This profile is part of a multi-part series in which Overdrive is publishing stories on the five Pride & Polish Best of Show winners from the 2018 Great American Trucking Show in August.
Robbie and Shelly Basse, owners of Hinton, Oklahoma-based Basse LLC, bought this unique 2016 Kenworth W900 Icon two years ago after Shelly saw it, loved the color and said she wanted the rig. As it turns out, this truck is the only baby blue Icon that Kenworth produced, giving the truck its moniker, “Baby Blue.”
With the polished aluminum 2016 Fontaine Infinity step deck in tow, it’s hard to believe both truck and trailer are working full time, hauling equipment and axles out to the West Coast and bringing wind energy turbines back to the Midwest. Robbie said wind energy sites such as oilfield locations are off-road, so keeping the trailer shining while working the show truck circuit full time is difficult.
After purchasing the truck, the Basses added stainless-steel deck plates and fenders, 8-inch Dynaflex stacks and more. Under the hood is a 550-hp Cummins with an 18-speed and 3:36 rears. The truck sits on a 280-inch wheelbase.
Robbie said he wants the truck to be seen as a positive image for the trucking industry.
Robbie and Shelly Basse’s 2016 Kenworth W900 Icon earned Best of Show honors in the Working Combo category at the Great American Trucking Show Pride & Polish in August. (Photo by Jim Allen/365Trucking.com)
The rig is the only W900 Icon that came from the factory with a baby blue paint job.
The Basses have added a stainless steel deck plate and stainless fenders to the truck.
Despite being a working truck and trailer, the Basses keep the Fontaine Infinity step deck polished as much as possible. Robbie says that hauling wind turbines, axles and more makes it a challenge to keep polished.
