10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

NEVER FINISHED
THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE

This month’s latest “creation” was built for Eric Wright (45) of Kansas City, Kansas. When it was time for Eric to get a new truck, he came to Clint, looking to order a new 379 - but it was too late. After seeing a few of the new 389s come in, Eric decided that they didn’t look too bad. “Might as well be one of the first with a big, cool 389 Pete,” he said. And he certainly is!

When Eric was a kid, his parents farmed and owned a gas station in southern Missouri. Eric helped out both on the farm and at the station until he went into the Army. His parents started trucking while he was away, and he could not wait to get home and hit the road, too. After four years in the Army, he got out and bought a double wide Freightliner cabover with a 1693TA engine and a 240-inch wheelbase and started trucking.

After pulling a reefer for a while, he moved to Kansas City and started working for Anchor Heavy Hauling, where he stayed for eight years. Then he switched to Rieke Equipment, running lowboy trucks for six years. Then, around 1998, he purchased a used KW T600 and went back to hauling refrigerated loads.

A few years later, in 2000, Eric bought a new Kenworth W900L. For as long as Clint can remember, Eric has been friends with Jim Crain and parked his trucks in his yard. Jim is the owner of Anchor Heavy Hauling, a company known for their clean fleet of Peterbilts. Clint always said that Eric’s KW never looked right sitting with all those Peterbilts. In 2004, Eric bought a super clean, used 2004 Peterbilt 379 that Clint had built for someone else. The truck was painted cream and turquoise, like the one pictured here, and was very nice. The following year, Eric bought a new 2005 Utility stainless steel spread axle reefer trailer and had it painted to match.

So when it became time to replace his truck again, earlier this year, Eric had his mind set on a new Pete 379, as mentioned before, but it was too late to get one. Everyone was skeptical about the new Pete 389 when it was introduced, but now that a few of them are on the road, truckers are realizing that they are not so bad. In fact, many drivers are really starting to like the look of this new, smooth, more aerodynamic truck. So Eric had Clint order him a new 389, painted the same colors as his last truck - cream and turquoise.

This new truck is a 2008 Peterbilt 389 with a 70-inch high roof sleeper, a Cummins ISX 600, a 310-inch wheelbase, low air-leaf suspension and a car hauler front axle. The paint job is a factory two-color scheme, made to look like one you might see on an old 1955 Chevy.

When the truck showed up at Clint’s shop, they painted the cab and sleeper skirts, as well as the boltless drop visor and smooth aluminum deck plate. Clint hooked Eric up with lots of parts and goodies, including a 20-inch bumper, WTI fenders and custom brackets, low-ride seat bases, a custom rear light bar, flush-mounted cab lights and single square 379 headlights with the turn signals shaved off and painted.

Clint also installed three, that’s right three, 8-inch pipes. Two dummy pipes run up the sides while the real exhaust runs underneath and out the back. This is a new trick that truckers are doing to help keep their vertical stacks looking good. Since they aren’t actually used, they do not get hot, therefore they are easy to keep clean because the bugs and other road debris does not get “baked” on. Good idea, huh?

Eric ran the truck for three months and then had his trailer freshened up for these pictures. Eric works on a budget, so he does what he can when he can. And as most of you know, cool trucks are never “done” - they are always a work in progress, and this truck is no different.

Eric wanted to thank Jim Crain, Billy and the entire Anchor bunch for helping him put this truck together. Without their help, this project would have never been completed. Look for Eric out on the road - he runs this beautiful combination out to the west coast every other week, so if you see him out there, give him a shout.