Taylorsville, North Carolina-based Michael Gerber showed off this standout 1999 Kenworth W900 at the 2023 Mayberry Truck Show in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.
This year wasn't the truck's first time at the show, as it placed third in the "Top Notch 10" category for trucks based in North Carolina and Virginia at the 2022 event.
Gerber, the owner of Elite Transfer LLC, has been driving trucks for 25 years and has been an owner-operator for the last five years. He started out in business moving flatbed freight, but he recently shifted the operation to reefer for a company local to him.
Gerber is the second owner of this 1999 Kenworth W900. The original owner drove it until he retired, then Gerber found it at his mechanic when looking to buy a second truck.Video and photos by Lawson Rudisill
Gerber noted his mechanic did all the custom work on the rig, including a new bumper, lights, stacks and more. "It looked horrible when I walked into the shop. A lot of parts were off of it, but man, they did an exceptional job," he said.
Gerber said the interior of the truck is still all original. The original owner, he said, "took exceptionally good care of it, so really the interior didn't need anything."
Under the hood? A 600-hp Caterpillar C16 with an 18-speed. Gerber said he's "enjoying the big power on it."
Gerber noted that he doesn't have a name for the truck himself, but given the canary yellow paint scheme, his mechanic calls the rig "Tweety Bird."
This year wasn't the truck's first time at the show, as it placed third in the "Top Notch 10" category for trucks based in North Carolina and Virginia at the 2022 event, and he showed the plaque in the windshield at this year's show. Next to the plaque is a little piece of home. The stuffed puppy was a Father's Day gift from his 6-year-old daughter.
[Related: Georgia-based small fleet's 2000 Peterbilt 379]
Catch plenty more views of the truck in the video up top. For more videos and custom-equipment features delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive's weekly Custom Rigs newsletter via this link.
Michael Gerber: My name is Michael Gerber. I'm from Taylorsville, North Carolina. I love coming up to this show because it's nice and local and it goes for a good cause.
I got my own company, it's called Elite Transfer. I've been driving for 25 years, but about five years ago, I said I'm going to go out on my own. So this is my second truck. I started doing flatbed for five years, and now currently I'm just pulling for a local company, pulling their reefer trailers.
It's a 1999 W900 Kenworth, obviously. It's got an 18-speed in it, and it has the C16 cat, which is 600 horsepower stock. I'm enjoying the big power on it. I bought it off my mechanic. They had done a lot of work to it. I'm actually the second owner of the truck. The first guy, he was older. He retired and just let it sit, and then my mechanic got ahold of it.
It looked horrible when I walked into the shop. A lot of parts were off of it, but man, they did an exceptional job. Put new bumper, new lights, new stacks, just a ton of work into it, and I really appreciate everything that he's done.
She's an old girl, just cleans up okay. The interior is like it was from factory, which is amazing, from 1999, that's almost 24 years ago. The guy took exceptionally good care of it, so really the interior didn't need anything. Well, it's not the biggest one (sleeper). I think it's a 72 inch, but it's comfortable, come with a refrigerator. Next time, if I'm looking for a truck again, it's got to have a fridge in it.
I don't have a nickname for it. The grease monkey, if I may call him that at the mechanic shop, he calls it "Tweety Bird."
That little puppy that you see up in my windshield there, that come from my youngest daughter, Marissa, she's six years old. I got that for Father's Day this year, and it says number one dad on it. My children love my job, and my wife, they're great with what I do. They're supportive, and I always like to take a piece of my house along with me when I'm on the job.
So last year I got third place for the locals. I decided to display it in my windshield this year, just a proud moment for me.
