This month’s creation was built for Jim Williams of Eudora, Kansas. The truck featured here is the latest rig Jim has ordered and purchased through Clint Moore and Kansas City Peterbilt, as he has been ordering all of his new trucks through them since 2001. Jim has been a great customer for Clint. Looking back, Clint realized that he had never featured any of Jim’s previous creations, which surprised him, because many of them have been pretty cool.
Jim (60) is the son of John and Elizabeth Williams, and he grew up near Lawrence, Kansas. His dad had an 8th grade education, but he taught Jim a good work ethic that he still lives by today. Jim is reminded of his dad every day as he goes to work, turning on to John L. Williams Drive, the street his office is now located on, which is named in honor of his father.
John Williams, Jim’s father, was a repairman for appliances and anything electrical – he even had his own TV repair shop. He also worked at the Hercules Powder Company in De Soto, Kansas, which made highly-explosive chemicals for rocket fuel and ammunition – it was John’s job to manage the electrical devices used at the plant because some of them, if used near the product, could set it off. John passed away at age 62 from cancer, and 10 years later, Jim lost his mom, too.
Jim started his working life with Fred Bones in 1976, doing whatever was needed because he was married to his daughter, Kathy, back then (they are no longer married). When Jim turned 21, he started driving a truck and trailer for Fred until he passed away four years later. Then, he began helping out in the office, dispatching and working on the trucks. He worked there until 1998, when he decided to do his own thing, and started a business called Glaser Williams, which is now a nationwide freight transportation company and one of the largest expediters of end dump freight in the United States. Their company slogan – “We’re Moving Mountains” – pretty much sums up what they do.
In 2000, Jim started a trucking company called JK Williams and began a relationship with Kansas City Peterbilt. Clint was the lucky guy who, in 2001, was able to sell Jim a new 6NZ-powered Pete. Jim told Clint to order it with every option available. Since then, Jim has ordered many more new Peterbilts through Clint, and each time he lets Clint pick the color and options. Clint was like, “Really? I love my job!” Some of the most memorable ones were ordered in 2005, which featured several different bright colors. Jim asked Clint what inspired him to choose those colors, and Clint answered, “I had an M&M’s candy wrapper in my desk drawer.”
The latest addition to the JK Williams family is the new Pete 389 seen here. With a 72-inch flattop sleeper, a 272-inch wheelbase, two-tone blue with a factory “outline” paint scheme and a bunch of shiny stuff, along with a Platinum interior package with all the goodies, this rig is like most of the trucks in Jim’s fleet – simple and clean. Once the truck arrived, the guys in the shop installed one of Clint’s visors, straight stacks, and the infamous grill-shell-mounted mirror, which all of Jim’s trucks have for insurance reasons.
Clint wanted to thank his good friend Rich Pavlich for helping him pick the colors and specs on this truck. The dash plate on this one says, “HARD HABIT TO BREAK” because once trucking gets in your blood, you’re pretty much done.
If trucking is in your blood, Jim is looking for some good people to join him. He is currently looking for owner operators and drivers, and if you have your own authority, he has lots of end dump freight in the U.S. and Canada, which he brokers every day. If you are interested, check them out online (www.glaserwilliams.com). This outfit is highly-recommended by Clint. In fact, he said, “If I had a truck, I’d lease it to Jim!”
Jim is a very valuable customer, not only to Kansas City Peterbilt, but to their neighbors, Utility Trailer of Kansas City – he purchases and maintains all of his trucks and trailers at these two locations. Jim runs Clement aluminum end dumps that he buys from Clint’s neighbor, Jeff (one of his new end dumps was even on display last year in Clement’s booth at the big truck show in Louisville, Kentucky). Clint is proud to call Jim his customer and friend, and if you are seriously interested in “moving mountains” with Jim and his company, Clint urges you to check them out today. You won’t be disappointed!
EDITOR’S NOTE: In last month’s story we mentioned Eric Baudino’s custom exhaust system made for Clint by Lincoln Chrome. We wanted to clarify that his system features a “floating” 8-inch Y-pipe and no visible brackets under the cab. Today, there are other complete 8-inch systems available for the newer Peterbilts, but none have the “floating” Y-pipe, which is what makes Eric’s (and his cousin Nick’s) system unique.