If you know me, you know I have an affinity for old trucks. What’s old though? I guess it’s all relative to your age. For me, 1993 doesn’t seem that long ago, and neither do the trucks from that time period. Think about it though, the Peterbilt model 379 was only six years old, the Kenworth W900L had just turned three, aero trucks were becoming more common (like the Kenworth T600), the Freightliner FLD 120, the Peterbilt 377, the Mack CH600, the WHITE GMC WIA, and the International 9400 were all roaming the highways. There were still a lot of fleets operating cabovers at that time, too. You could still order new cabovers like the Kenworth K100E, Peterbilt 362, and its aero counterpart, the model 372, along with other COEs from Freightliner and International.
But what’s amazing to think, of all the truck models listed above, only one of them is still in production to this day – the Kenworth W900L. While the Kenworth W900 line of trucks has been produced since 1961, the L model was introduced in 1990 as a special edition to celebrate Kenworth’s involvement in the James Bond film, License to Kill.
When our fearless leader and editor here at 10-4 Magazine, Dan Linss, called me a few months ago and asked me to help him find 1993 model year trucks that were still working for this 30th anniversary issue, I reached out to some friends who I thought might be able to help. After making a phone call to my good friend Tim Begle, he told me he might know of one. A few days later I received an email from Tim with photos of the red 1993 Kenworth W900L, equipped with an Aerodyne sleeper, seen here. Owned by Huntingburg, IN based owner operator, Stanley Offil (40), this truck is still used every day.
For a lot of us who love trucks (or call it a sickness), there’s certain trucks that have made an impact on our lives. Those trucks are the ones we dreamed of owning and driving when we were kids. For Stanley, who grew up in a trucking family, he remembers riding with his father during the summer and any time he could. “I loved being in the truck, and I probably drove my dad nuts when I was a kid,” Stanley said. “I remember seeing those Aerodyne sleepers and I always liked them and wanted one,” continued Stanley, as he began telling me how he acquired this 1993 Kenworth W900L, along with what he knew about the truck’s history.
Originally purchased new by Georgia based Carpet Transport, Inc. (CTI), the truck eventually found its way to West Virginia after being sold out of the CTI fleet where it was operated by an owner operator for several years. “I guess that guy broke down around here, and he had a shop in Leavenworth, IN, do an overhaul on the engine,” he said. Stanley continued with, “He was unable to pay for the overhaul and the truck sat at that shop for a few years before the guy I bought it from purchased it from that repair shop.”
Sporting its factory 265-inch wheelbase, Kenworth battery boxes and steps, and 150-gallon tanks, Stanley’s classic W900L rides on a Kenworth 8-bag air-ride suspension with 24.5 Alcoa aluminum, wrapped in 24.5 lo-pro rubber, and has 3.36 geared rear-ends. As I talked with Stanley, he jokingly told me that he’s nicknamed the truck “Yesterday’s Dream, Today’s Nightmare” referring to the amount of money he’s had to invest in the truck. “Last year I bought and installed a new Detroit Series 60 DDEC IV, rated at 500-hp, along with a new reman 13-speed Eaton-Fuller Transmission,” Stanley said.
Besides the new transmission and engine, the truck has received tons of other new parts, including a radiator, new clutch, flywheel, carrier bearings, u-joints, new motor mounts, radiator mounts, power steering, hoses, a new turbo, new ECM, new A/C compressor and blower, controls in the dashboard, and new air vent tubes in both the cab and sleeper. “It’s a running and driving working restoration,” Stanley said, with more new parts and items that were just too numerous to list them all here. In addition, his W900L has new 7-inch Lincoln Chrome exhaust pipes, an RLK stainless drop visor, and a 20-inch Texas bumper from Valley Chrome that’s “bent and needs to be replaced.”
While the truck is a restoration in progress, Stanley does have big plans for his classic W900L. “I’d like to stretch the wheelbase out to 290-inches in the future, along with a new paint job, more stainless, and more chicken lights, as well as other custom goodies,” said Stanley. “I recently removed the air horns atop the cab and am going to add more cab lights. Also, at some point in the truck’s life, the factory Kenworth air cleaners got changed out for Peterbilt air cleaners, so I need to get a new pair of the Kenworth air cleaners for the truck so it is correct,” remarked Stanley.
On the interior, the truck has an Oxblood red VIT diamond tuck interior. “I did convert the cab/sleeper boot from the factory Kenworth to a Peterbilt big hole to make it roomier,” Stanley said, as he was showing me the interior of the truck. One thing Stanley has been busy doing is removing and reinstalling the sleeper interior upholstery in order to soundproof it with deadening material to help quiet the ride. “As I said, it’s a work in progress,” Stanley said while laughing a bit as he continued to tell me about all the things he’s got planned for his truck. Referring to his W900L, he said, “All it takes is more money, and this old girl likes to spend my money!”
One thing I noticed about Stan’s Aerodyne sleeper was the more modern Kenworth sleeper doors equipped with windows. “Yeah, those sleepers can be a bit dark and cavernous, so I decided to lighten it up back there,” Stanley told me. “I’ve had Kenworth purists criticize me for adding the modern window doors, but I don’t care, it’s not their truck!” I agree with Stanley, and I like having the windows back there, as well. Stanley also told me that he’d like to add a window in the back of the sleeper at some point in the future. For driver comfort, his seat of choice is currently a Bostrom Wide Glide, and he has a new steering wheel to be installed, along with a few other miscellaneous interior parts that are coming soon, as well.
While Stanley has no idea of how many actual miles are on his W900L, that doesn’t bother him. Now 40 years old, he has the truck he fell in love with when he was a child and gets to operate a classic Kenworth for a living. “I get a lot of older truckers hollering at me on the radio complimenting me on my old Kenworth and it’s Aerodyne sleeper,” Stanley told me. Leased to Bo Jones Trucking out of Sebree, KY, Stanley pulls a 48-foot 2008 Reitnouer Big Bubba spread-axle flatbed, equipped with a Quick Draw Tarpaulin System, and hauls steel products and materials. “I’m not afraid to run the truck. I’ve been to the Pacific Coast of Washington State with it and back,” as Stanley told me about some of the freight lanes he’s been operating the KW in lately.
A bit humble about his Kenworth, Stanley intends to keep restoring and customizing it and someday, when it’s “show worthy” as he put it, Stanley would like to attend and put the old girl on display at some truck shows like MATS or Walcott. When Stanley is not out trucking, he loves spending time with his wife Sarah and their three daughters, Kaydence, Taylee, and Harlee, of which his two older daughters enjoy riding with their dad in his truck from time to time. There aren’t many 1993 trucks still being run every day, but this is one that is still out there getting it done!
