For the exterior paint, Malmgren says, “I wanted something flashy, color-wise, something that people could see.” He worked with an artist three days straight trying to find something that worked, and the resulting PPG paint combination is his favorite part of the truck.
Wes Malmgren handcrafted his truck’s interior and dash himself. Part of the challenge was getting it to mirror the exterior – no easy chore, he says.Wes Malmgren was just a child when his dad, Bruce, founded Malmgren Trucking in Aurora, Utah, which started as a one-truck operation. It’s since become a flatbed fleet that hauls steel from Salt Lake City to Southern California.
“I went to college, got back and started helping out,” the younger Malmgren says of the business. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Along the way he picked up another ambition, too. Malmgren says he’s seen lots of show trucks and made mental notes of treatments he liked. In 2006, when he came across a 2004 Peterbilt 379 smashed up from an accident, he was able to put the notes to good use.
Working from the family’s company headquarters, Malmgren, his dad and his brother built it anew. They started with cutting off the 70-inch sleeper and closing off the top with a 48-inch flattop. They rebuilt its 525-hp Caterpillar. Now the Pete is the well-dressed rebel among the 32-truck fleet of more refined workhorses.
