Hobart 15-in-One Multi-Function Tool

For demanding metalworking hobbies and every-day tasks, Hobart Welding Products offers a new 15-in-one Multi-Function Tool, featuring all the gadgets required to saw, cut, screw and pry on just about anything.

A heavy-duty 420 stainless steel body outfitted with an anti-slip grip gives Hobart’s multi-tool a durability and quality not found in cheaper multi-tools.

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Highlights / Key Facts

• Long Nose Pliers
• Philips Screwdriver
• Flat-Head Screwdriver
• Bottle Opener
• Can Opener
• LED Light
• Awl
• Knife Blade
• Mini Knife Blade
• Saw
• Scissors
• File
• Hook Remover
• Large Screwdriver
• Small Screwdriver

Prolong High-Performance Grease Ideal For Wet Environment

Prolong Super Lubricant’s new Extreme High Performance EP-2 Multi-Purpose Grease is a next-generation grease engineered to provide long-lasting lubrication and surface protection in the harshest of conditions.

Formulated to withstand extreme pressure, Prolong’s EP-2 Grease is ideal for marine applications because it resists water wash out and helps prevent rust, corrosion and oxidation.  The product, which features a high load-carrying capability, is designed to perform over a wide temperature range.

“We have developed our EP-2 Grease using a premium formula that clings well, which eliminates the need to re-pack wheel bearings after trailers have been submerged in fresh or salt water,” said Jeff Victer, Domestic/International Sales Manager, Prolong.

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Prolong’s EP-2 Grease is available in 14 oz. tubes, which can be used in any standard cartridge loading grease gun.  Commercial- and industrial-sized applications are also available.

Contact: Prolong, www.prolong.com;  800.540.5823

When Winning Isn’t Everything

Owner-operator Voris Steward of Houston-based V.E.S. Transportation views his participation in Pride & Polish differently than many fellow competitors

by Bruce W. Smith

The black heavy-haul Kenworth daycab  is a bit of the odd truck out among dozens of brightly painted and bejeweled Peterbilt bobtails and combos parked around the floor of Dallas Convention Center. There’s neither  fancy signage in front detailing all the sponsors nor a small posse of helpers standing by to wipe away any specks of dust or fingerprints from admiring hands.

Instead, there’s one guy standing off at a distance leaning against the wall, relaxed with arms crossed, taking in the surroundings as the crowd mills among the custom rigs on display at Custom Rigs Pride & Polish contest.

Voris Steward is at peace. He doesn’t care whether or not he wins anything. Just being a participant at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in one of the premier truck beauty shows in the nation is enough for him.

“I’ve been a spectator at GATS for four of the last five years, and now I’m not” says the Houston owner-operator who holds the keys to the black ‘94 KW W900 on display a few yards away. “This year the dream of having my truck in this show became real.”

But don’t think for a moment Steward doesn’t care how his truck looks. Quite the contrary; he’s proud of what his hands have created with a lot of hard work, perseverance, and the smallest of budgets.

The price is right

“I fell in love with Kenworths when I first started driving,” Steward says. “And I always wanted one of my own that I could fix up. Four years ago my dream came true when a friend told me about this one. It was a repo that went to auction in Houston. The price was so low I thought there had to be something wrong with it. But I put in a bid just the same. A few days later I got a call. The truck was mine.”

Steward says when he was shocked when he turned the key and the 60-Series Detroit fired right up. He slipped it into gear and drove down the road for a few hundred yards and hit the Jake.

“The truck had been sitting so long the tires were flat-spotted and when I hit the Jake to see if it worked, all I could see were bird’s nests flying out of the stacks,” he says. “But the 15-speed and four-speed auxiliary box worked fine. I was in shock that I’d been given such a great opportunity.”

During the next 3-1/2 years  Steward, a devout Christian and family man,  spent a good amount of his free time working on his truck named Redeemer.

Voris Steward's '94 KW W900

His passion for trucks, and wrenching in general, helped smooth the long process of turning a sanctuary for nesting birds into a reliable and nicely customized working rig for his one-truck transportation company.

Steward did everything from rebuild the engine and drivetrain to doing the fabrication and custom bodywork.

Among the many custom touches: a one-piece door glass and reskinned doors;  a quick-change four-bolt fender mounting system; custom stainless rear bumper; split passenger’s-side fuel tank to house hydraulic fluid.

Steward also extended the 5th wheel slide by merging two into one; two sets of air/hydraulic fittings, one in front of the 5th wheel, the other in the bumper; and  his own drop-air front suspension.

He also customized the front fenders so he could utilize the single headlights out of a T-800. And he installed a real granite floor using small tiles laid over top of hardboard with Dynamat underneath that so the tiles wouldn’t flex or crack.

“I don’t have the deep pockets or a big company behind me. So if I want something custom done on my truck  it comes from my hands,” says Steward. “And I’m proud of that in itself. There’s a certain sense of gratification that comes from knowing you did it on your own.”

About the only thing Steward doesn’t feel comfortable doing is paint. For that he turned to Big Truck Body & Paint in Houston for the Redeemer’s slick ’40s hot-rod look, which he favors over the modern styling.

Houston owner-operator Voris Steward at 2010 GATS Pride & Polish

As for his hopes of winning one of the Pride & Polish awards, Steward says, “I didn’t enter this show to compete. I’m here because I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be able to let people see the truck and appreciate what’s been done to it.

“When someone notices something that’s been changed and they make a comment, that’s my reward.”

The Pride & Polish judges were among those that did notice the first-time participant’s handiwork. Steward took Third in the First Show category, which honors first-time competitors.

“Being here is a stepping stone of sorts for me,” says Steward who works his truck five days a week. “I’ll be back next year with a few more things done on the truck. I’m going to spend some time fixing up the interior over the winter — and I’ve got a few ideas from what I’ve seen here.”

And the winners are…

DALLAS PRIDE & POLISH

TRUCK BEAUTY CONTEST

GREAT AMERICAN TRUCKING SHOW

August 26-28, 2010

Sponsored by: Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions; Freightliner Daimler Trucks North America; Custom Rigs Magazine; 75 Chrome Shop; Alt Wheels; Chrome Shop Mafia; Elizabeth Truck Center; Hogebuilt; Howes Lubricator Products; Lincoln Chrome; PPG Industries; Sprint; Swift Transportation; Truckin’ For Kids; US Lube; WTI Fenders

WINNERS LIST (Click on images to view larger)

Working Bobtail  – First Show

1^st Place – #333 – Rusty Whitson/Circle W Services, Elk City, OK – 2005 White Platinum Peterbilt 379

2^nd Place – #338 – Russell Parrish, San Antonio, TX– 2000 Black Freightliner – “Memory of David Parrish”

3^rd Place – #341 – Voris Steward/VES Transport, Houston, TX – 1994 Black Kenworth W900 – “Redeemer”

Working Bobtail – 2006 & Newer

1^st Place – #329 – Tuffy Yeary/K-R-Y Trucking, Weatherford, TX – 2010 Blue & Black Kenworth W900

2^nd Place – #324 – Ron & Jan Huey/L.B. Trucking, Inc, Greensburg, IN – 2010 Warm Gray Metallic International ProStar Limited

3^rd Place  – #340 – Cory Jones, Atascosa, TX – 2007 Green Peterbilt 379 – “Hustle & Flow”

Working Bobtail – 2001-2005

1^st Place – #323 – Bruce Smith/Tim Ables, Kilgore, TX – 2005 Brown & Tan Peterbilt 379

2^nd Place – #320 – Bryan Lundberg, Murdock, MN – 2005 Black Kenworth W900L – “Diablo”

3^rd Place – #322 – Rusty Conn, Augustine, TX – 2003 Black Peterbilt 379 – “Black Gold, Texas Tea”

Bobtail – 2000 & Older

1^st Place – #327 – Bob & Shelley Brinker, Grayling, MI – 2000 Muralled Freightliner Classic XL – “Legend of the Black Pearl”

2^nd Place – #321 – Rick Hernandez/Daniel Gil, San Antonio, TX – 1985 Blue Peterbilt 359 – “Old Blue”

3^rd Place – #336 – Elvis Williamson, Poplarville, MS – 1995 Pink & White Peterbilt 379

Working Bobtail – Company Truck

1^st Place – #339 – Mitch Larson/Pat Eilen Trucking, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Lime Green Peterbilt 389

2^nd Place – #334 – Bill Sandvik/Sandvik Trucking, Valley Center, CA – 2005 Tan & Red Peterbilt 379

3^rd Place – #325 – Don Powell/FFE Transportation Services, Ft. Worth, TX – 2010 White Freightliner C120

Antique – Bobtail

1^st Place – #547 – Jimmy Wiley/K-R-Y Trucking, Weatherford, TX – 1986 Blue & Black Kenworth W900 – “Ol’ #4”

2^nd Place – #548 – Alvin Garland/ K-R-Y Trucking, Weatherford, TX – 1978 Red & Brown Kenworth W900A

3^rd Place  Tie – #517- C.O. Bruce, Blum, TX – 1969 Orange & Purple Peterbilt 359 – “The Orange Blossom Special”

3^rd Place  Tie – #508 – Howard Henley, Ft Worth, TX – 1988 Yellow International Eagle

Antique – Specialized

1^st Place – #509 – Eric Hardage, Garland, TX – 1963 Black Mack B-83 – “Big Dog”

2^nd Place – #546 – Justin Smith/US Truck Parts, Inc, Dallas, TX – 1967 Black Mack B-61

3^rd Place – #545 – Rick Shotts/US Truck Parts, Inc, Dallas, TX – 1959 Black Mack B-75

Working Combo – Company Truck

1^st Place – #110 – David Kosar, Jr, Grand Prairie, TX – 2009 Blue Peterbilt 379/1998 Great Dane Van – “Just Passin Thru”

2^nd Place  – #129 – Rick Crenshaw/J D Delivery Svc, Glenpool, OK – 1999 Primer Gray Peterbilt 379/1989 Great Dane Van

3^rd Place – #130 – Victor Maiden/Stevens Transport, Dallas, TX – 2011 Black Kenworth T700/2011 Utility Reefer

Working Combo – 2001 & Newer

1^st Place – #116 – Melissa Hall, Vonormy, TX – 2004 Black Peterbilt 379/2007 Clements Dump

2^nd Place – #115 – Justin Hall – 2003 Blue Kenworth W900/2011 Wink Dump – “El Patron”

3^rd Place – #117 – Jeremy Leavitt, LeGrand, CA – 2005 Red Peterbilt 379/2002 Western Drop Deck

Working Combo – 2000 & Older

1^st Place – #112 – Ray Rodriguez, Jr/Lil Ray’s Transport, Salinas, CA – 1988 Purple & Lavender Peterbilt 379/2003 Flatbed – “Hardway”

2^nd Place – #113 – Ray Rodriguez, Jr/Lil Ray’s Transport, Salinas, CA – 2000 Purple & Lavender Peterbilt 379/2006 Transcraft Flatbed – “El Patron”

3^rd Place – #128 – Tommy Roach, Robert Lee, TX – 1999 White Peterbilt 379/2005 Wilson Flatbed – “Twang Thang”

Working Combo – Specialized

1^st Place – #118 – Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Orange Peterbilt 389/2007 Mac – “Iron Afflicted”

2^nd Place – #114 – Jerry Cruz/Bill Hall Jr Trucking, San Antonio, TX – 2001 Baby Blue Peterbilt 379/2010 Wink Dump – “True Blue”

3^rd Place – #119 – Jerry Redwine/Redwine Trucking, Nederland, TX – 2007 Blue Peterbilt 378/2007 Palmer Dump & Pup Trailers

Interior – Cab Only

1^st Place – #118 – Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Orange Peterbilt 389/2007 Mac – “Iron Afflicted”

2^nd Place – #339 – Mitch Larson/Pat Eilen Trucking, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Lime Green Peterbilt 389

3^rd Place – #323 – Bruce Smith/Tim Ables, Kilgore, TX – 2005 Brown & Tan Peterbilt 379

Sleeper – OEM

1^st Place – #327 – Bob & Shelley Brinker, Grayling, MI – 2000 Muralled Freightliner Classic XL – “Legend of the Black Pearl”

2^nd Place  Tie – #324 – Ron & Jan Huey/L.B. Trucking, Inc, Greensburg, IN – 2010 Warm Gray Metallic International ProStar Limited

2^nd Place  Tie –#334 – Bill Sandvik, Valley Center, CA – 2005 Tan & Red Peterbilt 379

3^rd Place – #116 – Melissa Hall, Vonormy, TX – 2004 Black Peterbilt 379/2007 Clements Dump

Engine

1^st Place – #118 – Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Orange Peterbilt 389/2007 Mac – “Iron Afflicted”

2^nd Place – #116 – Melissa Hall, Vonormy, TX – 2004 Black Peterbilt 379/2007 Clements Dump

3^rd Place – #327 – Bob & Shelley Brinker, Grayling, MI – 2000 Muralled Freightliner Classic XL – “Legend of the Black Pearl”

Custom Paint – Bobtail

1^st Place –#339 – Mitch Larson/Pat Eilen Trucking, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Lime Green Peterbilt 389

2^nd Place – #327 – Bob & Shelley Brinker, Grayling, MI – 2000 Muralled Freightliner Classic XL – “Legend of the Black Pearl”

3^rd Place –#340 – Cory Jones, Atascosa, TX – 2007 Green Peterbilt 379 – “Hustle & Flow”

Custom Paint – Combo

1^st Place – #118 – Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN – 2010 Black & Orange Peterbilt 389/2007 Mac – “Iron Afflicted”

2^nd Place – #112 – Ray Rodriguez, Jr/Lil Ray’s Transport, Salinas, CA – 1988 Purple & Lavender Peterbilt 379/2003 Flatbed – “Hardway”

3^rd Place – #117 – Jeremy Leavitt, LeGrand, CA – 2005 Red Peterbilt 379/2002 Western Drop Deck

BEST OF SHOW – BUILDERS CLASS

#543 – Kevin McIntyre/Outlaw Custom Trucks, Denver, CO

1984 White Diamond & Sunset Orange Peterbilt 359 – “KMT 359″

• 2^nd Place – #542 – Bruce Smith/Thomas Ivy, Kilgore, TX – 1986 Blue Peterbilt 359 – “Ivy’s Poison”
• 3^rd Place – #541 – Josh Foster/The Chrome Shop, Bald Knob, AR – 1984 Purple Peterbilt 359 – “Chrome Junkie”

BEST OF SHOW – LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL

#505 – Andy Zary, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

1959 Purple Mack B-61

• 2^nd Place – #507 – Isaac Aguilar/Sandvik Trucking, Valley Center, CA – 1992 Burgundy Peterbilt 379 – “Still Deliriouz”
• 3^rd Place – #516 – David Kosar, Sr, Dallas, TX – 2008 Red & White Peterbilt 389 – “A Touch of Class”

BEST OF SHOW – LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO

#702 – Jake Lindamood, Irving, TX

2007 Brown & Tan Peterbilt 379/2007 CPS Dump Trailer – “Pumped Up”

• 2^nd Place – #701 – Jeff Hardage, Garland, TX – 1986 Black Peterbilt 359/2004 Utility Van – “Aggies Pride”
• 3^rd Place – #703 – Gary Collins, ElDorado Springs, Mo – 1993 Red Kenworth W900/2000 Wabash Drop Deck Van – “Boss Racing”

BEST OF SHOW – WORKING BOBTAIL

#339 – Mitch Larson/Pat Eilen Trucking, Hampton, MN

2010 Black & Lime Green Peterbilt 389

BEST OF SHOW – WORKING COMBO

#118 – Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, MN

2010 Black & Orange Peterbilt 389/2007 Mac – “Iron Afflicted”

Special Pride & Polish Awards

Brinker's custom rig

• Most Recently Restored: Emmit Fay
• Most Enthusiastic “Rock Hauler” Crew: Hall’s Trucking
• Most Patient Competitor: Jerry Redwine
• Company With Most Entrants: Texas Chrome Shop/Raul Mendez, Sr.
• Most Pride In Their Ride: Tony Cunningham
• Noah’s Ark Award: Russell Parish
• Animal House Award: Bob & Shelly Brinker

  
  

  

  Eric Hardage

  
  

• Winner of Wheelchair Race:  Harold Henly
• Most Professional Presentation: Eric Hardage
  

Truck beauty show’s 20 anniversary highlighted by wide range of winning big rigs in Dallas

Jonathan (left) and Pat Eilen brought their working rigs to Dallas from Minnesota and drove home with Best of Show in both Combo and Bobtail classes.

Andy Zary’s ‘59 Purple Mack was on the road hauling loads 48 years before Jake Lindamood’s two-tone 379 Peterbilt ever set tire to pavement.

Mitch Larson’s black-and-green, 2010 daycab 389 Peterbilt is a stark contrast to Kevin McIntyre’s white-and-orange 1984 359.

And Jonathan Eilen’s 2010 Peterbilt 389 dump combo is way different from Lindamood’s.

But what all five of these customized big rigs have in common is they hauled away the Best of Show trophies at the end of the annual Custom Rigs Pride & Polish truck beauty show held in conjunction with the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas.

This year’s GATS Pride & Polish show drew 53 customized bobtails and combos to the Dallas Convention Center, some coming from as far away as California and Minnesota.

Kevin McIntyre, 1984 Peterbilt 359

“This year’s truck show was one of the best we’ve had,” says Neil Holsomback, the on-site manager of the Pride & Polish events.

“The judges really had their work cut out for them because there were a lot of very nice trucks competing against one another in multiple categories.”

Click here to see the complete list of winners and their photos. –CR

Best of Show  – Builder’s Class: Kevin McIntyre, 1984 Peterbilt 359

Best of Show – Limited Mileage Bobtail: Andy Zary, 1959 Mack B-61

Best of Show – Limited Mileage Combo: Jake Lindamood, 2007 Peterbilt 379/CPS Dump

Best of Show -Working Bobtail: Mitch Larson/Pat Eilen Trucking, 2010 Peterbilt 389

Best of Show – Working Combo: Jonathan Eilen, 2010 Peterbilt 389/Mac Dump

Raul Mendez, Sr, owner of Triple R Diesel, was presented with a special award for having the most custom rigs entered in the show.

GATS show attendees had plenty to talk about as they cruised among more than 50 custom rigs in the Pride & Polish section.

Contest winners to be announced today at GATS awards ceremony, which marks 20th anniversary for Pride & Polish

Hundreds of attendees and truck beauty show competitors filled the show floor at last year’s Great American Trucking Show in Dallas as the winners were announced for the annual Custom Rigs’ Pride & Polish truck beauty show. Expect more of the same this year.

Custom Rigs’ Pride & Polish winners will be announced at an 11a.m. awards ceremony today at Booth #14030 in Hall E of  display are part of what’s become an icon among truck beauty contests.

In its 20th year, the competition has some of the highest standards and most competitors on the show circuit, says Custom Rigs Editor Bruce W. Smith.

Rivalry among the truck owners is a staple of the longstanding show, and some who show their trucks keep coming back year after year for a chance to have their name called to the presentation stage.

Hank Hall's Vamonos on the job site hauling rocks from a San Antonio quarry.

“I have done everything I can do for Vamonos to win this year,” says Hank Hall, owner of aggregate-hauler Hall’s Trucking of Texas, in Von Ormy, Texas.

While Vamonos, a 2004 Peterbilt 379 bottom-dump combo, was in the Triple R Diesel shop in San Antonio for repairs following a fender bender this summer, Hall had the engine marbleized, chrome added and the interior finished with ostrich leather and horn-back alligator.

Parked near Vamonos on the show floor, the brown 2007 Peterbilt 379 owned by Jake Lindamood of Lindamood Demolition, in Irving, Texas, won Best of Show Working Combo last year.

“It meant a lot to us when we won,” says Lindamood, whose fleet of 20 trucks is a 10-minute drive from the convention center. “Winning in your home town doesn’t hurt, either.”

More than two-dozen awards will be presented at this morning’s Pride & Polish awards ceremony.

Walking among the dozens of custom big rigs at the 2010 Custom Rigs Pride & Polish event inside the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas reveals a lot of slick custom ideas.

Here’s one of interest to those who like having digital cameras used for recording what’s happening around the truck.

Michael Holland’s 2007 Peterbilt 379 sports 4-inch  lights on the top of the mirrors. But the lights aren’t lights at all –they are cameras housed in chrome light housings.

Holland says they busted out the lenses and used a Dremel tool to cut into the reflector so the tiny Windshield Cams could be slipped into the chrome light housings.

“They worked out really well,” says Holland. “The cameras are hidden in plain sight, and they look a lot better than just having the cameras mounted up there.”

We agree. Nice custom touch.

Charlie McDaniel with his restored 1969 Peterbilt 359.

The story behind Charlie McDaniel’s ‘69 Pete 359

Take the time to walk among the 53 custom rigs in the Great American Trucking Show’s Pride & Polish display area and you’ll see a wide variety of fine rides.

One that caught our eye here at the 2010 GATS is the red & black ‘69 Pete owned by Charlie McDaniel. It’s a step back in time.

“I used to lease out a 359 just like this one back in the early ’80s to a big trucking company called J.H. Rose in Houston,” says Charlie McDaniel, owner of Amigo Truck Ltd in Houston.

“Rose had some 800 trucks in their fleet and every one was painted with this red and black paint scheme just like you see here.”

McDaniel really liked his old Pete and had fond memories of working for J.H. Rose. So when he came across this one three years ago, he purchased it and immediately began restoring it in the Amigo shop.

When they had it well along they drove it to Truck Works in Cortland, California, to finish the restoration and paint. The complete resto job took 2-1/2 years.

Very few people have seen the finished truck, says McDaniel who brought it to GATS and enter in his first Pride & Polish truck beauty show. His 41-year-old Pete standing tall right along side customized trucks from the modern era.

“The only difference between my first 359 and this one is my old truck had white pinstripes instead of silver. And my first Pete was brand new at the time,” Says McDaniel.

As to the paint scheme, Emmett Fay, who is here with McDaniel and also worked for the big trucking company, remembered how passionate the owner was about the company colros.

“I remember one day a kid in the [J.H. Rose] paint shop asked Mr. Rose what color he wanted a new truck painted,” says Fay. “Rose said ‘I don’t care what color you paint it son, just as long as it dries red and black.’” Apparently that love of a certain color still has deep roots.

And that’s how it is here at GATS–there’s a story behind every truck on display. — Bruce W. Smith

Singer-songwriter Randy Houser to treat show attendees at free concert

Randy Houser, one of the country's top music singers, will treat attendees of the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas Friday night.

Aficionados of custom trucks and lovers of country music attending the annual Great American Trucking Show in Dallas are in for a treat as singer Randy Houser will follow the Grascals opening act in a free concert tonight at 5:30 in Ballroom C.

Tickets for the concert, sponsored by Mobil Delvac, are available today in the Dallas Convention Center’s registration lobby.

With a vocal prowess reviewers say is riveting, Houser’s first single, “Anything Goes,” catapulted to the Top 20 following an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2009.

Another single that year, “Boots On,” peaked as No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Hits and reached the top 5 Hot Country Songs in 2009.

The singer-songwriter’s debut album, Anything Goes, released by Universal Records South, is described as exceptional. A new album, They Call Me Cadillac, will be released Sept. 21.

Houser is also the only new male artist to reach the top 5 on Hot Country Songs in 2009. “It’s hard to

believe that as a new artist I’ve got one that far up there,” he says.

A Mississippi native, Houser was born in Jackson and reared in the small town of Lake. His musical influences include R&B, Delta Blues, gospel and the country sounds of the deep South’s honky-tonks, says his publicist Ebie McFarland.

In 2008, the Grascals won Bluegrass Band of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year awards given by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America.

The Grascals, a Nashville, Tenn.-based group, will entertain with band founders Jamie Johnson, Danny Roberts, Terry Smith and Terry Eldredge.

New to the bluegrass-country mix are fiddler Jeremy Abshire and award-winning banjoist Kristin Scott Benson.

The band’s fourth collection, The Famous Lefty Flynn’s, is an amalgam of pop, country, gospel and bluegrass.

Most of you are probably well-acquainted with the biggest trucking trade show of the year, but in case you aren’t, here’s a heads-up: The 2010 Great American Trucking Show will be at the Dallas Convention Center August 26-28, 2010.

Some of the exciting events that will be held during the 12th annual Great American Trucking Show are: the Custom Rigs Pride and Polish Truck Beauty Competition; Educational Seminars sponsored by TMTA; free concerts sponsored by Mobil Delvac; exhibits from leaders in the heavy duty trucking industry and much more.

Win this truck! See it at GATS.

The Custom Rigs’ staff will be on-hand as well, walking the Pride & Polish show area. We’re excited to see what trucks all of you bring to town–and talking with you about customizing.

BTW–don’t forget to find the Big Boss, the sweepstakes giveaway project pickup of our sister magazine, ProPickup. It’s in Booth 17049.

Fill out the registration form for a chance to win this very cool 2010 Ram 2500 4×4! (You can also register online.)– Bruce Smith/Editor