional International in Henrietta, New York, wanted a showpiece rig for the corporation. It had to be aerodynamic and fuel-efficient, exude high-tech thinking and turn heads. The ProStar was the perfect base truck – and New Jersey’s Elizabeth Truck Center, custom paint maker House of Kolor, and Cenzi Custom Cycles of Spencerport, New York, the perfect customizing partners.

Together they have created what may be one of the most eye-catching aerodynamic custom rigs on the road.

First off, Mayhem’s frame was stretched from 220 inches to 340, topped off with a one-piece stainless deck plate while the rear of frame was filled and a custom rear light bar fabricated. While the craftsmen at ETC were at it, they flipped every huck bolt so the frame rails looked clean, shortened the hood, and dropped on a custom sleeper.

Not satisfied with the ordinary, they took a few cues from car customizers, adding lengthened Lamborghini-style gull-wing doors, converting the single exhaust to duals, adding custom fairings all around, and building a one-off visor and fifth wheel.

Then they had a friend CNC Mayhem’s Alcoa wheels on his machine for an even cooler look, complemented by Firestone 285/75R24.5s and one-off fenders by Cool Truck Components.

Mayhem's sleeper features a custom wrap-around sofa and a 6,000-watt sound system with 37-inch flat-screen for entertainment.

No custom rig is complete without something special on the inside. Mayhem boasts a totally custom interior, including a wraparound couch in the sleeper, but it’s the killer sound system that impresses most.

It’s anchored by a Kenwood head unit dumping into a 6,000-watt Kicker system consisting of no less than four 12-inch subs (beneath the couch), perfectly tuned to eight speakers all in custom enclosures.

Of course, both cab and sleeper are wrapped in Dynamat sound-deadening insulation.

When it’s time to watch videos, Carello has his choice of sitting back and enjoying a 37-inch flat-panel HD in the back, a seven-inch LCD in the dash or a 12-inch above — all tied in to Mayhem’s sound system.

To top off all the custom work, Tony Cenzi of Cenzi Custom Cycles traveled to ETC’s paint shop to put his extraordinary motorcycle painting talents to work on a much larger canvas. Using House of Kolor paints, they turned the bland ProStar into a kaleidoscope of color.

But the painting didn’t go quite as planned. According Carello’s son Jason, who is Mayhem’s handler, and Anthony Pesce, the head of customizing at ETC, this is the step leading to the truck’s name.

“It seems nothing went to plan building the truck,” says the younger Carello. “The paint job wasn’t cooperating and things overall were not going smooth as we rushed to get it completed before the 2008 Mid-America Truck Show. So in the end we named it Mayhem because that’s exactly what it was around the ETC shop.”

Mayhem made a minor debut at the International exhibit next to the Overdrive Pride and Polish lot at Mid-America last year, but its show-truck grand entrance came three months later at the Pride and Polish at the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas. To no one’s surprise, it cleaned up, taking First in Limited Mileage Paint Bobtail, tying for First in Limited Mileage Interior, and taking Second overall in Limited Mileage Bobtail.

Word has it Mayhem’s newest role will be hauling a brand new International LoneStar to shows later this year. – CR

(For in-depth images of the ETC build in-progress, click here.)

OWNER’S NOTEBOOK

TRUCK NAME: Mayhem

OWNER: James Carello, Henrietta, New York

MODEL: ’08 International ProStar

BUILT BY: Regional International & Elizabeth Truck Center

ENGINE: 525-hp Cummins ISX; painted; custom 8-inch dual exhaust

TRANSMISSION: Eaton Fuller RTLO18913

SUSPENSION: Factory air front/rear

PAINT/GRAPHICS: House of Kolor products; Graphics by Tony Cenzi, Cenzi Custom Cycles; Paint by Elizabeth Truck Center

INTERIOR MODS: Full custom with wraparound sofa in sleeper; 6,000W 12-speaker Kenwood/Kicker sound system; 37-in. flat screen; multiple DVD screens; sound deadening throughout

EXTERIOR MODS: Shortened hood; tandem front/rear light bars; one-off skirts and fenders; 340-inch stretched wheelbase; frame filled and hucks reversed; custom fifth wheel; extended Lamborghini doors; custom visor and rear panel; CNC’d Alcoa wheels; much more

Hi-Plains mail-hauling ‘97 Mack delivers new flavor to truck beauty shows

By James Jaillet

When the company Robert Ewing works for, Hi-Plains Leasing, bought a ’97 Mack previously owned by the United States Post Office, turning the truck into a show rig was one use he hadn’t envisioned for the box-bodied, snub-nosed “Gone Postal.”

Other than a paint job, Ewing and Hi-Plains used the truck as purchased for nearly three years before taking it out of service, putting it into the shop and, ultimately, leading it onto the truck beauty show scene.

“It becoming a show truck was no where on the radar,” Ewing said. “We bought it for the sole purpose of filling a niche we had at the company. It just sort of turned into a project we wanted to do. We wanted something everybody at the company could be involved in and be proud of.”

Hi-Plains owner Gary Disher purchased the truck at an auction in 2006 for its ability to be used hauling construction equipment and moving large machinery in tight situations.  The three-axle set up, automatic transmission, short turning radius and ease in maneuverability made the truck useful to the company, Ewing said.

A trip to the Mid-America Truck Show in March of 2009, however, steered Gone Postal’s utility in a different direction.

Gone Postal is undergoing a second round of modifications now in preparation for truck shows coming up later in the year.

“[The show] really got my boss going,” Ewing said. “He got really fired up at the uniqueness of all of the trucks, and we thought this would be a unique piece to throw in with all of the Peterbilts.”

After the show, Ewing went to work under the direction of Hi-Plains owner Gary Disher, and for the next four months he spent 40 hours a week in the shop converting the old USPS truck into a show rig.

Before the real customizing process could even begin, though, Ewing said some changes and relocations of certain parts had to be made.

“The truck was still put together the way the factory turned it out,” Ewing said. “It was built totally for utility purposes. The exhaust, batteries, fuel tanks – everything on this truck was built for ease in production and maintenance.”

Ewing said most of the custom parts were used, and they picked up almost all of them in the Denver area. The 80” visor was made at Outlaw Customs and modified and mounted at Hi-Plains. Outlaw also supplied the wheel covers, toolboxes and tank straps.

Interstate Turbo supplied the truck’s fenders, which had been in inventory for more than a year when Ewing and crew. got their hands on them.

The rest of the custom parts, Ewing says, were either shelf items at Western Truck parts or parts taken off of other Hi-Plains trucks.

Ewing finished the first round of Gone Postal’s renovations in July of 2009 (when Custom Rigs’ editor, Bruce Smith, caught up with them at Outlaw Customs’ shop in Denver), and he and the Hi-Plains crew began to escort the truck to shows around the country.

Driver Robert Ewing and Hi-Plains Leasing converted Gone Postal, a former USPS truck, to a show-quality custom rig.

However, after only a short road tour, the rig went back into the shop for another round of modifications. The truck has been under wraps since the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas last August.

Ewing said this time they’re concentrating on a few interior changes. Because the truck’s exterior features some aluminum diamond plating, Ewing said he wants to finish the truck’s interior with diamond plate floorboards and door padding. They’re also looking to add an 18” Texas-style fiberglass bumper before it’s unveiled again.

Some engine modifications – to make the truck more powerful – may be on the way, as well. Ewing said Pitt Power has been doing work with the E7’s to give them a power upgrade.

As for the future of Gone Postal, Ewing said he and Disher plan to take the truck to the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas in June and the 2010 Great American Trucking Show in Dallas in August.

“After Dallas, I think we’re done,” Ewing said. “But it all depends on what the boss wants to do.”

Post-Dallas, however, Ewing and his boss are in sort of a disagreement about how to use the truck once it settles back down in Denver.

“It’s kind of a tug-of-war between myself and the owner. I want to get the truck on the street, running around town where a lot of people could see it. He really doesn’t want to put it back to use immediately,” Ewing says. “But, I think I’ll win it.”

OWNER’S NOTEBOOK

OWNER: Gary Disher, Hi-Plains Leasing

MODEL: 1997 Mack MR 688 S

BUILT BY: Robert Ewing, Hi-Plains Leasing drivers and shop crew

ENGINE: E7 Mack 350

TRANSMISSION: Allison AT 540

PAINT/GRAPHICS: Rush Peterbilt, Denver, CO;  Stan’s Signs, Henderson, CO

EXTERIOR MODS: relocation of air tanks, install left-hand fuel tank, lowered headache rack, dual side pipes, full drive axle fenders, extensive exterior lights, polished dual intake pipes, lots of chrome

[View with PicLens]

Chrome Shop Mafia tricks out not one, but two 2010 Freightliners to go on the show circuit

The Chrome Shop Mafia, the customizing arm of Joplin, Missouri-based 4 State Trucks, is notorious for turning big rigs with millions of miles on their bodies, interiors and drivetrain into head-turning show-stoppers. Their big rig artistry is evident across the country and well documented in both print and video.

Freightliner, on the other hand, is well known for its forward thinking designs and innovations. The company was looking for a way to turn heads in the direction of the Cascadia and all-new Coronado at dealer events and trucking trade shows in 2010.

Customizing each truck was the natural choice as was commissioning CSM to handle the job.

“The concept behind the two builds was showcase to the public Freightliner has great products and is a driving force in the Owner Operator market,” says Melissa Clausen, director of product marketing, Freightliner Trucks.

But as every customizer knows, for a custom rig to really hits its mark there has to be a definitive goal for the customizer; a “theme,” as it were. That fact wasn’t lost on those at Freightliner.

“With the Cascadia we really wanted to drive home the message you can have an aerodynamic truck that not only maximizes your revenue, but that also looks good and carries the Owner Operator’s individuality and spirit,” says Clausen.

“At the same time we wanted to show owner operators of the more traditional long-nosed trucks how easy it is to customize the already good-looking classic Coronado,” Clausen explains. “We know there are a lot of Owner Operators out there who love their chrome and want to add the little extra touches that make their trucks stand out on the road.”

Goals in mind, Freightliner handed the  keys to the two trucks to  Bryan “Bossman” Martin and the Chrome Shop Mafia crew. The boyz at CSM were more than up for the challenge to take a fresh-off-the-assembly-line 2010 Freightliner Cascadia^® and all-new Coronado^® to the next level.

This CSM-customized Coronado is truning heads at shows this year.

Classic and Chrome: Coronado
“The entire crew had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Coronado for some time, and when it came – wow!” said Bossman Martin when the first truck arrived at their shop.

“This is our kind of truck – with its long hood, traditional front end, exposed tanks and boxes, and a pretty respectable wheelbase. This rig offers a lot of [customizing] potential!” And customize they did.

The Coronado – Freightliner’s top-of-the-line heavy-duty truck – already features an updated design and aerodynamic details such as a sleek fiberglass hood, sloped windshield and dual chrome-steel intakes positioned on either side of the hood. But it needed a lot more to make a statement. Paint, for one.

Custom paint jobs turn heads, and custom paint is one of the many areas the CSM excels at thanks to their hired gun, “Wild Wes” Adkins, whom they call upon when special customer’s trucks need special looks.

The CSM paint team, assisted by Adkins, spent several long days sanding down the Coronado’s factory paint and replacing it with a wicked four-color paint job beginning with House of Kolor PBC 48 Cinnamon Pearl base.

Over that they laid on a cool blend of flowing stripes using a combination of DuPont blends including ChromaBase GM263K Pewter, 2008 Nissan C20 (lighter green), and  ‘94 Honda W9508k (Irish green effect), and capping it all off with a ’slick’ DuPont clear coat.

Once the new Coronado had its custom colors, the boyz turned their attention to the Freightliner’s hard parts to further accentuate the new paint.

“This new Coronado is a pleasing sight for any owner-operator – and we simply enhanced its good looks,” says Joe “Lil’ Joe” Overfelt, the CSM shop foreman who worked on the two builds.

Custom touches from nose to tail.

Their enhancements include frame sleeves with “Coronado” laser-etched in them; one-off, stainless cab/sleeper extender panels with lights; a Tommy gun logo panel at lower back sleeper wall exterior; and a custom seven-inch exhaust (deigned by Overfelt) from Dynaflex.

The Mafia crew also built custom CSM exclusives for the Coronado  including such items as a stainless visor, wheel caps, frame covers, and fiberglass double-hump fenders.

Under normal circumstances the CSM crew strips a rig’s interior and adds their custom touches.

But that wasn’t necessary with the Coronado as it came right off the assembly line fitted out for maximum driver comfort and convenience, including an updated dash, noise abatement materials in the cab, built-in refrigerator in the sleeper.

Freightliner's new Cascadia wears CSM custom upgrades quite well.

“We couldn’t be any prouder of the finished product,” said Bossman. “The Coronado would be an excellent choice for any owner-operator. It has fantastic interior features and amenities, and a classic look that will always be in high style.”

“Hot Rod” Cascadia
“When we first heard about the Cascadia, we were scratching our heads thinking, how cool can an aerodynamic truck really look?” said Bossman.

“And then we realized – what’s not to like? The Cascadia has all of the appeal of owning a fuel- efficient, reliable truck combined with a smooth, custom appearance guaranteed to put a smile on any driver’s face.”

Once again the CSM crew began with the exterior. This time Wild Wes and the crew created an intricate multi-color sunburst paint effect using DuPont ChromaBase paints. The main ingredients: Orange (802K) and Gold (235l/67U) topped with a White-diamond clear using Cadillac Escalade tri-coat (800J) doctored with a bottle of Gold Pearl FX.

They accented the Cascadia’s aero-body with a custom deck plate complete with a back -lit airline box, added a cut-out Freightliner logo to the smooth back exterior wall of the sleeper, and made a one-off rear center section for tail lights.

Cascadia dash was painted to duplicate exterior color scheme.

Custom-cut-and-painted front wheels further enhance the truck’s tricked-out looks as do the custom rear fenders, axle covers and light panels.

Inside, the crew added custom-embroidered seats and floor mats displaying both Freightliner and “Tommy gun” CSM logos. They also painted the dash panels and added vinyl graphics throughout interior carrying “aerodynamics with attitude” logos.

Says Lil’ Joe of the finished custom Cascadia, “This truck has a modern new-age look that everyone is sure to love.” “And the Cascadia’s aerodynamic styling saves at the pump. How can it get any better.”

One way is actually finding yourself behind the wheel of one the two beauties, which is a distinct possibility as Freightliner says both of these custom rigs will be put up for sale later this year as the custom Cascadia and Coronado complete the show circuit. – CR

FIVE FOR THE ROAD

Customized heavy haulers shine at shows and work in the dirt

By Lanier Norville

No matter how or where they’re used, owner-operators take pride in their rides. It’s easy to spot them on the open raod as they criss-cross the country delivering the goods.

But those who use their rigs for heavy hauls in the oil fields and construction world are less often seen or appreciated for the work that goes into such customized big rigs by the  general public. These rigs daily work environment is one where you’d least expect to see an owner-operator devote a lot of time and money to fix up and personalize their trucks. But they do, and they do it well.

Take a look at these five tricked-out heavy haulers–customized for both looks and performance. All five of these off-road workhorses haul heavy loads over rough terrain, and all five have earned bragging rights at big league truck shows.

Jake Lindamood's Juiced Up sees its fair share of Texas dirty work.

Jake Lindamood of Lindamood Demolition knows a thing or two about maintaining a custom severe service rig. His trucks tackle tough terrain and debris-filled construction sites daily as they deliver demolition equipment to condemned buildings and haul away the resulting rubble.

“Being in the demo business you’ve gotta go where the jobs are,” Lindamood says. And those jobs often take him and his team to landfills, rock quarries and mines. But when his tricked-out Petes are polished on the show floor, people stare incredulously, unable to believe that they are working trucks, Lindamood says. “When people like that drive by and see the truck in a landfill, it’s kinda nice,” he says.

Among his fleet of 18 Peterbilts, two stand proudest: King Ranch, a 2007 dark brown and tan Peterbilt 379 extended hood, and Juiced Up, a bright orange 2007 Peterbilt 379 four axle heavy hauler. Both show trucks have double frames, 46,000-pound Air Trac suspension and heavy-duty front ends with oversized tires. Both have flip-up front bumpers.

“A lot of people have the flip bumper just cause it looks good, but we actually use it when we go off road,” he says. Each one has other custom parts that make it one-of-a-kind, such as King Ranch’s rugged hardwood floors or Juiced-Up’s electric headache rack doors.

“We’ve got pride in our trucks cause we did it,” Lindamood says of his team, who does all the paint and body work in house. “The week before a show is like a madhouse,” he says of his shop. “We’ll tear the trucks down to nothing trying to get them clean and polished. We’ll touch up anything that got messed up” the week before at job sites.

Once, the fenders on King Ranch got scratched less than a week before a show, Lindamood says. But, “When something happens, I don’t let it go. I fix it as soon as I get time,” even if there isn’t a show coming up, he says.“It’s a challenge to keep a truck looking like that,” Lindamood says, “but that’s our hobby; that’s what we like doing.”

JUICED UP

Year/Make/Model: 2007 Peterbilt 379 4 axle heavy hauler

Engine: 625-hp Caterpillar with a Pittsburgh power chip that allows up to 750-hp

Transmission: 18-speed

Owner: Jake Lindamood

Hauls for: Lindamood Demolition; Dallas, Texas

Freight: demolition equipment

Terrain: on and off-road: construction sites, landfills, rock quarries and mines

Interior modifications: Silver and orange paint on the cab’s interior; orange upholstery

Exterior modifications: Custom built back fenders, rear bumper and attic rack; painted and chromed motor; flip-up front bumper and new visor panels; electric headache rack doors; pearlescent orange paint

Awards: Best Peterbilt, Billy Bob’s Truck Show, 2008; third-best Peterbilt, GATS, 2008

KING RANCH

Year/Make/Model: 2007 Peterbilt 379 extended hood

Engine: 565-hp Caterpillar

Transmission: 18-speed

Owner: Jake Lindamood

Hauls for: Lindamood Demolition; Dallas, Texas

Freight: demolition debris

Terrain: on and off-road: construction sites, landfills, rock quarries, mines

Interior modifications: hand scraped hardwood floors; painted dash panels; Phillips aluminum steering wheel; custom lighting in cab floor

Exterior modifications: flip-up front bumper; painted and chromed motor; custom deck plate; custom rear bumper; chrome brake drum covers; painted brake drums; chrome suspension parts; dark brown and mocha pearl custom striped paint job

Awards: First place, NAST Truck-Lite trophy competition, MATS, 2008; Best of Show, Billy Bob’s Truck Show, Fort Worth, Texas, 2009

John Steed of Grand Junction, Colo., named his 2004 Kenworth W900L the Rocky Mountain Equalizer because “It goes up and down these rocky mountains like they’re not there,” he says.

That’s probably thanks to the 1500-hp Caterpillar engine that Steed modified with turbos, timing electronic computers, modified exhaust manifolds and oversized air-to-air coolers. And it might have something to do with the 18-speed transmission with 2150 lb/ft torque and 3500 lb/ft clutch.“We had to put that in to hold the horsepower,” he says.

His business, the 18-truck fleet Henderson Heavy Haul, takes him and his drivers all over the country to pick up and deliver windmill blades that can be as long as 165 feet. Because windmills are often situated in high places, delivery means trekking long distances off-road, often up steep mountain inclines.

“Most of them go off road to very inhospitable regions,” he says of the trucks in his fleet. “Some places they have to hook onto us with bulldozers just to get up there.”

Steed talks about a big rig going mountain climbing as if it were an everyday thing—and for him it is. “Things do happen,” he says, “but you just fix them. You have to drive carefully, and the problems are minimal.”

Like Lindamood, Steed fixes any damage his fleet suffers right away. That way, there’s not too much bodywork to do before it hits the show floor. Steed’s son Justin was the mastermind behind the truck’s big win at MATS this year, he says. “It’s a little unusual,” he says of seeing his work truck primped and polished for a show, but “people [who own small fleets] take a lot of pride in their equipment. I don’t think big companies have the time or the inclination to do that.”

But looks aren’t everything to Steed. “The big thing about our business is the service we provide. The looks are just kind of the cherry on top.”

ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUALIZER

Year/Make/Model: 2004 Kenworth W900L

Engine: 1500-hp Caterpillar; modified with turbos, timing computers, manifolds, and air-to-air coolers

Transmission: 18-speed transmission with 3500 lb/ft torque clutch

Owner: John Steed

Hauls for: Henderson Heavy Haul, Grand Junction, Colo.

Freight: windmill blades

Terrain: off-road: mountainous, steep grade

Interior modifications: Black painted dash; chrome gauges; custom steering wheel; custom chrome gearshift; black ceramic tile floor; mirrored ceiling in place of sunroof; chrome button covers on upholstery

Exterior modifications: Bullet lights and LED lights installed on the roof; black powder coated grill covers, bumper and fuel tanks; black powder coated and chromed steps; extendable trailer up to 154 feet; custom headache rack; custom painted red brake drums; polished aluminum wheels

Awards: First place, working class combination, 2009, MATS

Big Red in action prior to the "facelift."

Not all severe service rigs that get a custom makeover go back to work. When Jerry Diemoz, owner of J&R trucking of Rock Springs, Wyo., saw what S&J custom shop in Ft. Wayne, Ind., had done to his old 1981 Pete, his jaw dropped. He had originally sent it in for a modest facelift, but when the shop was invited to enter a truck in the Big-Rig Build-Off, they chose Big Red.

Diemoz, who delivers equipment and rigging to Wyoming’s oil fields, specs all his trucks for better performance off-road, he told Custom Rigs editor Bruce Smith for a previous article.

Big Red after J&R customizing.

BIG RED

Year/Make/Model: 1981 Peterbilt

Engine: Big Red’s engine received a block-out rebuild that gave it bigger injectors, oversized the bore and upsized the turbo for a 1,000-hp Caterpillar

Transmission:

Owner: Jerry Diemoz

Hauls for: J&R Trucking, Rock Springs, Wyo.

Freight: rigging and drilling equipment

Terrain: off road in Wyoming’s oil fields

Interior modifications: sound deadening insulation; custom speaker boxes; Pioneer sound system; rear camera; DVD player; police scanner; leather upholstery; Comfort Ride seats

Exterior modifications: custom-built double-frame rails; new sheet metal in the hood, cab and sleeper; front axle converted to hub pilot-style; custom stainless boxes; locking drivers extended from 46 to 60 inches; new fenders; new Bridgestone drivers; custom stainless deck plate and frame covers; 185-gallon saddle tanks; chrome the front bumper and trim; custom firewall and engine air intake; custom paint job

Awards: 2009 Big-Rig Build-Off Industry Award

“It’s not really that cool,” Jerry Beaudoin says of customizing his severe service fleet. “Expensive is what it is. I do it because I have a passion for trucks, and I like building them.”

Jerry Beaudoin's Triple One at work.

When Beaudoin bought his first truck in 2001, a unique orange Peterbilt 379 dump, he turned heads. “I named it Triple Six—a bad name for a bad truck,” he says. As his business grew, Beaudoin bought more trucks and began customizing them himself. He began to establish a reputation in the area, he says, and now he has to keep it up.

Today he owns a fleet of 12 severe service trucks under the name SRS National that remove contaminated waste from various sites and deliver it to landfills. Each one goes off-road for every job, and each one is customized.

Beaudoin and his staff clean each truck weekly as if it were headed to a show. “I won’t even let a truck out of the shop unless it’s clean. That’s just the rule,” Beaudoin says.

111 (TRIPLE ONE)

Year/Make/Model: 2007 Peterbilt 379

Engine: 565-hp Cummins ISX

Transmission: 18-speed Eaton Fuller

Owner: Jerry Beaudoin

Hauls for: SRS National, Southington, Conn.

Freight: contaminated dirt from factories, schools, oil tanks, gas stations and other sites associated with environmental cleanup

Terrain: gravel pits, mulch yards and landfills

Interior modifications: low-base leather seats; twin stick shift; custom-built aluminum flat panels; interior stripes painted to match the exterior; painted dash; stainless steel headliner and floor; solid chrome steering wheel

Exterior modifications: air-ride suspension; suicide doors; removed door handles, cab lights, horns and emblems; automatic hood opener; painted and chromed motor; blacked out grill; remote control-operated revolving headlights

Awards: Best of Show, Combination Class, MATS 2007; Second place, Outlaw Monster Truck Show, Wildwood, NJ, 2009; Best of Show, New England Dragway, Epping, NH, 2009

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