Robert and Kathy Cass own this 2006 Peterbilt 379, “Sweet Satisfaction.” The couple, leased to Quality Carriers, hauls liquid soap on a dedicated run for Unilever.Owner-operators Robert and Kathy Cass bought their 2006 Peterbilt 379 in 2015 to be an everyday work truck, but shortly after they bought it, the couple decided to make it into a part-time show truck as well.
The truck is nicknamed “Sweet Satisfaction” due to the circumstances that led the couple to buying this particular rig. Robert says he and Kathy had another truck they had recently agreed to purchase, and were heading back to their home base in Missouri from California when the truck’s owner told them his brother-in-law was going to buy it from underneath them.
“We had that truck all fixed up,” Robert says. “We took it from nothing like we have with this one and put our heart and soul into it. We took a load out to California and he asked when we’d be home and told us to stop at a drop yard. We got there, and it was ripped out from underneath us. It was tough in more ways than one – mentally, financially, everything you could think tough.”
Robert and Kathy Cass, along with their son, Michael, have done most of the upgrades to the truck since they bought it three years ago. Kathy says Michael is just as much a part of the truck as they are.After overcoming that setback, the couple found their current truck in Maryland and Kathy came up with the “Sweet Satisfaction” moniker as a nod to landing the new rig after losing the other.
Since buying the truck, the couple has had it repainted from a darker granite red to a little brighter ruby red. The dash and the cabinets in the sleeper are also painted to match the exterior. Robert says the previous owner ran the truck hard and took minimal care of it. He says it needed the paint job and other cosmetic work, as well as catching back up on maintenance. They have done a lot of the work on the truck themselves, along with their son, Michael.
Under the hood, the truck sports a 550-horsepower Cat with an 18-speed on a 280-inch wheelbase. It features 8-inch straight stacks, a 14-inch bowtie drop visor, a 22-inch box end bumper and plenty of chrome inside and out.
Future upgrades to the truck include new straps on the fuel tanks, a new paint job, new stacks and more. The Cass’ have been able to continue upgrading the truck with the help of their sponsors, Roll Cool Customs, D.A.K. Chrome and Bells & Whistles Chrome Shop.
The year they bought the truck, they entered the TopGun Large Car Shootout truck show in Rantoul, Ill., and brought home a second-place trophy. Robert says the recognition was something they weren’t expecting from their first show.
“It shocked us [the truck] took second place,” he says. “After that, we said all we can do is keep going.”
They then entered the truck in the Truckers Jamboree in Joplin, Mo., where it took home a first place and a Best of Show award.
The dash of the rig is dotted with chrome gauges, and it is painted to match the exterior of the truck.While the couple enjoys showing the truck at truck shows, their true passion lies with the Special Olympics Convoy that accompanies the Joplin Jamboree.
“The convoy was one of those things we got into because it was something to help out the Special Olympics to help with the kids and it snowballed from there,” Robert says. “Kathy started a raffle last year as a fundraiser, and all the money we raise from that goes to the Special Olympics.”
The Cass’, based in Crocker, Mo., are leased to Quality Carriers and haul a dedicated load of liquid soap for Unilever out of Jefferson City, Mo.
