10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

“WORKING FOR TOYS”
The Latest Project from Truck Builder Clint Moore

This month’s “creation” was built for Dick Bedwell of Butler, Missouri. This truck is one of the first new Peterbilt 389s that has been built by Clint Moore – but we are sure that many, many will follow as more and more truckers get used to this new design. This particular truck, like many of Clint’s Creations, is a new truck with an “old school” twist. But this saga did not begin with this truck – it began with a Pete 379 Legacy.

Dick has been trucking for 24 years and ran Freightliners and KWs until 2002 when he was introduced to Clint. At that time, Dick bought a cool 379 with a 70-inch, high roof sleeper. The name plate said, “This Peterbilt is Custom Built for Me – Ain’t I Cool.” Then, earlier this spring, he picked up a new Peterbilt 379 Legacy Class (which were “numbered” limited edition trucks) but, unfortunately, it got totaled. Needless to say, Dick was bummed, but Clint ordered him a new truck – one of the new Peterbilt 389s – and decided to make it look exactly like the wrecked 379. And Peterbilt, feeling bad for Dick as well, did something special and titled his truck as a “Legacy Class Peterbilt 389” and actually numbered it 1 of 1.

This new Pete 389 has an improved 63-inch flattop sleeper with a lift bed and closet doors, a 2008 Cummins ISX motor with 600 horsepower and the DPF box, an 18-speed transmission with 3.55 rears on a Low, Low Air-leaf suspension, and a car hauler front axle. The silver and dark blue truck was painted with an old school stripe scheme at the Peterbilt factory.

After it arrived at the shop, Clint and his crew re-skinned the right side door (with no peep hole), added a drop visor, shortened the stacks, chopped the breather lids, added all clear LED lights and stainless steel five-inch cab and sleeper panels. They also installed extra wide cowl panels (painted dark blue), a hidden hood latch kit, double 359 headlights on Double JJ brackets, flush mounted deck plates, a custom headache rack and rear light bar made by Brunner’s, and then wrapped the fuel tanks with stainless steel and painted the ends.

Dick is a family man, but he is no longer married. He has two kids, April and Bryan, and the newest edition to his family, his grandson Brice “Leon” Bedwell, the apple of his eye. At first, Dick did not like the idea of being a grandpa, so he started telling everybody that he was Brice’s daddy’s daddy. But once reality set in, he realized how cool it is to be a grandpa. Dick’s father was named Leon and Dick’s real name is Leon so he lobbied for the name Leon with no luck. So now he just calls him Leon anyway – or L.L. (short for Little Leon). In the early days of Dick’s trucking career, when his kids were still little, they would always ask why he was leaving the house, and he always responded by saying, “I’m working for toys,” and the kids understood. Ever since then he has always put “Working for Toys” on the back of his trucks.

Dick runs an all aluminum flatbed and has been hauling for the same people for over 15 years. This new truck is working out great, but he has had several people argue with him that it’s a 379 Peterbilt and not a 389. He just laughs and tells them to look at his “fancy” exhaust elbows (all of the new 389s have non-chrome elbows – for now). Dick’s 389 is seen here pictured in front of Chateau Avalon, a popular “honeymooners” hotel in Kansas City, Kansas that features themed rooms. We hope the valet had a valid Class-A to park this one?