This month’s “Show-On-The-Road” was recently resurrected after an incident involving a ditch. In 2006, Jason Terrien of Junction City, OR bought this 1989 Peterbilt 379, but at that point it looked nothing like it does today! When Jason brought it home, the rig had a 36” bunk and sat on a 248” wheelbase. It didn’t take Jason and his dad long to shorten it up to 238 inches, pull off the sleeper, and equip it with a removable dump box and a detachable 5th wheel, making Jason’s ride a quick-change unit.
Back then, when Jason first got the truck, it was all black and could be seen pulling a belly dump hauling asphalt one week then have the dump box mounted on it hauling rock the next! Jason has loved this truck since the day he got it, and who could complain – the 425 B-Model Cat with an 18-speed turning 3.90 ratio DS402’s always seemed to do just fine.
Jason has always stayed very busy simply by being versatile and willing to go where the work is – he’s hauled rock and paving materials throughout all of Oregon. But, earlier this year, Jason had a mishap out on a two-lane road just south of Portland and he and his truck ended up in a ditch. The good news was that Jason walked away without a scratch, but his 379 didn’t have that same luck! At that point, Jason only trusted one man (and shop) to “resurrect” his scraped up baby – Bill Abernethy of Commercial Collision & Paint in Central Point, Oregon.
Jason took his banged-up Peterbilt to Bill to do all of the repair work – and we’re sure glad he did! By looking at this now burnt-orange beauty, Bill and his crew gladly took on the job and managed to rebuild Jason’s truck with its original cab and hood – literally rebuilding his new cab around his dash. While they were at it, they dyed and restored the interior in all black and then rebuilt Jason’s aluminum headboard back to a flawless condition! Needless to say, Jason feels that he owes Bill a million “thanks” for all of his attention to detail and obvious skills in making his Peterbilt better than new.
In addition to Bill, there are many other people to thank, as well. Jason wanted to thank his dedicated wife Jennifer, their two children, Brooklyn and Rowdy, as well as his mom and dad, Jeff and Sandy. Jason’s parents have always played a huge roll in his success – whether it be Jeff helping every weekend with the cosmetic and maintenance upkeep on Jason’s equipment or Sandy out in the shop helping Jason switch his box gear around at midnight – they have always been there for Jason. Some might think Jason parks his equipment at his parent’s place because it is an ideal place, but it’s obvious that he does it to be close to his best friends!
Other special thanks go to Don & Kathy Kling of Junction City, owners of Conser Quarry (they not only keep Jason busy with work, but they also allowed us to take our pictures at their rock quarry). We all know it’s crucial to know a top-notch mechanic, and Jason is lucky to have Dan Alley of Junction City to help take care of his equipment. Dan has always been there for Jason, and he thanks him for that.
Jason Terrien’s 379 was always a worthy ride, but thanks to a bad circumstance, followed by some good decisions and great work done by Bill Abernethy and his crew, this rig has never looked better. We here at 10-4 are glad to see this “Show-On-The-Road” back on the road!