This month’s creation was built for Randy Bryan (59) of Fallon, Nevada. With a strong military background, Randy is very patriotic, so he worked hard to ensure that everything that went on his truck (or as much as possible) was American-made. Randy is also a firm believer in making a good first impression, so he wanted a truck that would do the same – and the striking red rig seen here, is certainly gettin’ it done.
Like a lot of us, Randy grew up playing with toy trucks and dreaming of one day owning a real one. Always a hard worker, Randy did anything he could to earn money while still in school and took summer courses to get ahead – so much so, he was able to graduate a year early. Growing up in a military family (his father served in the Navy during WW-II), it only made sense for Randy to follow in his father’s footsteps, so he enlisted in the Air Force (1974-1978). When he got out, he took a civil service job at the Department of Defense, where he specialized in ammo testing and bomb diffusing.
After the first Gulf War ended, Randy returned to Nevada where he was involved in building some testing sites and ranges, which required running some heavy equipment and big trucks. This re-ignited Randy’s childhood passions of owning a truck, so he went out and bought a used 1993 Kenworth W900, which he started running on his days off. In 2001, he left the civil service and his part-time job became his full-time career. A year later, he purchased a sweet bright red 2000 Pete 379 and, all these years later, Randy still has both of these trucks. In regards to his decision to go trucking, Randy said, “Looking out that windshield is the best office view anyone could ever have.”
Recently, in an effort to be compliant, Randy decided to order a new truck. Having been an avid fan and reader of 10-4 Magazine for years, he decided to call Clint. After getting to know each other, Clint started teasing Randy about his old ammo testing job, saying, “There are no second chances in ammo testing” – and that, eventually, became the name of the new truck.
The new truck is a red 389 Peterbilt with a 78-inch high-roof sleeper, loaded with all of the goodies they could think of. During this build, Randy got to know Jesus (A.K.A. Moose) in the shop real well, and the two finally got to meet in person when he picked it up. Cody, Leonard, Charlie and countless others were also involved in this lengthy build, and Randy brought a special “thank you” gift for each one of them.
Looking for USA-made products, Randy bought most of his accessories from RoadWorks Manufacturing, including the bumper, visors, cab and sleeper skirts, breather lights, window chops, grill screen and bars, and countless other items. He also had a wood floor, made by our friends at Rockwood Products, another American outfit, installed, as well. The rear fenders are modified Hogebuilts on hidden brackets, and the 8-inch pipes are from Dynaflex. The truck also features five cab lights, chopped breather screens and a painted (black) deck plate. Randy plans to get a headache rack from Highway Products out of Oregon, another proud American company.
Randy has two grown kids and two young grandchildren. His son Sean (29) and his wife Alice have a brand new daughter, Sophie (who can be seen in the photo with Randy sitting in his truck) – she is only a month old! Sean is a hard rock miner in Alaska, but they live in Colorado (his work schedule allows him to be home a lot). Randy’s daughter, Mollie (27), and her husband Jeff, also have a daughter, named Paisley (3).
Pulling either an open stepdeck trailer or one with a curtain, Randy mostly runs out west and to the southern states. In life – and bomb diffusing – you rarely get a second chance to make a first impression, so Randy Bryan works hard to look good all the time. If you see him out there running hard, you can be sure that his bright red Peterbilt will be looking top-notch. And, if it isn’t, feel free to let him know!