10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

MIDWEST MANIA
By Roving Reporter Suzanne Stempinski

September in the Midwest is a beautiful time of year. The days are still warm and sunny, late summer and early fall foliage is abundant, crops still fill the farmers’ fields. Trucks run from coast to coast, enjoying those beautiful days before Mother Nature starts sending treacherous road conditions their way. It was a perfect time for the folks at the Bosselman Travel Center in Grand Island, Nebraska to hold their annual Customer Appreciation Event.

No effort was spared as the Bosselman family ordered up an enormous tent which was placed in their parking lot. Exhibitors displayed their wares; free steak and barbecue dinners were offered to CDL holders and trucks from near and far came to share in the celebration. Music filled the air as Joey Holiday and T.C. Bush put on their show, a couple of local bands played for the crowds, fireworks lit up the night sky and beautiful trucks were showed to their best advantage as Stars & Stripes put on their last Truck Beauty Contest of the 2005 season.

In addition to a collection of trucks from all over the U. S. and Canada, Nebraska companies were well represented in the competition. Doug Vanderloop, who lives in Grand Island, brought his beautiful black Peterbilt 379; Holt Transportation out of Ewing, NE sent two trucks; White Farms of Doniphan, NE had five trucks competing; Gene Dudley of Sargent, NE brought a really neat red 1962 International water pumper truck; Dennis Terry from Dannabray, NE drove in with his 2004 mocha pearl Peterbilt 379; and Dean Wills, from Garland, NE showed up with his yellow 1980 Peterbilt 359 and matching golf cart. You may remember that truck because it used to belong to Mike Humphries and was featured on our cover way back in August of 2000 (of course, it has changed quite a bit since then).

The competition was fierce but friendly as old-timers and newcomers to the art of truck showing worked together to make their trucks shine brightly. Camaraderie and elbow grease marked the efforts in the parking lot as the competitors worked diligently to take the dirt off their trucks in preparation for judging. Ladders and polish; cleaning rags and nut covers; paint pens and bug remover – if someone ran short, someone else had a supply to share, along with tips and suggestions.

At most any given truck show, long-nose Peterbilts make up roughly 2/3 of the trucks on the show lot. But that doesn’t stop the folks who own other brands from walking away with big wins. This time, there was representation from a variety of OEMs in the winner’s circle, including Kenworth, International, Volvo, Freightliner (Columbia) and Western Star.

At the top of the heap, with his first Best of Show Combo win, Les Sullivan of Springfield, IL was left speechless (photo 1). His beautiful Western Star 4964EX – white with purple flames, and shiny stainless Wabash reefer trailer, also sporting purple flames and a picture of his grandson, Sammy – hauls LTL freight from Chicago to California and produce back to the Midwest. He began his truck show adventures in March of this year in Louisville, where he took home a second place trophy for his paint. A couple of other second place trophies followed at other shows. For Sullivan, the priority was not to win big, but just to do the best he could. A huge fan of Western Star trucks, he just wanted to put them in the best possible light. After winning first place in his main class, he figured that was good enough. But when his name was called as the Best of Show Combo winner, Sullivan, a Vietnam War veteran, had tears in his eyes. “I never expected this,” he explained. “It was more than I ever believed possible.”

Truck show veterans and all-around industry ambassadors Harvey and Karen Zander brought home another Best of Show Bobtail trophy with their International 9900ix, “Icy Blu 2” (photo 3). The Zanders shared Best of Show Bobtail honors with “Freshly Squeezed”, the clean white and orange Peterbilt 379 short hood proudly driven by Clint Dicks of Lake City, Florida.

A 2005 Kenworth W900L was awarded three trophies. James Speich of Janesvile, WI has gorgeous murals on his tractor and hopper trailer – depicting his career in trucking on one side, and life on the beach on the other. Look for this truck named “5:00 Somewhere” (photo 2) at a variety of shows in 2006 – starting at Mid-America in Louisville, March 23-25.

A 2006 Freightliner Columbia, owned by Sitton Motor Lines and driven by first-time competitors Dale and Wanda Hamen, brought home a second place trophy in the Company Combo class. The Hamens weren’t sure they even wanted to enter the show, but even before the awards ceremony, they were sure glad they participated. “We had more fun than we ever imagined, and now we want to bring this truck to more shows,” Dale said. “Even though we can’t make very many changes to a company truck, we’re proud to keep it clean and show it off. We really like the company we drive for, and it’s a good recruiting tool to show off what nice equipment they give us to drive. It’s our home and we’re proud of it!”

Stars and Stripes Show Truck Events are sponsored by: Peterbilt Motors Company, Chevron DELO, Newport’s RoadStar Magazine, International Truck and Engine Corporation, OOIDA, Rockwood Products, Alcoa Wheel Products, PPG Industries, Freightliner, Howes Lubricator Products, Valley Chrome Plating, Arvin Meritor, Road Works Manufacturing, The Holland Group, Truk-Rodz by Jones Performance, Rig Skirts, White Diamond Metal Polish, Midnight Trucking Radio, Panelite, and Lifetime Lug Nut Covers. And the winners were:

BOBTAIL (COMPANY TRUCK): 1st Terry Dicks Trucking/Clint Dicks, Lake City, FL – 2000 White & Orange Peterbilt 379 (Freshly Squeezed); 2nd White Farms/Brian Sonney, Doniphan, NE – 2004 White & Carmel Peterbilt 379; 3rd White Farms/Dan Henry, Doniphan, NE – 2004 Red Peterbilt 379.

BOBTAIL (OWNER/OPERATOR): 1st Harvey & Karen Zander, St. Louis Park, MN – 2003 Blue Muralled International 9900ix (Icy Blu 2); 2nd Tom & Mary Ann Quick, LaFollette, TN – 2000 White, Red & Blue Kenworth W900L; 3rd Novosad Enterprises/Randy Supak, Caldwell, TX – 2001 White & Blue Peterbilt 379 (Pearl).

COMBO (COMPANY TRUCK): 1st White Farms/Cody White, Doniphan, NE – 2003 Black Peterbilt 379 & 2004 Great Dane; 2nd Sitton Motor Lines/Dale & Wanda Hamen, Richland, MO – 2006 Gold Freightliner Columbia & 1998 Lufkin Van; 3rd Foreway Transportation/David Vanderleest – 2004 Volvo 610 & 2004 Stoughton Van.

COMBO (OWNER/OPERATOR): 1st Les Sullivan, Springfield, IL – 2003 White & Purple Western Star 4964EX & 2001 Wabash Reefer (Legacy); 2nd (tie) Tom & Kim Turner, Cynthiana, KY – 1995 Teakwood & Beige Peterbilt 379 & 2003 Transcraft Stepdeck (El Dorado) AND Wagon Tracks, Inc/Chris Meyer, Edgar, NE – 2004 Burgundy & Teak Peterbilt 379 & 2004 Wilson Hopper (Paid By The Pound); 3rd Jerry Arneson, Inc/James Speich, Janesville, WI – 2005 Black Muralled Kenworth W900L & 2005 Timpte Hopper (5:00 Somewhere).

ANTIQUE: 1st Dansa Distributing/Dan & Zack Kemerling, Wahoo, NE – 1980 Gray & Black Peterbilt 359; 2nd Jay Sterling, Windsor, Ontario, Canada – 1978 Red Peterbilt 359; 3rd Dean Wills, Garland, NE – 1980 Yellow Peterbilt 359.

LIGHTS (BOBTAIL): 1st Tom & Mary Ann Quick, LaFollette, TN – 2000 White, Red & Blue Kenworth W900L; 2nd Harvey & Karen Zander, St. Louis Park, MN – 2003 Blue Muralled International 9900ix (Icy Blu 2); 3rd Terry Dicks Trucking/Clint Dicks, Lake City, FL – 2000 White & Orange Peterbilt 379 (Freshly Squeezed).

LIGHTS (COMBO): 1st Tom & Kim Turner, Cynthiana, KY – 1995 Teakwood & Beige Pete 379 & 2003 Transcraft Stepdeck (El Dorado); 2nd Wagon Tracks, Inc/Chris Meyer, Edgar, NE – 2004 Burgundy & Teak Peterbilt 379 & 2004 Wilson Hopper (photo 4); 3rd Jerry Arneson, Inc/James Speich, Janesville, WI – 2005 Black Muralled Kenworth W900L & 2005 Timpte Hopper (5:00 Somewhere).

MOST HEAD-TURNING CHROME & STAINLESS: Tom & Kim Turner, Cynthiana, KY – 1995 Teakwood & Beige Peterbilt 379 & 2003 Transcraft Stepdeck (El Dorado).
BEST THEME: Jerry Arneson, Inc/James Speich, Janesville, WI – 2005 Black Muralled Kenworth W900L & 2005 Timpte Hopper (5:00 Somewhere).

FLEET (MOST TRUCKS): White Farms – 5 trucks.

BEST OF SHOW BOBTAIL: (tie) Harvey & Karen Zander, St. Louis Park, MN – 2003 Blue Muralled International 9900ix (Icy Blu 2) AND Terry Dicks Trucking/Clint Dicks, Lake City, FL – 2000 White & Orange Pete 379 (Freshly Squeezed).

BEST OF SHOW COMBO: Les Sullivan, Springfield, IL – 2003 White & Purple Western Star 4964EX & 2001 Wabash Reefer (Legacy).