The last time Lanita Specialized was featured in 10-4 Magazine was the May 2011 issue when their 1981 KW W900A “Red Dawn” was on the cover. Since then, Lanita Specialized has grown significantly, and they have turned out quite a few award-winning working show trucks, as well. Lanita Specialized (Lanita is a combination of Scott Diller’s parents’ names, Larry and Wanita) is up to 25 trucks these days, plus another twenty owner operators, which are leased on under the Diller Company name.
This 2017 Kenworth W900L glider with a 287” wheelbase is powered by a C15 CAT, which is backed by an 18-speed transmission and 3:36 gears. The motor and drivetrain work were done in-house, including the paint on the motor. The rig was painted by Kloppy’s Custom Painting in Bethel, PA. The top color is Mid Lime, the bottom color is Dark Olive and the stripes are Cashmere with a Light Beige accent. There are nine layers of clear-coat over the paint, and you can’t feel the stripes at all when you run your hand across them! When you look at the truck in different types of lighting, it never looks the same. The stainless work was done by Car Craft Truck Works in Staten Island, NY.
With how well kept the truck is, you would never suspect there are nearly 300,000 miles on it! This rig is usually hooked to a step deck, and Lanita will haul anything and everything they can with it. Oversize loads, concert stage parts, machinery and other products are hauled by this truck. This truck has won numerous awards including 1st at Shell Rotella SuperRigs for its engine, 1st at Shell Rotella SuperRigs for its theme, and 2nd at ATSC in all the categories in Limited Mileage Bobtail.
The driver of this beautiful W900L is Andy Good. Andy started driving 13 years ago for Clover Dairy Farms then moved to Peters Brothers, eventually ending up at Lanita Specialized. He has been fascinated with trucks since he was young and is only the second member in his family to drive truck. Andy enjoys the challenges that trucking presents with each different load he hauls. He likes the entire truck, but if he had to pick out one favorite feature, it would definitely be the motor. Andy has driven this truck to almost all the continental 48 states except for Montana, Oregon and Washington. When Andy isn’t out trucking, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, going to truck shows, hunting, archery and anything else dealing with the outdoors.
A special thank you to my friend Matt for offering his rail yard as the perfect location for the photo shoot. I would also like to acknowledge the Lanita detailing and polishing guys, David Kuhn, Derek Rank and Austyn Chiveral, for making sure the truck was on-point for the photo shoot!
EDITOR’S NOTE: We would like to welcome Colin Kund as an occasional contributor to 10-4 Magazine. Colin is the owner of CWK Images and specializes in photographing the trucking, mining, construction and agriculture industries. Colin first picked up a camera when he was 12 years old and has been in love with it ever since. He launched CWK Images full-time in 2016 and has enjoyed the challenges he has been presented with. Colin lives in Horsham, PA and credits his love of trucks and heavy equipment to his grandfather. Colin’s work can be seen on Facebook under CWK Images, on Instagram @cwkimages, and on his website at www.cwkimages.com.
