TEN FOUR MAGAZINE - TRUCKING ON-LINE MAGAZINE FOR TRUCKERS

OCTOBER 2003 TRUCKER TALK

AN INTRODUCTION
Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm Take the Wheel

As Suzanne and Bob hop on the off-ramp of writing this column, I’ve been offered the on-ramp to continue it – and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity. Along with my husband, Rod, and our furry child (a very spoiled black cocker spaniel named Lizzie), we run from Wisconsin to California and back nearly every week.

Our daughter Bethany is 24 and our grandson Liam is 2 1/2. Liam loves grandma and grandpa’s big truck and I can hardly wait until he is big enough to go along. Beth rode with us when she was younger and has seen all but the extreme northeast of the country and has been to Canada twice. Her favorite areas are any of the rugged Rocky Mountains out west. We’ll see where Liam likes it best one day.

I went to truck driving school 25 years ago and, upon graduation, drove a dump truck for seven years. Rod and I worked for the same company and got to go to work on the same jobs a lot of the time. The guys used to tease me and tell me I’d die hauling rock. I told them I was going to drive a Kenworth and run west. When we got on the road they said I’d last six months, and then it went to a year, and now over 17 years later, they give up – I’m a lifer. I once read if you have a job you love you’ll never work a day in your life. I don’t work!!

Today, we drive the truck I couldn’t even have imagined all those years ago. We call her Illusion. She’s a 1999 Kenworth W900-L AeroStudio. Thanks to Tod Job for the idea to shave the fenders and put single Double JJ headlights on her. Rod got the light blue color he wanted instead of my black lilac, but I still got black fenders and the whale tail, so we’re both happy. When we ordered it we wanted to make it look old. The new trucks are great but the old trucks have the looks! So with bullet cab lights, round air horns, round marker lights on the fenders, and the round headlights, looking at it from the front she looks older than a ’99 – part of her Illusion. Another part is the inside. All the woodwork was done by my brother Paul Wiley. It looks more like a house inside than a truck. He tells me, “You just drive the truck sis.” If you’ve seen the inside of our truck (and I’ve shown it a lot of times with Rod asleep), you will understand why Paul does the woodwork and I just drive. We also changed the graphics two years ago. We used shadeshifter tape that changes color from burgundy to gold – yet another Illusion.

Last year we bought our own trailer again (a 2001 Utility spread axle with a Thermo King Whisper unit), and now it is a complete unit! Talk about heaven! All our friends who owned spreads told us – and to all of you, it’s my pleasure to say, “You are all right!” A spread axle is the only way to go. The great ride, ease of loading, and it looks sooooo cool! Lots of stainless doesn’t hurt either (and it’s easier to clean than aluminum). Suzanne says the Kimmy (that’s me) National Anthem is Trace Adkins’ “Her Favorite Color is Chrome”. The only change he should make is that the truck in the song should be a Kenworth!

Our first show was in 1990 at the Walcott Trucker Jamboree, where I met a now very dear friend, Bette Garber. Over the years, we’ve made many new friends and the shows are a chance to get together, clean up trucks and have a good time. In June of 1999 we were chosen at Walcott to be on the 2000 Shell SuperRigs Calendar. What a thrill!! Then, in late 2000, our truck appeared on the number one card of the Cat Scale Card series for that year. Too cool! This spring, our truck was also chosen and then featured on the cover of the Iowa 80 chrome shop catalog. This year was our first time showing as a combination and I’m proud to say we did really well. In Louisville, we won Best of Show Professional Truck Combo, in Walcott we got first place for 1999-2004 and 2nd in Paint and Graphics, and in Reno we were the 3rd place Combination. It has been a very good year.

Now it is almost fall and I’m really going to miss my weather reports from Suzanne this winter. I’m really happy for her and Bob with their new house, lots of furry children (the cat is pregnant), the horse, and how much they’re enjoying being home. We won’t be ships passing in the night in Nebraska or Wyoming anymore. I’ll miss the phone tag from cell phone hell. That’s okay, I can still call her with “wishes you were here” when the weather is “fun” in Wyoming! If you pass us on the highway, be sure to say “Hi” and always remember to be safe out there. Talk to you next month!