New fuel locking device prevents theft and vandalizing; 30-second easy installation

Diesel Fuel is expensive. There has been a short reprieve and now it is once again on the rise. With higher fuel prices comes an increase in the risk of fuel theft. Our product, The Fuel Lock is the only totally secure way of preventing fuel theft and/or sabotage.

The Fuel Lock was designed by a trucker for trucker’s. After having the misfortune to be victimized, Doug Adolph tried other locking devices available on the market only to find that those products were easily destroyed, allowing him to be victimized once again. He decided that there must be a way to design a product to address these issues and The Fuel Lock is the result of his determination.

Through careful design and precise manufacturing practices, using premium grade steel, the latest equipment (computerized laser cutting, robotic welding, together with our own powder coating process which exceeds industry standards) we are able to provide the consumer with the highest quality in the industry.

This product is the leading edge and is unsurpassed as we only use Timbren Industries of Canada’s engineers, draftsmen, design staff, welders and fabrication personnel.

The Fuel Lock comes in a variety of sizes, fitting filler necks with a diameter of 2½ inches, 3 inches, 3½ inches, 4 inches and 4½ inches and includes a high security cylinder lock complete with a protective weather cap and lanyard that holds 600 lbs. pressure and is made of UV resistant polyethylene.

This weather cap is designed to help protect the high security cylinder lock against the harshest weather.

Installation of The Fuel Lock is simple, takes less than 30 seconds and only requires a 7” clearance around the cap.

The Fuel Lock is placed over the filler neck of a fuel tank and the left and right sides are brought together to a closed position, the two parts of the cylinder lock form a complete lock receiver that accepts the high security cylinder lock to be inserted and locked with a key.

Once locked, it eliminates the removal of the fuel cap and cannot be tampered with.

The newest addition to The Fuel Lock line is an in-ground storage lock. Using the same basic design on a much larger scale, this lock can prevent large storage containers from being vandalized and pilfered.

The Fuel Lock is ideal for Smaller Trucks, Transport Trucks, Refrigeration Trucks, Construction Equipment, Farm Equipment and Underground Storage Tanks.

Fuel theft is a theft of opportunity! Prevent this from happening to YOU! Purchase The Fuel Lock today by visiting www.TheFuelLock.com or by calling toll free 1-866-990-3835.

DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH YOUR CAPS OFF AND YOUR TANKS DRY!

NEW MIG GUNS FOR CUSTOM JOBS

Tregaskiss MIG guns meet demands of light- to heavy-duty applications

• Options available for light- to heavy-duty applications
• Complimentary value-added feature
• 180- to 650-amp models available
• Air-cooled and water-cooled versions

WINDSOR, Ontario. May 20, 2010—To meet the demands of welding applications ranging from light- to heavy-duty, Tregaskiss offers two brands: TOUGH GUN^™ MIG Guns and TGX^™ MIG Guns.

Both MIG guns feature Tregaskiss’ exclusive TOUGH LOCK^™ Retaining Heads with Dual Taper Technology, a tapered design that locks the contact tip securely in place and keeps it centered to provide consistent weld quality.

TOUGH GUN MIG Guns are designed specifically for welding on heavy-duty applications, including those with extended arc-on times and ones in harsh or abusive environments.

These MIG guns have value-added features such as: a unique Double-Life MIG Gun System, which can cut annual MIG gun replacement in half and a lifetime warranty on handles and triggers.

TOUGH GUN MIG Guns can also be customized with goosenecks, accessories, special triggers and consumables. Tregaskiss offers the MIG guns in 350 amp, 450 amp, 550 amp and 650 amp air-cooled models, and 400 amp and 600 amp water-cooled models.

They are available in cable lengths ranging from 10 to 25 feet or in custom lengths. Customers can use the new Tregaskiss’ TOUGH GUN Configurator: www.tregaskiss.com/configurator, to customize their MIG gun.

For light- to medium-duty welding applications, Tregaskiss designed its TGX MIG Guns, which are available in 180, 260, 300 and 400 amp models.

The TGX Guns work well for welding thinner materials and on applications with short arc times, including hobby applications or repair and maintenance jobs requiring tacking or shorter length welds.

For light- to medium-duty welding applications, Tregaskiss designed its TGX MIG Guns, which are available in 180, 260, 300 and 400 amp models.

These MIG guns have a standard duty gooseneck insulator and nozzle along with a polymer-armored gooseneck. The guns are available in 10, 12 and 15 feet cable lengths.

For more information on Tregaskiss Products, call 1-877-737-3111 or fax 1-877-737-2111 in Canada & USA, write Tregaskiss, 2570 North Talbot Road, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N0R 1L0, email info@tregaskiss.com or visit Tregaskiss.com. Internationally, call +1-519-737-3000 or fax +1-519-737-2111.

Tregaskiss is an industry leader in the development and manufacturing of MIG welding guns and peripherals, and offers its products worldwide. Its brands include TOUGH GUN^™ Manual, Robotic MIG Guns and Peripherals, TGX^™ MIG Guns and TOUGH GARD^™ Anti-Spatter.

Tregaskiss is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), Glenview, Ill. ITW is a diversified multinational manufacturer of highly engineered components, assemblies and systems.

Widowmaker, Decepticon Motormaster, and Freshly Squeezed among the big winners at Custom Rigs annual 75 Chrome Shop truck beauty show in Wildwood

For the 12th year in a row some of the top custom rigs in the country made their way along Interstate 75 this past weekend to 75 Chrome Shop just north of Wildwood, Florida, where they competed in the first of five Custom Rigs’ Pride & Polish truck beauty shows to be held this year from coast to coast.

Clint Dicks' Pete looked just as fine after dark as it did in daylight.

Those attending the two-day event were treated to some really special custom rigs including Dennis Chupron’s Widowmaker, a wicked-looking, black/green ‘04  379 Pete dump combo out of the Clean Slate Environmental camp in Hebron, CT.

Travis Lyons’ showed off  his beautifully restored and mean-sounding ’80’s-era Kenworth K100E  out of Kingsport, TN, known as Decepticon Motormaster from the popular Transformer series.

Both trucks won big at the 75 Chrome Shop show. So did others who rolled in to the Custom Rigs event.

Travis Lyons' Decepticon Motormaster K100E

Clint Dicks’ refurbished orange/white 2000 Pete 379 (above), Freshly Squeezed, rolled in from his CDT Trucking facility in Lake City, Florida, pulling a matching flatbed to win a number of Pride & Polish honors including Firsts in Working Combo 2000-2007 and Interior-OEM Sleeper, and Seconds in both Engine and Custom Paint.

CDT company drivers, Jeff Hyde, Tommy Doty, Scott Levance and Alfredo Paz also took awards back to the corporate headquarters.

To see the winners with their trophies, click HERE. Check back with us as we’ll be adding video interviews and special features from Pride & Polish 75 Chrome Shop 2010 over the next few weeks! –

South Carolina Truck Show

Charleston, South Carolina, home to beautiful beaches and great American history, will be the site for the NAST/South Carolina Truck Show. The event is being held this June 25 and 26 at the Faith Assembly of God Church, 337 Farmington Road, Exit 199 off I-26. All proceeds going to missions work.

The South Carolina Truck Show will showcase the latest in trucking technology and equipment. Recruiters will be on hand for those seeking employment opportunities in the transportation industry.

Show trucks will be on display and trucks of all kinds will be competing for prizes in a truck “beauty contest.” Awards will be presented based on overall appearance, paint, murals, graphics, lighting, cab interior and more. A special light show competition, great fun for the entire family, is set for the night of June 25.

The South Carolina Truck Show is a part of the National Association of Show Trucks (NAST), an organization dedicated to encourage, support and promote activities related to the trucking industry by showing pride in trucks and truck operations, and to ensure uniformity, commonality and fairness in all competitive truck events.

On hand at the South Carolina Truck Show to help with all the festivities will be Lowboy Lucas, founder and star of American Trucking Report (ATR), a television program which airs live each Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on WLCN TV 18 – High-Definition Television in Charleston, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Truck Show will be broadcast on WLCN TV 18, Charleston’s Premiere TV station, and will be streamed via the Internet around the world.

Special room rates are available at the nearby Holiday Inn Express ($69.95), 843-875-3000; Days Inn ($51.95), 843-797-1214; and Best Western Magnolia Inn & Suites ($60.00), 843-553-8888. Ask for Truck Show Rates when making reservations.

For more information on the South Carolina Truck Show, call 843-376-2418 or e-mail dr.fry@wlcn.tv.

South Carolina Truck Show

Charleston, SC hosts truck show  June 25 and 26

Charleston, SOuth Carolina, home to some of the most beautiful beaches and great American history, will be the site for the South Carolina Truck Show. The event is being held this June 25 and 26 at the Faith Assembly of God Church, 337 Farmington Road, Exit 199 off I-26.

Faith Assembly of God Church is hosting the event, with all proceeds going to missions work.

The event will showcase the latest in trucking technology and equipment. Recruiters will be on hand for those seeking employment opportunities in the transportation industry.

Show trucks will be on display and trucks of all kinds will be competing for prizes in a truck “beauty contest.” Awards will be presented based on overall appearance, paint, murals, graphics, lighting, cab interior and more. A special light show competition, great fun for the entire family, is set for the night of June 25.

The South Carolina Truck Show is a part of The National Association of Show Trucks (NAST), an organization dedicated to encourage, support and promote activities related to the trucking industry by showing pride in trucks and truck operations, and to ensure uniformity, commonality and fairness in all competitive truck events.

On hand at the South Carolina Truck Show to help with all the festivities will be Lowboy Lucas, founder and star of American Trucking Report (ATR), which airs live each Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on WLCN TV 18 – High-Definition Television in Charleston, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Truck Show will be broadcast on Charleston’s Premiere TV station and will be streamed via Internet around the world.

Special room rates are available at the nearby Holiday Inn Express ($69.95), 843-875-3000; Days Inn ($51.95), 843-797-1214; and Best Western Magnolia Inn & Suites ($60.00), 843-553-8888. Ask for Truck Show Rates when making reservations.

For more information on the South Carolina Truck Show, call 843-376-2418 or e-mail dr.fry@wlcn.tv.

Rolling glider kits coming soon from First Class Services

By Todd Dills  (Updated 1/20/10)

Want a new Peterbilt 389  with a few custom touches of your own choosing but with a pre-2007 engine and drivetrain? Kentucky’s First Class Services custom shop is preparing the roll-out of custom-built “rolling glider kits.”

Company president Randy Stroup says their customized gliders will allow owner-operators  and fleets “to go out and buy an ’06 engine and transmission and build current production model 389. It’s not a tricked-out deal, but it delivers some awesome options to these owner-operators and fleet owners.”

The rolling glider kits will realize a substantial savings over the cost of a new truck, and with First Class performing the build, “you can order it just the way you want it,” Stroup says. “We’ll have different color paint schemes on them” – and a lot more, to be sure.

They’re focusing specifically on the Peterbilt 389 for these, and  currently have one finished, which they slipped in to show at Mid-America and have another near completion in their shop. Stroup says both gliders have a 48-inch sleeper and a 280-inch wheelbase.

Undoubtedly they will be showing off their new offerings at the major truck shows in 2010. And we’ll keep an eye out as well so we can show you what the second customized “glider” looks like when it’s finished.  If you want to learn more, visit http://firstclassservices.com.

The Custom Rigs 2010 calendars are hot off the press and ready to grace the walls of trucker’s shops, sleepers and offices. Just go to Lulu.Com to check ‘em out.

There are presently four calendars to choose from and all are printed on heavy calendar stock with spiral binding so they will look great and last the year with ease. Web preview feature allows you to see the trucks that grace this calendar’s pages.

Custom Rigs 2010 Trucks 1 calendar is a collection of what we think are great examples of both show trucks and working rigs and features several of the custom rigs shown on the magazine’s 2009 covers.

Aficionados of customized big rigs will find the Custom Big Rigs 2010 Volume II calender  a favorite for shop, office or home. The photography captures the essence of what makes a “custom rig” be it a working-class truck or a show truck.

Custom Rigs 2010 : Bobtails & More 2010 calendar features has a dozen of the bobtails and other trucks shown in Custom Rigs pages during 2009. They range from classic bobtails to rat-rod customs. if you love big rigs, you’ll love this calendar!

Custom Rig’s “Class of 2010″ Calendar is a larger edition and features “Big rigs like you’ve never seen before as seen through the eyes of the photographers at Custom Rigs magazine,” says editor Bruce W. Smith. “These are fine examples of the best custom big rigs in the country.”

Look for more special calendars and photo books coming from the editors of Custom Rigs magazine in 2010.

Louisiana Aggregate Hauler Depends on Kenworth W900S for Reliability, Quality Image

WESTWEGO, La., Jan. 18, 2010 – While southeastern Louisiana continues rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, aggregate hauler Jay’s Trucking, in Westwego, La., has accelerated its purchases of Kenworth trucks while phasing out less durable brands in its fleet.

As a primary hauler on many big construction projects, Jay’s Trucking has built a solid reputation for dependability on the jobsite where reliability and uptime are critical.

To help maintain the company’s hard-earned status among primary contractors, Jay’s owner A.J. Phillip Jr. purchased 15 new Kenworth trucks in 2008.

“We had the first W900S trucks in New Orleans, all with automatic transmissions,” said Phillip, who spec’d his Kenworth W900S tri-axle dumps with set-forward axles, Hendrickson HMX suspensions, Cummins ISM 385-hp engines and Allison transmissions.

“The tri-axles allow Jay’s trucks to gross out at 67,000 lbs. and maximize payloads,” said Bryan Bruno, sales manager for Kenworth of South Louisiana, who helped spec the trucks.

To pull Jay’s larger trailer dumps, Phillip prefers the Kenworth W900L with Cummins ISX 475-hp engine, Kenworth AG400 suspension, and 13- and 10-speed transmissions. “The trailer trucks gross out at 88,000 lbs. pulling 30-foot tri-axle aluminum trailers,” said Bruno. “Tri-axles are pretty much all haulers use in this part of the country.”

Since 2005, construction in and around New Orleans has been ongoing — from shoring up levees to reconstructing major roadways such as the twin spans on U.S. Interstate 10 that were wiped out during the storm. With so much construction going on, Phillip said the most important thing he needs from his dump trucks is day-in and day-out reliability.

Currently, Jay’s Trucking is working on two giant construction projects: the Huey P. Long Bridge widening project, and a huge pumping station being built by the Kiewit Construction Company. Between all the construction and federal response that has come to New Orleans as a result of Katrina, Jay’s growing fleet of 24 trucks stays extremely busy. With trucks on the road from dawn till dusk, Phillip puts a premium on the quality image that his equipment and drivers project to the community.

“We have an image to uphold,” he said. “When we go to a jobsite, I want our trucks to look good because they represent the type of work we provide. When a customer needs us, we show up on time. We don’t break down and that’s why we’re successful.

“It’s also why we operate Kenworth trucks,” he continues. “They’re extremely reliable and Kenworth of South Louisiana takes care of us day or night. If we have an issue of any kind, my dealer jumps right on it and it’s taken care of right now. Kenworth service is second to none. That makes all the difference to us.”

Being in the magazine biz is just like the trucking biz: If you slack off even for a moment the bills don’t get paid and your competitors get the upper hand. Not going to happen around here. Its pedal to the metal!

As we roll into 2010, leaving ‘09 in our mirrors, the editorial road ahead looks really good.

I’m sitting here working on the final version of our March issue, which is the first of the year for us. You’re going to find some great articles and some really cool custom rigs in the pages, plus coverage of several  events that closed out last season’s truck show circuit.  Of course, we’ve got how-to articles and a lot of new products for 2010 mentioned as well. Be on the lookout for the new issue–or subscribe so you don’t miss it.

While you’re waiting for the printed version of Custom Rigs, did you know we’re continually updating the content on the web site? New features, news, how-to, videos, and other items most of you will find entertaining or helpful are being added every week.

Always check out the “Community” section as that’s where our tech forums and and news pages are located. New Products is updated several times a week as well.

You’ll find it helpful to take a few extra minutes once a week to browse through the menu tabs across the top of the Home page–then check out the drop-down sections; oft times we’ll have new articles in there that may not be mentioned on the Home page!

The constant updating of our web site  is part of our quest to keep Custom Rigs the go-to website (and magazine) when it comes to anything related to truckers who take pride in their ride!

Vintage rig restorer finds perfect match with Minimizer poly fenders

Kelley Burch of Leoti, Kansas is a Minimizer independent distributor. He’s restored several vintage over-the-road trucks with his latest job being a 1968 Model 358 Peterbilt. Formally yellow and green, Burch had it painted to his custom specs, added a needle nose to it and restored it down to the frame. “This is just a hobby for me, I’ve never been an over the road trucker. My father was. I just like older trucks,” said Kelley.

As a final touch Burch added Minimizer poly fenders, the MIN 2480 The Texas Double in a liquid platium finish. “I can’t get over how good these look on the truck. It’s a beautiful finish,” Burch says.

This also helps Burch as a Minimizer distributor. He gets to show off the product. “I have several trucks and each one has a set of Minimizer poly fenders,” Burch says. “When I run to the elevator or around town I get questions and I hand them a catalog. A lot of farmers around here use them, it’s a quality product.”

Since inception Minimizer poly fenders have always been unique, they don’t rust. The material they’re constructed from is 100% polyethylene. As a result, they don’t need paint, they never fade or stress crack and you don’t have to polish them, the company says.

Minimizer poly fenders will enhance the performance and look of all makes and models of over the road trucks, construction vehicles, or agriculture equipment. And now, Kellknow they’re a perfect match for protecting vintage trucks and making them look even better.

Minimizer poly fenders and related products are available through exclusive Minimizer distributors.