Jesse Angel (26) of Turlock, California, is rollin’ in style in this brand new Peter car! Jesse is a young and determined kid just starting out. After dreaming of owning his own truck since he was just a kid, his dream finally came true and he is now the proud owner of a new “simply red” Peterbilt 389 heavy hauler. Jesse’s family owns and operates Angel’s Lowbed, which does the same thing that Jesse now does, but he runs a different trailer – the big boy stuff.
Jesse started driving dump trucks at about 13 years old on back roads with his dad at his side. It’s always cool to learn from someone that raises you and supports you all the way until you begin your own career. These days, Jesse will haul loads anywhere and anytime, if the pay is good (like most successful owner-operators, I would assume). Jesse did something most young people would never imagine doing – he sold his house to buy this new truck! He wanted it that bad, and believed in himself enough to make this big of a commitment. But, since this was his life-long dream, it was not a hard decision for him to make.
The truck is a 2017 Peterbilt 389 with a 600-hp Cummins, an 18-speed, 46,000-lb. rears, and a double frame, from front to back, along with a set of full lockers. Pulling a 1980 Murray 16-tire Expando lowbed trailer that almost looks new, Jesse had it painted red to match his new ride. The back end of the Murray can expand to ten feet wide when hauling a really heavy load. When expanded, it spreads the weight to the outside and allows the trailer to be more flexible. Rackley Trailers rebuilt the neck of the trailer and replaced a few cross-members and air-lines, and then sprayed the new red paint.
This feature really inspired me to do more and thank a lot of people for what they have done for me. Jesse, being only 26 years old and selling his house to buy a $200,000+ piece of machinery, hoping that it will do good, made a really big investment and leap of faith – a lot of people would not have had the courage to make a deal like this, because they are not determined and/or confident enough to do what it takes to make their dreams come true. But, like some say, “You gotta risk it for the biscuit!”
Jesse’s first load was very fitting – the old heavy haul 1949 Peterbilt seen here! Picking it up for our friend Dirk Aschwanden on a Sunday morning from a friend’s yard in Los Banos, California, the relic was buried in the weeds – Jesse got to test out his new front hitch (which worked well) to pull it out of the weeds and onto the trailer. Although it was not that easy, he got it done. This 1949 Peterbilt was the last year of the square emblem and the first year of the Model 380. This one came stock with off-road fenders, instead of the highway fenders. It is also one of the very few still with the roof rack. It was pretty cool to see this brand new heavy hauler picking up an old heavy hauler – quite a bit has changed over the past 68 years!
Jesse would like to thank everyone at Rackley Trailers in Stockton, CA for their hard work and great quality. He also wanted to thank his dad and uncle for giving him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow up around trucks and to be involved in this great industry, as well as his wife Krystal (they just got married a few months ago) for jumping on the train with him and hoping for the best. Jesse also thanks his mom for helping him with the paperwork to get his new Peter car on the road, so he could get out there and start making some money.
I would like to thank Dirk Aschwanden for introducing Jesse to me – it’s been great spending time with this hard-working guy. Jesse is living his dream, for sure, and he’s gonna have to roll that rubber to make those paper rolls. But, if anyone can do it, Jesse Angel surely can – and will!
