10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

IT'S ALL GOOD
THE LATEST PROJECT FROM CLINT MOORE

This month’s latest “creation” was built for Randy Humphrey of Wauchula, Florida. In a day when many young truckers are making their trucks look “old school” to be cool, Randy is the real deal. He has been trucking since he was 17 years old and has owned 23 trucks - all of which were Peterbilt conventionals with two sticks except for one Kenworth, which he got rid of as soon as possible. His latest truck is one of the last Peterbilt 379’s ever made (#989 of 1,000), but it is by far one of his favorites.

Randy was born and raised around trucks and trucking in Cortland, Ohio. Both his father and grandfather were truckers. His father, who was known as “stub” by most, not only drove trucks but he built them, too. Back then, all of Randy’s dad’s trucks were cabovers, but Randy wanted to drive conventionals. At 17 years old he quit school and went trucking with his buddy Don “Longhorn” Ridzon. But that did not last very long. Don was fired when they realized that he was taking Randy with him.

When Randy was 18 years old, Don helped him buy his first truck - a 1969 narrow-nose Pete. And after all these years, Don still has that truck, along with a yard full of other treasures he has collected. Don and Randy are still friends today. Don now makes old-style emblems and other rare goodies for trucks.

Randy has been hauling the same freight, for the same company, since 1985. Hauling cattle for D & S Livestock, Randy runs from Florida to New Mexico, and then returns with hay. He liked Florida so much, he moved his family down there in 1986 and has called it home ever since. Randy is the oldest of four brothers, and they all truck in cool Peterbilts - and their names all start with an “R” - Ron, Rick and Russ!

In 1989, Randy had a bad wreck in a 1980 Peterbilt 359 V-8, pulling a loaded spread-axle reefer, near the Virginia/West Virginia state line. The truck rolled over and Randy was underneath it for four hours, which resulted in a broken back and pelvis, and left Randy paralyzed from the waist down. One doctor told him that he would never walk again, so he went to another one and got a second opinion. The second doctor did some kind of an experimental procedure on him and within a few days, by the grace of God, Randy got the feeling back in his legs. You can’t keep a good trucker down - he went back to work.

As mentioned before, all of the trucks that Randy has owned have all been Peterbilts with two sticks except for one, which was an A-Model Kenworth with a V-8 Cat. Once he realized that he was a Peterbilt man, he sold it at the first chance he got. His latest truck, featured here, has an automatic transmission. His old friends have been teasing him, but he doesn’t care - he loves it! Randy has always owned the biggest and baddest trucks, so when it came time for Clint to build him one of the last 379’s, Randy had some pretty cool ideas to get him started.

The 2007 Peterbilt Legacy was ordered with a 310-inch wheelbase, an ISX 565 Cummins, an 18-speed autoshift tranny, a low-leaf suspension with a car hauler front axle, and painted with an unpublished “Cool Blue” color. Once it arrived Clint went to work, adding a “Missouri Outlaw” stripe (black and gold), and then powder coated everything he could blue, including the fuel and air tanks, mirror brackets, spotlights and window trim. Clint’s friends at 12 Gauge Customs rewired the automatic transmission shifter and fabricated custom mounts for the WTI fenders, which were chopped to match the front fenders. They also replaced the bumper and visor, shaved the turn signals off the headlights and painted the cans blue, chopped the breather lids, added a rear stainless light bar and 7-inch pipes. Inside, they painted all of the wood trim blue and installed a smooth, painted floor, which has no shifter.

When Clint was done with his part, Randy took it to Brunners and 4-State Trucks for the final touches. Brunners built stainless covers for the battery boxes, a custom drom and deck plate, and cab and sleeper skirts. Then, it was off to Colorado to pick up his brand new 53-foot Merrit spread-axle cattle pot. But Randy wasn’t finished yet. From there he headed to Double Eagle where Rocky and the boys installed his generator and extra boxes. For Randy it has always been “go big or go home” and this truck was no different!

Married with children, Randy and his wife Mary Ann have two boys (Mike and Keith), a daughter (Stephanie), and an 18-month old grandson named Parker. Mike manages an auto parts store and Keith is a chip off the old block (a truck driver). Stephanie is currently attending college and working at a local bank.

While building this truck, Randy adopted the phrase “It’s ALL Good” and said it often. Those words are now painted on the back of his sleeper, and he truly believes it. Randy’s new ride is just like him - unique and custom, with outlaw roots. Turns out Randy is right - it is ALL good!