Reader Rigs

Paul Saline's 2009 Kenworth W900L

The truck is powered by a 550-hp Cummins and 3:36 rears.

April 2, 2021

Debbie Desiderato's 2017 Western Star 4900EX

Desiderato bought this 2017 Western Star 4900EX after a neighbor asked if she'd be willing to haul logs for his company during her spare time.

March 19, 2021

Doug Schwartz's 2004 Peterbilt 379

The rig is powered by a 600-hp Cat with an 18-speed. It's used to serve the agriculture industry in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions.

March 5, 2021

20201001 205227

Albert Goyette's 2021 Peterbilt 579

The rig sports a 510-hp Paccar with a 13-speed. Goyette uses the truck for flatbed heavy-hauling (160,000 pounds) in Michigan and northern Indiana.

February 23, 2021

John Gillum's 1987 Peterbilt 379

Despite the similarities in paint scheme, the rig is not a former BJ Hughes truck, Gillum says, as it is red underneath the white and blue paint. He has named the truck "Snakebit," as "it bites me almost every time I work on it," he says.

February 19, 2021

Austin Stocker's 1995 Kenworth W900B

The truck wears many hats, as it is set up to be able to quickly change from a dump truck to a fifth-wheel tractor and hook to a lowboy or side dump, depending on the work. It's powered by a 650-hp Cat 3406E with an 18-speed and 3:90 rears.

February 12, 2021

Todd Brenny's 1977 Peterbilt 352

The rig is powered by a 350-hp Cummins with a 13-speed. It features air-ride, dual factory exhaust and factory air conditioning.

February 9, 2021

Andy Bledsoe's 1997 Freightliner FLD132 Classic XL

The truck sports a 600-hp 12.7-liter 60 Series Detroit with a 13-speed. The engine was originally setup at 430-hp, and it had been rebuilt at some point, Bledsoe says. He had it rebuilt and upgraded to 600-hp.

February 5, 2021

Lynn Heinlen's 2020 Freightliner Coronado

The rig sports a 12.7-liter Detroit and an Eaton 13-speed. Heinlen has added 445/50R22.5 super single tires and stainless half fenders made for the wider rubber.

February 2, 2021

James Grehan's 1999 Kenworth W900L

The rig is powered by a 525-hp Cummins N14 with 1,850 ft.-lbs. of torque. It features stainless-wrapped steps and a custom interior with rosewood floor cabinets and more.

January 29, 2021

Emanuel Haueis' 2019 International LoneStar

He uses the rig to haul mostly frac sand and grain in B-train hopper bottoms in northern and western Canada and the northwestern U.S. In the summer of 2020, he also got into hauling asphalt emulsion in insulated B-train tankers from Alberta to the Yukon.

January 26, 2021

Joe Karsten's 2015 Peterbilt 389

He hauls steel out of Chicago west toward Denver with his 1999 East trailer. Karsten has added double-hump fenders with blind mount brackets from I-29 Custom Truck Parts, a rear inverted light bar from Iowa Customs, and more.

January 22, 2021

Danny Foss' 2019 Peterbilt 389

The rig is powered by a 510-hp Paccar with an 18-speed Eaton. Foss, the owner of Payless Trucking, runs the truck from Bonne Bay to Boston and back.

January 19, 2021

Craig Shannon's 2021 Peterbilt 389

The rig sports a 510-hp Paccar with an 18-speed Eaton. Shannon pulls various types of tank trailers hauling anything from chemicals to cement powder, fuel and, in the winter months, propane.

January 15, 2021

David Pyle's 2007 Peterbilt 379

The rig is powered by a 625-hp Cat C15 with an 18-speed Eaton and 3:55 rears. Custom paint and body work was done by Lone Star Truck and Body in Canyon, Texas. Numerous custom touches were added, along with a frame stretch to 300 inches.

January 12, 2021

Jean-Eudes Bourque's 2018 Peterbilt 389

The rig sports a 510-hp Paccar engine with a 13-speed Eaton and 3:36 rears. Bourque started the customization by lowering the front end with an air ride kit, then installed a 20-inch Valley Chrome bumper with a 12-Gauge Customs lift bumper kit.

January 8, 2021

Michael Bratt’s 2012 Kenworth T660

The rig is powered by a Cummins ISX15 with an Eaton 10-speed. He primarily hauls over-dimensional vehicles and equipment on his 48-foot 2020 Fontaine Revolution step-deck with ramps.

January 5, 2021

Bratt-2021-01-05-09-55

Jason Mooney’s 2020 Peterbilt 567 Heritage company tow truck

The rig is equipped with a Century 1135 rotator that is used for towing, recovery and lifting up to 35 tons. It’s powered by a 605-hp Cummins X15 Performance Series with an Eaton-Fuller 18-speed.

December 22, 2020

Mooney-2020-12-22-09-05

Page 1 of 38

Man eating inside restaurant

Truck stop is part of Alaska's backcountry history

Coldfoot Camp and the Dalton Highway, which runs past it, have ties to development of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and, more recently, the popular "Ice Road Truckers" TV series.

The independent trucker we will not go away protest sign

Owner-ops aren't company drivers for a reason

Trooper at computer watching truck cross scales inspections

Roadcheck: Do blitz announcements do any good?

Truckers parked on get-on ramps out of rest areas given a lack of adequate designated space available is an ever-more-common sight on the highways today.

What's at stake for truck parking advocates, states in federal funding

Garmin dēzl™ OTR1000 10" GPS Truck Navigator

Garmin dēzl™ OTR1000 10" GPS Truck Navigator

Owner-ops aren't company drivers for a reason

More episodes »

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators

Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2021 edition of Partners in Business.

Partners in Business Issue Cover