Life of a Trucker, No. 19: Trucker Mathew Jones under the microscope

Nov 10, 2015

Updated Nov 18, 2017

Randy Menkel and Never Satisfied Builds/J&L Contracting took home top honors in the 2026 Big Rig Build-Off at the Mid-America Trucking Show with their full-custom 1985 Peterbilt 359.

PKY results: Never Satisfied Builds' 1985 Peterbilt 359 captures big Build-Off win

Dozens of other trucks were recognized in a variety of categories, including Limited Mileage Bobtail and Combo, Working Bobtail and Combo, and many more.

Enter your own or another deserving owner's business (up to 3 trucks) in Overdrive's 2026 Trucker of the Year competition via this link.

Trucker of the Year John Penn honored at MATS among owner-op peers

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy talks to Overdrive ahead of his speech at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Both FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs and Duffy walked among the show attendees, answering questions off the cuff and vowing major change.

DOT's Duffy: 'Spot rates are going to go up' as FMCSA cracks down on fraudsters

Never Satisfied Builds brought this custom 1985 Peterbilt 359 for its entry in the MATS Big Rig Build-Off. Sitting on a 320-inch wheelbase, the truck boasts a 650-hp 5EK Cat with an 18-speed and a 4-speed auxiliary and 3.70 rears.

Early scenes from MATS: Custom trucks put on a show

FMCSA announces major investigations at freight fraud panel

Overdimensional permitting: Will there ever be a truly national system?

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Pride & Polish

Overdrive’s annual Pride & Polish virtual truck show attracts entries from across the nation showcasing show-quality design, mechanical ingenuity and plenty of trucking-business pride. Find recent-history awards shows, in-depth features about the winners, and more.