Hendrickson – A Rare Breed Indeed

Dan Pegram of Lincoln, Illinois, really likes Hendrickson trucks.  The 1966 B-model seen here is one of five that he owns – six if you count the parts truck.  This one here is equipped with a 250 Cummins engine, a 13-speed Roadranger transmission, and a 4:11 rear-end gear ratio.  It was originally owned by Blue Arrow Trucking of Flint, Michigan, and hauled freight until the company went out of business in the 1980s after deregulation.  A construction company that Dan worked for in the 1990s bought the truck, painted it green, and turned it into a water truck.  The construction company went out of business in 2003, several years after Dan left.  When he learned the company’s equipment was for sale, Dan bought not only this Hendrickson, but also three others.  The truck had been worked hard and abused, so Dan had his work cut out for him.  Fortunately, his wife and kids like to get involved in his projects, so they helped Dan on the restoration.  Because his father drove a tanker rig for Sunoco for many years, Dan had initially planned to make the truck resemble a Sunoco combination, complete with a matching Fruehauf tanker trailer.  However, his father passed away before the restoration was completed, so Dan and his family decided to paint it the same blue color it had been originally.  The restoration was completed in 2005.  He is currently working on a 1967 Hendrickson, and when that one is finished he will have five fully-restored Hendricksons – a 1965, a 1966, a 1967, and two 1974s – which is a very extensive collection for such a rare breed of truck!