Wayne, Nebraska-based Jeremy Jansen showed his custom-built 2022 Kenworth W990 — a rare model to see on the show truck circuit — at the 2022 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in March.
Jansen, the owner of Rockin Bar J Transport, bought his first truck five years ago and has since grown into a six-truck fleet hauling livestock. He ordered this W990 last year and, after some delays from its original May 2021, delivery date, took delivery Oct. 1.
"My salesman tried to talk me into [the W990] because the W900s were going to be a long time to get in a three-color," Jansen said. "He was like, 'what about a 990?' So I kind of threw together the idea and went down the line, ordered everything line-by-line. It was supposed to have been here in May, then it was July, then it was August, then it was September and it finally got here October 1."
Small fleet owner Jansen's put the rig in service hauling livestock.
Jansen said his previous truck started having problems, and he went to his banker to see what he could get approved to buy to replace it. "I didn't realize I was in the position I was in to order a brand-new truck," he said. "I'd never owned anything brand-new in my life. ... When I started, I didn't have anything. My dad had died, and I paid for all his stuff; no credit, no money, and built it to what I've got now. To have drivers and everything, and a brand-new truck like this, I'm pretty proud of it."
Jansen's fleet runs primarily in the Midwest, South and Southeast.
A friend of Jansen's worked on customizing his interior, which included pulling out the dash and floors and painting them to match the exterior of the truck.
Among custom additions to the W990 are the Herd grille guard on the front, underglow lights, a custom interior (see above) and more. It features a 565-hp Cummins with 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque.
I-29 Custom Truck Parts made the deck plate and added a set of stainless steel double-hump fenders and painted them to match the truck's scheme.
One of the first additions Jansen made to the truck was adding the Herd grille guard.
The back of Jansen's cab features the slogans "Keep Grinding" and "Always chase your dreams," both nods to the growth of his business over the last five years.
