Hauling fuel is a unique and demanding job, but some have mastered the craft. Sancken Trucking has been in business since 1977, and currently moves about 20 million gallons of product a day in and around the Chicagoland area. But what sets them apart is their unrivaled service to their customers, their unwavering commitment to treat their employees like family, and their amazing trucks. Case in point, the special combination built to celebrate their 45th anniversary seen here. Granted, all their trucks aren’t as fancy as this one, but they all live up to the company motto, which is, “We Put the Class in Gas!” And after meeting third generation owner Travis Sancken and spending some time with him and his wife, they seem like pretty classy folks.
In 1976, Larry Sancken (Travis Sancken’s grandfather) started driving for Graham Oil in Vernon Hills, IL. At the time, they were a new outfit with about five gas stations and two trucks to service them – Larry drove one of those two trucks and a Graham family member drove the other one. About a year later, as Graham Oil was growing quickly, they decided they no longer wanted the liability and responsibility of owning trucks and hauling their fuel products, so Larry, with help from the company, purchased the two B-model Mack trucks that Graham Oil owned, and began hauling their products in 1977 – and Sancken Trucking was officially born.
Today, still hauling for Graham Enterprises (GEI) who have grown tremendously, along with many other clients, Larry (72) still drives, along with his son Jim (54) and his grandson Travis (29). With about 35 company owned trucks, over 70 company owned tanker trailers, and some 25-30 dedicated owner operators pulling many of those trailers, the company, based in Grayslake, Illinois, is now three generations deep, runs 24/7, and has around 80 employees. And, as mentioned before, currently hauls about 20 million gallons of product per day. That is quite an amazing success story!
Like many out there, Larry’s son Jim began driving as soon as he could at 18 years old. His wife, Katie, later worked in the office, as well. Growing up in this environment, Travis started backing semis into the shop as young as eight years old and learned early on about keeping the trucks clean and maintaining them. Sancken Trucking employed a mechanic who was from Maine named Steve (AKA “Lobster”) from the beginning up until just a year or two ago, and Travis learned a lot from him. Of course, like so many others, his parents did not want him to be a truck driver, so after Travis graduated from high school in 2011, they sent him to the local community college to study business.
Completing a three-year study program in Business Management in just 1.5 years (he hated school), Travis then started driving. But since he wasn’t 21 yet, he couldn’t get his Haz Mat endorsement to haul fuel, so he pulled hopper trailers with ag products for some of the local farmers instead, until he turned 21. After turning 21 and getting his Haz Mat license, he began working for the family company, and drove full-time for the next five years. At that point, he started migrating into the office, where he assumed dispatching and training duties, along with whatever else needed to be done, because that’s what you do in a small family operation.
The company, which has been based in and around Grayslake, IL for its entire existence, is currently going through a changing of the guard, as Grandpa Larry and Grandma Sue (AKA “The Warden”) are preparing to retire. Travis and his wife Chloe are being groomed and trained to assume control of the company over the next five or so years. Servicing a 150-air-mile radius around Grayslake, they have over 1,100 gas stations on their “keep fill” plan. This plan, with probes in the ground at all of these locations, sends Travis a report at the top of every hour informing him of the levels of product at each location. Once a predetermined threshold is reached, the company automatically dispatches a truck to fill their tanks. It is a pretty sophisticated and complicated system, since many factors can come into play, such as a Cub’s baseball game increasing traffic and demand downtown or many other factors, which always keeps Travis on his toes, making sure all the stations get what they need when they need it.
All of their fleet is red, and most of them are Peterbilt trucks. However, during the covid pandemic, when Peterbilts were hard (if not impossible) to get, they turned to the only trucks they could get, which were Macks, so much of their fleet are now Mack Pinnacle trucks. But these trucks are still traditionally styled trucks, with square hoods, that have a pretty classic look, for sure. Their trailers were exclusively Heil tankers for years, but after EnTrans International acquired both Heil and Polar, now their fleet is a mixture of these two brands, which are built side-by-side in the same factory and are virtually the same besides the nameplate. In the past few years, they also started buying MAC trailers, and now have about ten of them.
In 2016, Travis decided that he wanted to build a show-worthy truck and, with his own money, found and bought a beaten up and rusty 2005 Peterbilt 379 to fix up. When he drove it into the yard, both his dad and grandfather just stood there, with their arms crossed, shaking their heads, wondering what the heck Travis was thinking. Well, he worked his butt off on that truck, and eventually proved to them both that nice equipment could improve the company image and draw in better driver applicants.
Along with help from “Lobster” (that old mechanic from Maine), he and Travis spent many evenings and weekends working on this truck, which made its debut at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in 2017, where it earned a 5th place trophy in the bobtail class – that’s pretty good for his first show ever. The truck ended up being painted red (like all the others) but it had a neon green frame and stripes, as well. Travis also competed in the inaugural season of the American Truck Show Circuit (ATSC) and attended all but one of their four events (he skipped the show in California) and did very well. His dad and grandfather went to one of these events and started to understand what Travis was doing and began to get on-board with the idea.
So, a couple years later, when Travis first suggested that they build a special combination in honor of the company’s 45th anniversary, it didn’t take much to convince them that it was a good idea. And so it began! Ordering two Peterbilt 389 glider kits from 12 Ga. Customs in 2019 – one for grandpa and one for the special anniversary build – the fun began. Grandpa Larry wanted to get his truck on the road, so they focused on that one first, dropping a Cummins Signature 600 in it, and then cutting Larry loose. However, he quickly decided this rig was too loud, too low, and too long, so he promptly passed it down to another driver at the company.
Building Larry’s truck was just the first of many things that slowed down the start of the special build. Shortly after that, two of the Sancken company trucks were involved in big accidents (not their fault) and both needed to be fixed at Total Appearance (TA) in Pewaukee, WI, where the special truck was supposed to be built, and both went ahead of the anniversary build in the cue, again delaying the start of the project. Then covid hit, and we all know what happened there (parts were hard to get and workers were even scarcer). Finally, in December 2021, the truck, which still did not have a drivetrain, was moved into the shop with a pickup truck. The initial goal was to have the project completed by March 2022 and to debut it at MATS in Louisville, KY, but that did not happen.
In the meantime, Travis purchased a 2022 MAC LTT (Liquid Tank Trailer) to customize along with the tractor for the anniversary project. Then another snag happened when TA and their sister company Amcan Truck Parts were acquired by JX Enterprises, so that change of ownership caused some delays, as well. The truck was completed in mid-2023 and made its soft debut, without the trailer, at the Amcan Truckfest in June of that year. This is where we first saw it, and it earned our “10-4 Magazine’s Best of the Best Pick” trophy, which also comes with a feature story in an upcoming edition. Unfortunately, darkness and bad weather caused the photo shoot to be delayed, plus Travis really wanted to wait until the trailer was completed, so we decided to wait.
Planning to shoot the entire combination at MATS 2024, where it was scheduled to finally make its debut – two years after the company had celebrated its 45th anniversary – we quickly decided to upgrade this “feature” to a cover story after seeing the truck and trailer in person. Sometimes, things happen for a reason, and in the end, whether we understand it or not while things are happening, what is supposed to happen, usually does. Such is the case here! Now that we have outlined the long trilogy it took to get the combination – and this feature – done, let’s dive into the many amazing details this stellar truck and trailer ended up with.
Starting out with a new 2019 Peterbilt 389 glider with a 36-inch flat top sleeper, the truck was completely torn down and then rebuilt back up again. The truck’s exterior features a few special items that Travis likes to point out right up front. With Peterbilt having three iconic conventional models over the years – the 359, 379, and 389 – Travis wanted each model (and each generation in his family that drove those models) to have some representation on this build. With that said, the truck is a 389, so that represents Travis and his generation, the dual square headlights and brackets were taken from one of Jim’s 379 trucks, and the air cleaners were taken from one of Larry’s 359s.
Wanting the truck to have a clean hot rod look but still be practical and usable, many of the modifications are subtle. Replacing the grill surround with a stainless 379 version from 12 Ga. Customs, they also removed all the Peterbilt emblems and welded up the holes, installed a 12 Ga. visor and 20-inch front bumper, added seven painted bullet cab lights, and many custom panels, including drop panels under the cab and sleeper, an “I-Panel” between the tanks, and a rear tailpiece. Again, going for that “clean” look, they grinded all the welds off the ends of the fuel and air tanks and countersunk all the frame bolts for a smooth finish. If you look closely, there are very few visible bolts on the entire exterior of this truck.
Some other cool exterior features on this Peterbilt include custom billet “Big Hole” wheels made by JTX Forged, a deleted peep window on the passenger door, and polished stainless mirror brackets, smooth box covers, and billet step plates from 12 Ga. Customs. Other items include a seven-inch Dynaflex exhaust, a stainless strip that runs along the bottom edge of the frame, a painted deck plate, and a hidden air bag system on the back of the sleeper. In honor of the 45th anniversary, many of the lighting elements were grouped together in sets of five, and tons of underglow lighting was added, as well. All the watermelon lights are from United Pacific, and all feature glass lenses. The York rear fenders were painted to match and installed with a hidden bracket system that makes the fenders look like they are floating above the drive tires.
Another unique thing that was done to this truck was boxing in (covering) the underside of the cab and sleeper – if you look underneath, you just see a clean and painted surface, with a few watermelon lights on it – and nothing else. Paying special attention to all the body lines and making sure everything lined up perfectly, custom rounded fuel tank brackets were made, and the stripes, designed by Jim “Higgs” Higgins of 12 Ga. Customs, perfectly accent the truck, without being overpowering. Painted Viper Red with Nautic Blue stripes (the darkest blue you can get without being black), and a lighter Milk Money Blue color, everything works together to complete the entire package.
Under the hood, a CAT 6NZ with a PDI turbo was installed. This engine is capable of making up to 1,100-hp, but it hasn’t been turned up that high yet. The engine was painted in the beautiful Nautic Blue color, the valve covers were polished, and a Dynaflex polished air intake kit was added. The underside of the hood was smoothed out, and the stripes were painted on the inside of the hood to match the exterior exactly. Every bolt, where possible, was ground smooth and then polished, and then all the nomenclature stamped on the brake calipers and drums was grinded off and smoothed out, as well. Metal braided lines were utilized, along with stainless steel zip ties, where needed.
Moving inside the cab and sleeper, Spare Time Fab out of Myerstown, PA provided the two-stick conversion kit, complete with glitter knobs, and all the upholstery was done by them in Baseball Glove brown leather with double red stitching. Travis wanted a diamond pattern, but not buttons, saying, “That’s a Kenworth thing!” An overhead console from 12 Ga. Customs, fitted with speakers, lights, the stereo head unit, and the CB radio, was installed, along with a painted floor. The seats are low backs that were chopped even lower, custom door sill plates and dash panels were made by Rockwood, the texture on the dash was smoothed out and painted red, and NT Lites redid the gauges with red lights. The stereo has 6,000 watts of power but a modest number of speakers, so it sounds good, without being too obnoxious.
The trailer is a 2022 MAC LTT with four compartments from front to back – 3,500 gallons, 2,000 gallons, 1,200 gallons, and 2,800 gallons, respectively (all their trailers are spec’d this way). Painted to match the truck, they left the barrel of the tank polished to break things up. The landing gear are painted blue and feature chrome-dipped supports, and the valves were all painted red and feature chrome-dipped caps and handles. The painted hose tubes are striped to match the truck and have polished ends and custom brackets. The trailer also has “Big Hole” wheels and floating rear fenders like the truck, along with matching rear light bars, and the ladder was relocated from the back of the trailer to the front. In addition to the glass watermelon lights from United Pacific, the trailer also features many four-inch “Piranha” lights from Peterson.
Finally making its official debut at MATS in March of 2024 after almost five years, the truck earned 2nd Place in the Limited Mileage Combo class and 1st Place in the Limited Miles Engine class. Those are big accomplishments at MATS, as earning any trophy at this show is a big deal. Thanks go to everyone who helped get this rig done and ready to show, including Nick Kimball at Amcan Truck Parts (who oversaw the entire project), everyone at Total Appearance, 12 Ga. Customs, JX Enterprises, and Spare Time Fab. Also, big thanks to Evan Steger and his team at Evan’s Detailing & Polishing for doing all the final cleanup and polishing work at the show.
The day after the show ended, we headed over to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery to take some of our pictures, and what a cool place that was. Originally opened in 1935, this historic location closed in 1992 and then was reopened in 2014 as a stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Over the years, the 53-acre site distilled or aged popular brands such as Bulleit, Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace, W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, and even Crown Royal. The location has 18 storage warehouses and is capable of aging up to 300,000 barrels. Today, the Stitzel-Weller whiskey brands include Blade and Bow, I.W. Harper, and Orphan Barrel. Fun fact: all the buildings and trees surrounding these types of storage facilities are black due to a “whiskey fungus” that is created when ethanol is released during the aging process.
With this truck now done, the plan is for Travis to start getting out of the office and do more driving. He hopes to be able to get out two or three times a week, and actually can’t wait to put some miles on this combination. While I was interviewing Travis for this story, his grandfather was actually driving the truck that day, in the rain, hauling loads, so it has been used some already. Travis will avoid running it in bad weather, when possible, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be running it hard when he does get it out there. With their 50th anniversary now approaching, Travis is hoping to build another big ride to honor the company and its long history but hopes this next one won’t take so long that it misses the actual anniversary, like this one did!
Meeting his wife Chloe in 2016, the two got married last November (2023). Travis and Chloe are looking to start a family, and hopefully create the fourth generation to join the family business. Chloe studied business, too, and worked for an accounting firm for a while, where she learned a lot. Her father owns an excavation company, and along with working in the office at Sancken Trucking, she also takes care of the books for his company. Teamed up with Travis, these two are excited to take the reins of the company in the next few years as Travis’ grandparents and parents are looking to retire soon. When not trucking or working in the office, Travis enjoys anything in or around water, and loves taking their boat out, but is just as content to sit on a beach or next to a pool.
Travis wanted to thank his family for all their help and support over the years, and especially his wife Chloe, who makes it all worthwhile. Proud of how they treat their employees, Travis always tries to put their people’s happiness and success above mere profits, and that attitude shows, since the company has a less than 10% turnover rate (that is really low). “Putting The Class in Gas” for over 47 years now, Travis Sancken and everyone at Sancken Trucking should be proud of all they have accomplished, and really excited about what the future holds.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Jacob Gunderson and Eric Hill for providing some of the photographs for this feature.
