Owner-operator C.G. Soza's 2016 Kenworth W900L 'Always Headed Home'

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Updated Aug 5, 2022

Small fleet owner-operator C.G. Soza, hauling cars out of a home base of Atwater, California, has been through a lot over the last half-decade and more. That includes the death of his young son, A.J., and his wife in a car crash that left him soul-searching in more ways than one. Inspired to build a tribute to their memory, he launched a foundation with his son's name to support children with dyslexia in his area, and an attendant truck show to raise funds to support that effort.

Small fleet owner C.G. SozaSmall fleet owner C.G. SozaAt the second annual A.J. Soza Memorial Truck Show in June, I had the opportunity finally to meet Soza in person and get a close look at his spectacular "Always Headed Home" ultra-custom 2016 Kenworth W900L and 2020 Cottrell 8-car 5308 XL trailer he started building out in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Catch a boatload of views along with Soza's detailed description of the build, prior to launching the truck show in 2021, at the top of this post.)

C.G. Soza's KW w900L and 2020 cottrell trailerThe combination is a matched pair, often garnering "Optimus Prime" comparisons with the color scheme, though it's a Cummins-powered KW through and through.

C.G. Soza's 2016 Kenworth W900L 'Always Headed Home' interiorA fully redone interior extends the paint scheme down to the floor, epoxied to mitigate scratch potential. Note the "Always headed home" moniker painted on the inside of the custom visor.

C.G. Soza's unique mirror bracketsCustom-designed and -built mirror brackets are anchored firmly with one-inch steel tubing, lowering the mirrors themselves eight inches below factory specs, Soza said. They deliver better visibility on-highway, and make clear Soza's goal of stylistic improvement that doesn't sacrifice increased function and performance, safety or otherwise.

Detail of illumination wheel on trailer tandem wheelThis detail shot shows the forward trailer tandem wheel on the driver side, illuminated.

As noted, find plenty more in the video, and stay tuned for Soza's next project truck, mentioned in this podcast conversation with him from early June. 

Read about Soza's car-haul business via Matt Cole's late-2021 comprehensive, multipart feature about the that niche. 

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[Related: California trucking at a crossroads: AB 5, $7 diesel and a special truck show in the offing]

Soza's Kenworth, lit up at night

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