10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

FIESTA LATINO
CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS & LATINO FLAIR MIX
WELL AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SHOW

While the 3rd annual Truck Show Latino, combined with the 2nd annual Construction Truck & Equipment Expo, hummed with crowds of truckers and festive Mariachi music, about 40 gorgeous big rigs were on display for all to enjoy. They were contestants in the final Stars & Stripes Truck Beauty Show of the year, which was held at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, on October 20-21. And although the turnout of trucks on display saw a marked increase this year, the show itself felt more like a weekend party than a trucking convention. For some, that was a good thing – but for others, maybe not so much.

Last year the Construction Truck & Equipment Expo, produced by the California Dump Truck Owners Association, debuted in the building next to the Truck Show Latino, the first major trucking convention that targets the Hispanic market. This year, the two shows joined together under one roof, leaving the neighboring building available to park all of the show trucks inside. This was obviously a good move, as the show saw a sharp increase in the number of Stars & Stripes Truck Beauty Show entries. In fact, after filling up that building with trucks, four or five more had to be parked inside the convention itself.

The convention featured about 150 exhibiting companies – about half of them were local vendors from the Southern California area, while the rest came from all over the country (and Canada). Many of these vendors are advertisers in 10-4 Magazine, and it was great to spend some time with all of them including American Alliance Drug Testing, Avalon Risk Management, Axle Al’s, Campos Truck Insurance, Commercial Tire, Drake Truck Supply, Franklin Truck Parts, Jones Performance, NTA, Strong Tie Insurance, Transit Insurance, United Pacific and Utility Trailer. We also enjoyed hanging out with some of our friends. Darrell and Mark at the Truck Gazette are always good for some laughs (and their famous Bloody Mary drinks). Frank Pangburn and his group of volunteers with Truckin’ for Kids know how to have a good time as well. We spent a lot of “quality time” with the Maggini and Pounds families, too – and that is always fun.

No truck show would be complete without RJ Taylor and his 1951 Kenworth Ol’ Blue. RJ and his sidekick Sam Eichenberger of Ol’ Blue, USA have been hosting free safety seminars at truck shows across the country for over 20 years. With help from law enforcement officials, drivers are encouraged to ask questions and get straight answers regarding safety and regulatory compliance issues. Unfortunately, the foot-traffic was a little slow this year at RJ’s end of the building, but he did his best to keep things lively and entertaining (as usual). Last year, the show’s highlight came when a Ford F-150 pickup truck was given away to one lucky driver. That giveaway stirred up a lot of excitement last year – something this year’s show needed more of.

There was plenty of excitement in the Stars & Stripes building. Hector Santos was polishing and preparing his blue and white 1999 Peterbilt 379 on Friday before the show started, when a Stars & Stripes organizer stopped to ask if he was back to reclaim his title. Santos, a 31-year-old owner operator from Riverside, California, won big at last year’s Truck Show Latino, taking the trophy for Best of Show. His appearance this year, he said, was a last-minute decision. He wasn’t optimistic about his chances of a repeat performance. “I don’t think so,” he said. “There are a lot of nice trucks here.” He’d delivered a load of baled hay just hours prior to the judging. But when the judges’ paperwork was tallied, Santos and his Peterbilt were at the top of the heap again, with back-to-back Best of Show honors.

A record number of participants entered in this year’s Stars & Stripes event, which keeps growing each year. Competitors included trucks owned and shown by locals, many of them Latino truckers, as well as equipment owned by Southern California construction and trucking companies. There were also a few trucks that came from other states, and at least one that came up from Mexico. This meant more local participation than other Stars & Stripes events usually get, and a very diverse group of trucks to judge. There was a definite “West Coast look” to the designs given the competing trucks, probably because of the Latino influence. There was great attention to details and classic trim pieces applied in interesting ways. Noticeable items included spinner wheels, brass and glass headlamps off a classic era coupe, metal flake paint, body trim moldings taken from 1950s cars, and classic-looking wire wheels, just to name a few.

Mike Maggini’s hay-hauling 1998 Peterbilt 379, featuring yellow paint and green flames, took the top trophy in the Limited Mileage class. Mike also got a first place award for his beautifully painted and detailed engine. And yet another hay and produce hauling rig took top honors for Central Valley Transport of Bakersfield, California. The Pounds family brought two of their rigs, both hooked to custom-built double flatbeds which were painted to match their flashy tractors. Both trucks were detailed for the show by the teenage sons. Their 2001 Freightliner Classic conventional rose to the top and took home the Best of Show Working Combo award. Both of the boys had also won trophies in previous Stars & Stripes events earlier this year.

Some of the local trucking companies that sent trucks to the competition included American Wrecking, Bridgestone/Firestone, Liberty Linehaul West and Sandvik Trucking. We’d like to congratulate all of the winners, and hope to see them, along with some of their friends, at next year’s Truck Show Latino 2008.

WORKING BOBTAIL (1999 & OLDER): 1st Hector Santos – 1999 Peterbilt 379; 2nd George Garcia, Garcia Trucking – 1988 Peterbilt 378; 3rd Rudy Tule, Blandino Trucking – 1994 Peterbilt; 4th (tie) Kris Gaare – 1998 Peterbilt 379 AND Enrique Vanegas, EVR Trucking – 1988 Peterbilt; 5th Rolondo Nava Trucking – 1988 Kenworth T600.

WORKING BOBTAIL (2000 & NEWER): 1st Curtis Christians – 2005 Peterbilt 379; 2nd (tie) Carl Gillam, Liberty Linehaul West – 2008 Kenworth W900L AND Jeff Botelho, Botelho Bros. Trucking – 2007 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Alex Fimbres III – 2005 Peterbilt 379.

SPECIALIZED BOBTAIL: 1st Rick Hall, Riddler Trucking – 2006 Peterbilt 379 Super Dump; 2nd Tina Blankenship – 1996 Kenworth T800 Dump; 3rd Eddie Hall – 1975 Peterbilt 359 Dump.

FIRST SHOW BOBTAIL: 1st Juan Antonio Sanchez, SAMASA Trucking – 1995 Peterbilt; 2nd Cesar Soto, Sandvik Trucking – 1994 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Fernando Perez – 1997 Peterbilt 379.

WORKING COMBO: 1st (tie) Markie Pounds, Central Valley Transport – 1987 Freightliner Cabover with Double Flatbeds AND Colton Pounds, Central Valley Transport – 2001 Freightliner Classic with Double Flatbeds; 2nd Kirk Hurst, Bridgestone/Firestone – 2005 Kenworth T800 with Great Dane Van; 3rd Dave Mentz, Bridgestone/Firestone – 2005 Kenworth T800 with Great Dane Van.

INTERIOR (CAB ONLY): 1st George Garcia, Garcia Trucking – 1988 Peterbilt 378; 2nd Enrique Vanegas, EVR Trucking – 1988 Peterbilt; 3rd Tina Blankenship – 1996 Kenworth T800 Dump.

INTERIOR (OEM SLEEPER): 1st Hector Santos – 1999 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Curtis Christians – 2005 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Marcos Cervantes, Sandvik Trucking – 2003 Peterbilt 379.

ENGINE: 1st Jeff Botelho, Botelho Bros. Trucking – 2007 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Hector Santos – 1999 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Juan Antonio Sanchez, SAMASA Trucking – 1995 Peterbilt.

BOBTAIL PAINT (GRAPHICS OR MURAL): 1st Curtis Christians – 2005 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Jeff Botelho, Botelho Bros. Trucking – 2007 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Donald Arias Jr. – 1987 Peterbilt 359.

COMBO PAINT (GRAPHICS OR MURAL): 1st Markie Pounds, Central Valley Transport – 1987 Freightliner Cabover with Double Flatbeds; 2nd Kirk Hurst, Bridgestone/Firestone – 2005 Kenworth T800 with Great Dane Van; 3rd Colton Pounds, Central Valley Transport – 2001 Freightliner Classic with Double Flatbeds.

LIMITED MILEAGE BEST INTERIOR: Bill Sandvik, Sandvik Trucking – 1998 Peterbilt 379.

LIMITED MILEAGE BEST ENGINE: Mike Maggini, Maggini & Son Trucking – 1998 Peterbilt 379.

LIMITED MILEAGE BEST PAINT: Melvin Maggini, Maggini Hay Company – 1962 Peterbilt.

LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL: 1st Mike Maggini, Maggini & Son Trucking – 1998 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Bill Sandvik, Sandvik Trucking – 1998 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Chuck Prigge, Sandvik Trucking – 1996 Peterbilt; 4th Juan Gonzales, A & L Truck Supply – 1957 Peterbilt 350; 5th Melvin Maggini, Maggini Hay Company – 1962 Peterbilt.

BEST USE OF CHROME & STAINLESS: Juan Antonio Sanchez, SAMASA Trucking – 1995 Black & Purple Peterbilt.

BEST THEME: Melvin Maggini, Maggini Hay Company – 1962 Yellow & Green Flamed “Godfather” Peterbilt.

CALIFORNIA DUMP TRUCK OWNERS ASSOCIATION BEST TRUCK & TRAILER: American Wrecking Inc. – 2006 Peterbilt and 2007 End Dump.

BEST OF SHOW WORKING BOBTAIL: Hector Santos – 1999 Blue & White Peterbilt 379.

BEST OF SHOW WORKING COMBO: Colton Pounds, Central Valley Transport – 2001 Purple Flamed Freightliner Classic with Matching Double Flatbed Trailers.

LUCKY DRAWING WINNERS AT AWARDS CEREMONY:
Set of Alcoa Dura-Bright Wheels – Curtis Christians.
Stainless Steel Holland Fifth Wheel Cover – Mario Jaramillo.
PPG Paint Gift Certificate – Kirk Hurst.
Roadworks $250 Gift Certificate – Jeff Botelho.
$104 Cash (AKA “10-4 Bucks”) – Paula Fimbres.
Valley Chrome Plating Bumper – Rudy Tule.