SEPTEMBER 2010 OLD TIME TRUCKS
TWO MILLION MILES OF WORK
By Old Truck Nuts John & Shirley Sponholtz
Owned by John Teresi of Teresi Trucking out of Lodi, California, this 1948 Peterbilt was fully restored in 1976. Prior to its complete restoration, the Pete logged 2,000,000 miles hauling sacks of cement out of San Andreas, California. The rig’s original owners were John Battaglia and Carl Derivi of Derivi Trucking in Stockton, California. Originally a two-axle tractor, the old Pete is now a 3-axle truck with a 252-inch wheelbase. Restoration of the tractor included stripping it down to the bare frame, stretching the frame, replacing the entire drivetrain, upgrading the engine from 200 hp to 280, re-upholstering the entire interior, and repainting the tractor. Most of the work was completed at Teresi’s facility, including the fabrication of some parts that were impossible to find. Although it doesn’t have as much horsepower as today’s trucks, the tractor is capable of transporting as much freight as the newer trucks in Teresi’s fleet. However, to preserve its restored condition, the rig now spends most of its time stored indoors, taken out only to attend the occasional truck show. To read about more unique old trucks, visit Old Time Trucks magazine at www.oldtimetrucks.org.