Shawn Carroll is a clean freak, which is no small task, considering he pulls an end dump. But, at 27 years old, Shawn has shown what hard work and a lot of elbow grease (and energy) can do. Coming from a trucking family, Shawn grew up around trucks, riding with his grandfather, Jack, as young as two years old in a car seat. Loving every minute of it, Shawn has always known what he wanted to do since he was a kid, and today, he’s living out that dream.
Born and raised in Colorado, it’s always been about trucks for Shawn. But he wasn’t just dropped into a truck when he could finally drive, he had to earn it – and there is no better way to learn the value of a truck. In high school, his grandparents, uncle and parents set up an arrangement. As long as he performed well in school (and not simply passing grades, but straight A’s), his senior year of high school he, along with his family, would start building the truck he’d go to work in after he graduated. And the truck wasn’t any gem to begin with.
The truck, a 1992 Pete 379, was Shawn’s grandfather’s old road truck, and although Jack certainly hadn’t beat the truck up unnecessarily, miles take their toll on a truck, in one way or another. Stripping the truck down, as Shawn maintained his performance in high school, along with joining the local Penrose Volunteer Fire Department, they rebuilt and converted the road tractor to a tandem dump truck. All the while, on weekends and when time permitted, Shawn was learning to drive from his Grandpa Jack and Uncle John. And, beginning the Monday after Shawn graduated from high school, he went trucking.
Having driven for nine years now, Shawn has always been involved in dump trucking. From aggregate to paving and everything in between, whether it’s a tandem or an end-dump, Shawn has always worked on the “dirty side” of the industry, but that certainly hasn’t kept him from building a cool, clean ride. Shawn’s current ride is the truck you see on these pages – a 2006 Peterbilt 379. Sitting on a 280-inch wheelbase with a 70-inch stand-up sleeper, Shawn has made his current ride not only a hard working rig, but a very good looking one, too.
Shawn’s truck, painted dark silver and maroon, features a 20-inch boxed-end bumper, 7-inch turnout stacks, polished full fenders, and extra Peterbilt boxes between the fuel tanks and fenders. Other features include seven bullet cab lights, a rear light bar featuring fourteen 4-inch LED lights (with an additional four underneath the light bar), a 13.5-inch drop visor, and a Merritt headache rack, painted to match the truck. With over 80 lights on the truck alone, Shawn’s Peterbilt is certainly lit up!
Pulling a quarter-frame aluminum East end-dump, when cleaned up (which is just about always), Shawn’s truck is a shining example of hard work. And the interior is no less impressive than the exterior. Featuring Ultra Low Bostrom Wide Ride tan leather seats, along with chrome gauges and bezels throughout, the truck also has an extended shifter with a chrome tower and shift knob. Always a clean freak, the interior is spic and span, just like the exterior.
Having learned the value of working on his own rig, Shawn has carried that forward in his current ride. Much of the work on the truck Shawn has done himself, with the help of family. Less major mechanical work, maintaining, along with mounting new chrome, has always been something Shawn handles himself, including the cleaning – until the photo shoot.
Wanting a full polish job done before we took our pictures (no one had ever polished or cleaned the truck aside from Shawn himself), Shawn, like all clean freaks, was very particular about the way things were done. Knowing exactly how he wanted it done, Shawn supervised the job and even made sure to remount the hubcaps and lug nut covers himself. But, when you’ve put so much time and effort into your ride, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t be like that. After all, no one will ever clean a truck like its owner!
Living in Penrose, Colorado, Shawn has been involved with the Penrose Volunteer Fire Department (an all-volunteer firefighting crew) since his senior year of high school. Having worked around forest fires and asphalt, we’re sure Shawn can take the heat, whether it’s Mother Nature or a new paving project. Aside from working as a volunteer firefighter, when Shawn isn’t in the truck, he enjoys four-wheeling with his family, and, certainly, spending time with his girlfriend, Brittney.
Ironically, Shawn had known Brittney’s brother, a truck driver, before he even knew Brittney. But now, having dated for two years, she was alongside him throughout the entire photo shoot process. Though she never wants to drive, she certainly supports what Shawn does and is fine with all of the chrome (her only stipulation is that her engagement ring has to cost what the chrome did). Since meeting, Shawn has also become involved with Brittney’s side of the family and their involvement in bull riding.
Hard work has brought Shawn plenty of success, but he also knows it isn’t without others. Shawn would like to thank his family for all of their support in getting where he is today. His father Dale, Mother Cheryl, along with his grandparents and uncle, have all been instrumental in helping him get where he is today. Shawn’s mom and Aunt Ingrid also make sure that all of his tedious paperwork gets handled, as well.
Shawn would also like to extend special thanks to his Grandfather Jack and Grandmother Marie (who originally handled all of Shawn’s bookkeeping) – both have unfortunately passed away, but Shawn is forever grateful for their help getting started. Shawn would also like to thank his girlfriend Brittney for all of her love and support, along with Tinker Raasch, for all she has done for Shawn over the past several years. Professionally, running under J & J Handy Trucking LLC, the operation started by his Grandpa Jack and Uncle John in 1984, Shawn wants to thank Pete Lien & Sons for not only keeping him and his family busy year-round with freight, but for also being a great company to haul for.
We at 10-4 Magazine would like to thank Shawn and Brittney for their time and effort on the photo shoot. Getting up at 3:30 a.m. so they could get to Denver and have the truck polished out before the shoot, Shawn and Brittney pulled out all the stops and got everything just right, and we love seeing that sort of enthusiasm.
Hard work is irreplaceable in this industry, and Shawn is proof of that. At only 27 years old, he’s got a ride anyone would be proud of, and we are sure, with his work ethic, that this won’t be the last time you see or hear about this young man. Being a “clean freak” in itself does not guarantee success, but the dedication and effort needed to accomplish this lofty title certainly speaks volumes about Shawn Carroll and his commitment to excellence – and THAT is an important trait to possess these days if you want to have a long a fruitful career.
