This month’s creation was built for Ted and Kysa Gordon of Sharpsburg, Iowa. Growing up in a farming family and later taking over that farm, Ted realized that he could make more money trucking, so he switched careers – he also thinks it’s more fun! This soft-spoken gentleman also loves his classic country-western music, which spurned his wife, Kysa, to surprise him with a custom dash plaque in his latest truck (the one seen here) that taps into his love of George Strait and his music, as well.
Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Ted (56) is the youngest of three children from Russell and Coni Gordon. Ted is the only one of their kids to get that farming fever, as his older sister Vicki is a teacher and his older brother Tod is a retired 
school principal. Continuing to farm even after high school, Ted later graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College with a degree in farm management. Marrying Kysa in 1990 after meeting her at a local saddle club, the couple has two sons – Dustin (23) and Colton (18).
Around 2007, Ted took a job driving for a local guy during his off season of farming and eventually partnered up with him and bought a used Kenworth T600, which was an old mail hauling truck. The truck had a small sleeper and only one stack, but he ran around in it for six or seven years. Realizing that trucking was more consistent and profitable (and he really liked doing it), he switched from farming to trucking. In 2014 he bought a new 2015 Peterbilt 389 painted Hawaiian Orchid, and then three years later, he purchased another new 389 Peterbilt, which was a black 2018 flat top.
After seeing a picture of the rig I built for our local farm show back in February, Ted called me to see if it was still available. Sadly, it was already sold, but I had a custom truck coming in that was ordered for another customer that backed out of the deal. 
This truck was a black flat top, and is the one you see here, so Ted obviously liked it and bought it. He already had a black truck and loved the color, but he wanted to integrate the paint scheme from that farm show truck onto this one, so we made it happen.
The new truck is a black 2020 Peterbilt 389 with a 72” flat top, a Cummins X15 with 2050 torque, a 13-speed, LowAir suspension and a car-hauler front axle. Pat the painter laid out some beautiful stripes using Legendary Red and Legendary Grey, along with gold outlines.
After the paint was done, Tyler hid the DEF tank and added Arctic Fox tank heaters. While the tanks were off, they were painted black, and then Jake added a stainless drop visor, cab lights, a bumper and breather lights. He also installed dump valves on the steer axle, stainless straps on the 
air tanks, cab and sleeper skirts and five load lights on the back of sleeper. The final touches included a painted flush deck plate and stainless steel Hogebilt half fenders on hidden brackets, along with a few other minor things.
Ted is a big fan of good (old) country music, and one of his favorites is George Strait. When the kids were little, if a George Strait song came on the radio Ted would tell everyone to be quiet during “George Strait time” and no talking was allowed. Wanting to surprise Ted with a custom dash plaque from Rockwood Products for the new truck, Kysa had them make a name plate that said “AMARILLO BY MORNIN” – a reference to a famous George Strait song.
Hauling mostly in and around the Midwest, Ted pulls tankers, reefers and whatever he can find. He loves his new ride and is happy that he made the switch to trucking. And it makes sense, because farming and trucking are both considered to be rural occupations, and Ted Gordon is “pure country” all the way.
