History in his grasp with 1978 W900A on '96 Dodge chassis, '46 Brockway, more: Adam Johnson

K&D Transport third-generation owner/manager Adam Johnson in this Overdrive Radio edition narrates the beginnings of his grandfather’s time trucking with a 1946 Brockway he purchased without the seats to save a little on the price. It was a different time, and Johnson’s grandfather was back from World War II, where he was a POW for 18 months, Johnson said, a story he told in part during our recent profile of K&D Transport as a semi-finalist in Overdrive's Small Fleet Championship this year. 

Subscribe to the podcast on your listening platform of choice for early access to the weekly In today's edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, we pick up the parts of K&D Transport’s history we simply couldn't get to in that business feature. The 14-truck fleet has quite a story, particularly with regard to moves over the last decade that have cemented its current mix of flatbed freight. Yet there’s more to Johnson than straight-up business. Or, rather, there are other aspects to the breadth and depth of his businesses that are well worthy of attention.

He's increasingly established himself in the custom-truck world with Johnson Hill Customs (also offering general maintenance and repair services to local outfits) in addition to maintaining the K&D fleet. In the podcast, too, you’ll hear a man with a sharp eye for details to help build pride and dedication among the team, saving and making money all the while.

Along the way, details about a '46 Brockway restoration he's got up his sleeve as tribute to his fleet's history. Likewise: His seven-year-old son's rig, a 1978 Kenworth W900A body Johnson used to build what amounts to a Frankenstein'ed pickup on a '90s Dodge chassis. 

His and other custom KW owners' sons had a quite a blast with it before, during and after Kenworth's big 100th-anniversary truck parade earlier this year. It's pictured here in the foreground with Johnson's personal rig, a 1994 W9.