This month’s creation was built for Jendry Castell (JC) of Jenmar Hauling in Miami, FL. Now a U.S. citizen, JC (35) came to the United States from Cuba when he was a kid, and he appreciates the freedoms and opportunities this country has afforded him since coming here. But JC and his longtime girlfriend Maria (12 years) are more about making memories than making money.
In 1993, JC’s parents, Felipe Sr. and Maria Castell, left Cuba and brought their entire family to America for a better life. The boat they used broke down about 25 miles outside the US in the middle of the ocean. Eventually, a container ship picked them up – all 16 of them – then delivered them to Charleston, SC. They had family in the U.S. since the 1950s that picked them up, but these family members were relieved when they arrived because they had been missing for days. Taking them to Florida, his dad went to work on the docks and his mom went into the printing industry. They are both retired now.
With two older sisters and an older brother, his brother Felipe Jr. started trucking, running flowers to New York in a flashy IHC cabover that was black with red, orange, and yellow stripes. JC used to go with him sometimes, and really enjoyed it. After JC graduated from high school, he went to one of the yards where his brother hauled out of to get a job and they remembered the two boys because they were so nice and hard-working. JC got a job as their yard spotter and worked there for a couple years until he was able to buy his own truck.
Purchasing his first truck in 2009, JC bought a Volvo VNL 770, which he ran from Florida to Chicago until 2011. Then, he traded it for a W900L KW that he ran to the northeast until 2016, before purchasing a sweet 2003 Peterbilt 379, which he ran until earlier this year. After selling that truck, he ordered the one you see here from me. This new truck is a teal 2022 Peterbilt 389 with a 63” High Roof sleeper, a “big boy” 605-hp Cummins X15 with 2050 torque, hooked to an 18-speed, and the right gears to get the job done. When the truck showed up, Cody was given the task of dialing this one in for JC and Maria.
After installing one of my body drop kits on the truck, Cody added a special front bumper from Valley Chrome, steer axle dump valves on the factory air ride, 359 headlights on Double JJ brackets, one of my visors, and nine cab lights. He also fitted the rig with 7” dummy stacks, cab and sleeper skirts from Bub, a Shox Box with five flush mount cab lights, a Merritt deck plate with a V-box, polished Hogebuilt half fenders, and a set of my breather light bars. As a final touch, my dad chopped the air cleaner screens.
When they came to town to get the new truck, they hung out for a couple days, and we even did breakfast at The Big Biscuit one day, where JC attempted to eat their famous 3-car pile-up (a huge breakfast entree). When they left, they headed to the GBATS show in Joplin, where we all got to hang out together for a few more days. They are fun people, and I am so glad they came to town and hung out so we could all get to know each other – there were lots of laughs that week, for sure.
As mentioned before, JC says he’s not trying to get rich. As long as he has enough to provide for his family and do the things they love, like trucking, fishing, and boating, he is a rich man. They love making memories, more than making money, and enjoy living life to the fullest. JC and his brother still work together, and Maria takes care of the paperwork for both of them. The couple also has four children (dogs) named Chocolate, Goldo, Tuti and Limbo.
