Whether you pull dry vans, reefers or flatbeds, or are involved in a more specialized niche, there are typically several options when it comes to your trailer's manufacturer.
For Cleveland, Tennessee-based Southern Transport, a 10-truck car-hauling fleet that operates within about a 350-mile radius of Chattanooga, their decision came down to Cottrell or Lohr.
Southern Transport driver Clint Howard, who was showing his custom 2020 Peterbilt 389 at the Large Cars & Guitars show at Bristol Motor Speedway this spring, explained why the fleet chose Lohr: the galvanized metal construction.
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For Howard, it's the rust resistance of the metal, and that “you don’t have to Slip Plate nothing,” he said, that sets the trailer apart. Both qualities help “keep the trucks real clean, and you don’t have Slip Plate dripping all over the trailers and trucks.”Video and photos by Lawson Rudisill
Slip Plate is a dry graphite lubricant often used to lubricate moving parts on car-haul trailers.
“Everybody’s got their preferences, but we’re a Lohr team, not a Cottrell,” Howard said. “Big difference in them.”
Clint Howard
Howard has been driving for Southern Transport and owner Chris Pendergrass for nine years. They bought the 2020 Peterbilt 389 Howard runs new, picking it up when it had just 107 miles on it. It's coupled with a Lohr EVO 80 head rack and stinger setup. At the time, Howard struggled to adjust to it.
“I was going back to Birmingham to get a load in it Monday,” he said. “About totaled it the first day.” It had “been a long time since I’ve been in a stinger” at the time. He first drove one in 1999 and there was “a big difference from ’99 to 2020.”
He said he nearly lost control of it that first day. “That scared me, and I was about to call [Pendergrass] and say, ‘Hey, let’s just take it back and get our money back.’ But I got used to it. It’s a good truck,” he said.
It was painted a plain cream-and-white scheme when the fleet bought it, while the trailer was Viper Blue. Southern Transport added Viper Blue fenders, put on a 12 Ga. Customs bumper and drop visor, and rock guards and the chrome duck hood ornament from Raney’s Truck Parts.
The unit also features 150 Trux Dual Revolution lights that change from amber to blue.
The 389's powered by a 510-hp Paccar MX-13 with an 18-speed Eaton.
Southern Transport nicknamed the rig “Patriot” after the fleet’s colors: red, white and blue. “All our trucks are red, white and blue except for one Western Star we have that’s still blue and white,” Howard said. “We’re just going with the American flag theme.”
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Clint Howard: It's a 2020 389 Pete with a ‘21 head track and trailer from Lohr North America out of Lincoln, Alabama. It was one of their last EVO 80s. A lot of people run the Cottrell head rack and trailers. We like the Lohr's because you don't have to Slip Plate, and it keeps the trucks real clean. You don't have all that Slip Plate dripping all over the trailers and the truck.
All the metal is galvanized, so there's no bare metal. It's all galvanized, so it don't rust. And that's why you don't have to Slip Plate, because the galvanized is used as the Slip Plate on them. I mean, everybody's got their preferences, but we're a Lohr team, not a Cottrell. Big difference in them.
I'm Clint Howard with Southern Transport out of Cleveland, Tennessee. We're a small car-hauling fleet. We got 10 trucks, and we transport cars 350-mile radius around Chattanooga, Tennessee. Yeah. Height is a big obstacle for us. It's hard to get down below 13-6 hauling any kind of vehicles. Our normal height this 14-2, 14-3, in that area. So it gets a little complicated. Plenty of them get took off. Luckily we've been doing this for, I’ve been with Chris Pendergrass for nine years, and we've not had a car decapitated yet, so that's good.
Got the truck, it was just plain. It was all the cream-color white. The head rack and trailer was Viper Blue. We added the Viper Blue fenders, put, I think that’s a 12 Gauge Customs bumper, got the rock guards off of Raney’s, drop visor from 12 Gauge Customs. The little duck we got from Raney’s. Got 150 Dual Revolution lights that go amber to blue.
That's about all the extras we've done to it so far. Four years in the making getting it this far.
We picked it up on a Thursday, had 107 miles on it. I was going back to Birmingham to get a load in it Monday. About totaled it the first day. Been a long time since I've been in a stinger. Scared me and I was about to call him and say, hey, let's just take it back, get our money back. But I got used to it. It's a good truck now.
