Getting a good education can be an important step in life, but for some that “education” is accomplished differently. Beau Kloeppel (24) of Kingfisher, OK has a bachelor’s degree, but it’s not exactly what you (or his mom) might expect. His truck – the maroon-colored Peterbilt combo seen here – was named “Bachelor’s Degree” as a joke, and to appease his mother.
Growing up in trucking, Beau is a third-generation trucker. Beau’s dad has been trucking since he was 18 years old, always operating with his own authority. Loving trucks and trucking, Beau spent every second possible with his dad, going out on the road with him and working on the trucks. Beau started driving truck for his dad (legally) when he was 18 years old, and after high school headed off to college. Then, at just 22 years of age, he unexpectedly quit college and bought his dad out. Realizing that the trucking industry was for him and not Ag Business (what he was studying in college), it was a simple decision for Beau.
After figuring out the value of his company, Beau’s dad Tom told his son the price and then Beau went to the bank for a loan, which he got. Although it seemed like a lot for a 22-year-old to take on himself, he truly feels it was one of the best decisions he ever made. Beau is proud of the fact that he is now walking in the same footsteps as his dad. Beau’s dad was happy about all this, but his mom, not so much. His mom, Sandra, told Beau he couldn’t come home from college without a bachelor’s degree, hence the name of his truck. Technically, he DID come home with a “Bachelor’s Degree” – it just wasn’t a piece of paper, it was a Peterbilt!
The truck is a 2016 Peterbilt 389 with a CAT 6NZ engine and an 18-speed transmission, 3:36 rear ends, and a 290” wheelbase. The interior sports a custom wood floor and other accents by Tuffy’s Custom Wood, while the rig’s exterior features 7” stacks, 8” painted cab and sleeper body drop panels, painted front and rear visors, an I-panel between the tanks, window chops, a shock box cover and more. All the accessories were purchased from The Weld Shop in Leavenworth, Kansas, along with a painted deck plate from Iowa Customs and a set of blind-mounted half-fenders on custom homemade brackets.
After meeting a girl named Jordyn, who was from California, at a wedding in Oklahoma, the two got together. Beau was running hogs to California on a regular basis, so he decided to move to the other end of his haul – partly because he could, but mostly to be with Jordyn. But, shortly after the move, he sold his cattle trailer and ordered a brand-new hopper trailer to haul commodities back and forth between California and his hometown in Oklahoma. Being gone from home longer then he would like sometimes, Beau tries to constantly remind himself that, in the end, it pays off every time (literally).
On December 23, 2017, the couple got engaged in beautiful Lake Tahoe, California, and then on November 17, 2018, the two tied the knot at the Green Gate Ranch and Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California. Married for just a couple weeks now, the new Mr. and Mrs. Kloeppel were still on their honeymoon when this magazine went to press. Once they get back from their honeymoon, the couple will be moving back to Beau’s home state of Oklahoma. Beau is happy to be leaving California, but he will miss the wonderful taco trucks he so fell in love with while living there.
In the future, Beau would like to eventually buy a few more hoppers and liquid fertilizer trailers and add a few owner operators in the mix to pull them, but only if he can find the right people that will take care of his stuff like he would. From there, he would just plan to expand slowly and steadily. But, like many of you already know, it is hard to find folks willing to work hard anymore, so that is always a challenge.
Beau would like to proudly thank his parents, Tom and Sandra, for all they have done for him. He also wanted to say “thank you” to his new wife Jordyn and all his friends back home (and the new ones he made in California) for the support they give him each and every day. And, finally, he sends heartfelt thanks to God for helping him and for keeping him on the right track. Beau couldn’t do life without all these great people, or his coveted “Bachelor’s Degree” – which he worked so hard to get!
