When I first saw this “Big Red” 2013 Peterbilt 389 at Maple Grove Raceway in 2017, I did a triple take. From afar it looked like a 359, but as I got closer, I could see the trickery. This 389/359 was built by Denver Truck Painting out of Denver, PA and then purchased by Durrell Martin of Cedar Ridge Transport. The truck was built to show exactly what Denver Truck Painting was capable of – and they hit a home run with this one!
Owner of Cedar Ridge Transport in New Holland, PA, Durrell Martin (30) has a Pete 379 he runs when he isn’t piloting the jaw-dropping 389/359 seen here, which he recently bought from Denver Truck Painting (DTP).
Trucking runs in Durrell’s blood, as his grandfather and father both trucked. Durrell grew up with diesel running through his veins and learned to rebuild his first diesel when he was just 14 years old through the help of his grandfather. First driving for a local farm equipment dealer for a few years, Durrell then went to a lumber company as a full-time mechanic for a little more than three years. While there, he was tasked with servicing and repairing the large fleet of 20 trucks.
But, for as long as Durrell could remember, his dream was always to own his own truck. Two years ago, that dream became a reality when he got a really cool Kenworth K100 cabover and started his own operation. Since then, he has bought a 379 Pete and now the unique 389/359 seen here.
Wanting to show what they were capable of doing, DTP took a 389 hood and cut it to 359 specs. Adding to the old-school look they mounted 359 air cleaners, 359 headlights and brackets, 359 mirrors and bus glass on the sides and windshields. The exhaust is a 6’’ Dynaflex kit, from the turbo back, with miter-cut tips. Full-length York fenders, cut down to three-quarters, are mounted over the drives, along with a stainless deck plate. The truck is double-framed and has a factory 323’’ wheelbase. A 6NZ Caterpillar motivates the truck, sending power to the rear wheels via an 18-speed and 3.36 rears.
Denver Truck Painting used over 30 gallons of paint on this truck. The colors include Peterbilt red, black, chestnut and gold. The paint scheme was inspired by a 359 on a clock that Peterbilt released several years ago. The detail of the paint is crazy – DTP even painted the inside of the hood and the firewall to match the exterior of the truck. A lot of time went into metal fabrication on this Peterbilt. Taking to the interior, a custom 359 dashboard was installed along with 359 interior panels made by Truck Guts. These panels were installed throughout the cab and in the sleeper.
After Durrell took possession of the truck from DTP, he added a few things to the truck to make it his own. Some of these changes include a 20’’ Texas-style square bumper, a custom stainless-steel 379 mesh grill and Rod Pickett elbows on the exhaust. He also added toolboxes, a T-bar, a rear light box, 359 double square headlights and low-rider seats made by Legacy. The “Cedar Ridge Transport” name was hand-painted and pinstriped by Jeff Nolt of SpareTimeFab in Myerstown, PA on panels above the fuel tanks.
This rig looks amazing in the day, but with over 40 glass lights it looks even better – like a UFO – when lit up at night! This nearly unbeatable mix of quality, uniqueness and style makes the rig stand out above the crowd, for sure. Durrell took his 389/359 to the Mid-America Trucking show this year (2019) and was able to take home the “Best of Show Limited Mileage Bobtail with No Working Miles” award. But he is now putting some miles on it!
Durrell hauls farm equipment and light construction equipment on a step-deck and a lowboy. When Durrell is not trucking or cleaning up his rides, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, trips to the mountains and hanging out on the water. But the thing he enjoys most is running his “Big Red” 389/359 and watching the triple-takes from everyone who sees it rolling down the road – now that’s fun trickery!
