10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

TRUCK WORLD!
Story & Photos by Roving Reporter Suzanne Stempinski

Truck World is Canada’s National Truck Show. This year, it was held in Toronto and featured the latest and greatest for all things related to trucking - trucks, trailers, accessories, insurance, companies to work for, tires, tracking systems, seminars, more, more, more and... beautiful show trucks! It seems that no trucking event is complete without examples of outstanding drivers and their rigs on display for the public to examine and appreciate. This year, participants didn’t have to deal with the unpredictability of spring rains as the trucks were parked inside the convention center – drawing crowds from opening to closing.

Many of the truckers based in Canada spend their time running across the borders, hauling goods from Canada to the United States, and returning with loads from all 48 states - keeping the balance of trade going strong. Coming as no surprise to us, 10-4 Magazine is required reading for many of our northern friends. In fact, Gary Jackson of Extended Hood Sport Trucks insists that if he doesn’t bring home half a dozen copies of the current issue each month, he catches plenty of grief from his friends and family in the Great White North.

Gary and his wife, Jennifer, have spent the past two years modifying an eye-catching Peterbilt 379. They narrowed the hood by 6", extended it by a whopping 10", dropped the roof of the cab by 3" and the sleeper by 5", removed all the exterior door handles, and created custom stainless pieces to emphasize the loooooong, lean look. The interior is still a work-in-progress, but Gary expects that within the next month, the cherry wood floor, stainless steel dash panels and black leather interior will be complete. The stunningly good-looking truck drew many appreciative visitors. Their fledgling aftermarket stainless accessories company is based in New Dundee, Ontario, Canada and they are hoping to expand distribution into the U.S. In the meantime, Gary hauls office furniture parts and LTL freight to Southern California, and LTL back to Toronto.

A truck which has become a crowd favorite in the U.S., and is now Truck World’s 2004 Best of Show (Combo) winner, truck owner Mike McLane and driver Max Haertling’s red and white Kenworth W900L pulling a matching reefer trailer is based out of Missouri, hauling all over the U.S. They made the trip to Canada and enjoyed the warm hospitality of our neighbors to the north. Quick to make friends, the two also shared cleaning supplies, tips and tricks of the show trade with their new buddies – staying up all night to get their truck ready for judging.

Stephen Proctor is starting early – at just 19 years young, he was responsible for cleaning, parking and showing three of his family’s trucks. Along with some help from his brother and sister, he’s growing with the family’s cartage business – hauling containers, trailers and doing whatever needs to be done to maintain the equipment. Eager to learn and expand his skills and knowledge, Stephen looks forward to a long trucking career – and not just because it’s what his family does, but because it’s what he’s choosing to do.

The National Truck Beauty Contest was organized by Stars & Stripes Show Truck Events and presented by HighwayStar Magazine. The show’s sponsors included Peterbilt, Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Co., CanCom Tracking, Dieter’s Metal Fabricating, and Glasvan Great Dane. And the trophies for Truck World 2004 were proudly awarded to:

WORKING OWNER OPERATOR (COMBO): 1st Mike McLane/Max Haertling, 1997 White & Red Kenworth W900L & 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Dan Lubberts, 2002 Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2003 Manac.
WORKING OWNER OPERATOR (BOBTAIL): 1st Larry Davis, 2001 Blue Freightliner Classic XL; 2nd J.R. Menard Ltd./Stephane Gauthier, 1999 Black & Blue Freightliner FLD120; 3rd Darrin Ladds, 2003 Tan & Burgundy Peterbilt 379.

WORKING CLASSIC (BOBTAIL): 1st Procter’s Cartage Ltd./Stephen Procter, 1986 Black & Teal Ford LTL 9000; 2nd Dave Street, 1978 Black Peterbilt 359.
COMPANY TRUCK (COMBO): 1st Yanke Group/Paul Miller, 2004 Blue Volvo VN670 & 2004 Utility Van; 2nd Bison Transport/Paul D’Aoust, 2004 Volvo VN670 & 2004 Wabash Van; 3rd Hyndman Transport/Paul Martin, 2004 White Peterbilt 387 & 2004 Stoughton Van.
COMPANY TRUCK (BOBTAIL): 1st Burnbrae Farms/Derek Graham, 2003 White Volvo 420; 2nd Procter’s Cartage Ltd./Stephen Procter, 1997 Black & Teal International Eagle; 3rd F.T.I./Jim Ross, 2003 Blue Freightliner Columbia.
ANTIQUE NON-WORKING (COMBO): 1st Krome Transportation/Marty Kroft, 1965 Red Mack B47 & 1951 Trailmobile Flatbed; 2nd Cam Hiltz, 1960 Red Mack B61 & 1955 King Van; 3rd Innocon, Inc./Bill Millar, Jr., 1961 Teal Mack B-Model & 1960 Ready-Mix Trailer.
ANTIQUE NON-WORKING (BOBTAIL): 1st F.T.I./Jim Ross, 1928 Blue Ford Model AA; 2nd Cam Hiltz, 1948 Red Ford F6; 3rd Procter’s Cartage/Stephen Procter, 1974 White & Teal Dodge Bighorn.

INTERIOR (CAB ONLY): 1st Mike McLane/Max Haertling, 1997 White & Red Kenworth W900L & 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Larry Davis, 2001 Blue Freightliner Classic XL; 3rd J.R. Menard Ltd./Stephane Gauthier, 1999 Black & Blue Freightliner FLD120.
INTERIOR (OEM SLEEPER): 1st Dan Lubberts, 2002 Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2003 Manac; 2nd Yanke Group/Paul Miller, 2004 Blue Volvo VN670 & 2004 Utility Van.
ENGINE: 1st Larry Davis, 2001 Blue Freightliner Classic XL; 2nd Dave Street, 1978 Black Peterbilt 359; 3rd Mike McLane/Max Haertling, 1997 White & Red Kenworth W900L & 1998 Great Dane Reefer.
CUSTOM PAINT (COMBO): 1st Mike McLane/Max Haertling, 1997 White & Red Kenworth W900L & 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Dan Lubberts, 2002 Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2003 Manac.
CUSTOM PAINT (BOBTAIL): 1st J.R. Menard Ltd./Stephane Gauthier, 1999 Black & Blue Freightliner FLD120; 2nd Larry Davis, 2001 Blue Freightliner Classic XL.
LIMITED MILEAGE (COMBO): 1st Lacey Dalton, 2004 Black/Blue/Hawaiian Orchid Peterbilt 379 & 2004 East Flatbed; 2nd Phil Langevin, 1985 White & Blue Peterbilt 359 & 2004 BWS Double Drop; 3rd Dynamic Fuel Systems/Greg Cortes, 2004 Blue Muralled Peterbilt 379 & 2002 Van.
LIMITED MILEAGE (BOBTAIL): 1st Sunrise Equipment/Stan Hamulecki, 1981 Burgundy & Purple Kenworth W900; 2nd John Camposeo, 1985 Green & Yellow Freightliner; 3rd Bruce Montgomery/1990 Black & Orange Peterbilt 379.
BEST OF SHOW (COMBO): Mike McLane/Max Haertling, 1997 White & Red Kenworth W900L & 1998 Great Dane Reefer.
BEST OF SHOW (BOBTAIL): Larry Davis, 2001 Blue Freightliner Classic XL
PARTICIPANT’S CHOICE: Krome Transportation/Marty Kroft, 1965 Red Mack B47 & 1951 Trailmobile Flatbed.