This month’s creation was built, for the second time, for Roger Rison (64) of Sabetha, KS. Roger got a truck from Clint last year (which we featured in the October 2015 edition) but, unfortunately, that rig got wrecked – it was rolled over – and a total loss. It is not often that Roger would let anyone else drive his Pete, but sometimes the milk just has to move.
It was the morning of June 20th, 2016, and Roger had to go to a meeting, so he had one of his drivers, Randy Plattner, run a load for him in his truck. Traveling west on Hwy. 36 in Kansas, at the Beattie exit, Randy found himself in a bad situation: a pick-up truck hooked to a trailer that didn’t stop at a stop sign pulled right out in front of him. Randy did the best job anyone could ever do to avoid T-boning the guy, but still wound-up hitting him.
After the collision, Randy went into a ditch, and then the milk did its thing. With no baffles inside these types of trailers, that milk sloshed around inside and put the truck on its top. When the rescue workers arrived at the scene, they had to cut Randy loose, as he was hanging upside-down in the cab by his seat belt. It’s a miracle that he wasn’t seriously injured – just pretty sore. The other guy made it, as well.
The truck, on the other hand, did not fare as well – it was a total loss. Roger went to the scene and was heartbroken and relieved at the same time – happy that no one was seriously injured, but saddened deeply that his almost-new Peterbilt did not make it. One headlight was about the only thing salvageable on the entire combination. Needing to cover the milk loads, Roger had to rent a truck and a trailer to continue serving his customers.
Roger really loved his original truck, so he had Clint order him another one almost exactly like it. This new 389 is a 44-inch flattop featuring two-tone factory paint in gray and black. The rig also has a 560-hp ISX Cummins, an 18-speed, and Flex-Air suspension. The folks at the factory helped with scheduling to get it as fast as they could, and once it came in, Clint and the guys in the shop got right on it.
Like the last truck, the guys in the shop added a visor, stainless window trim pieces, breather lights and a dump valve on the steer axle. They also added a Shox Box, a smooth (painted) deck plate, half fenders on Clint’s custom brackets, cab skirts, a louvered grill and extra cab lights. As always, Clint’s dad chopped the air cleaners.
On this rig, Roger opted to go six inches longer, and had Clint hide the urea tank. They also installed different-style straight pipes and a lighted “I” panel between the tanks. The final touch was adding chromed aluminum rims from Wheel Creations PVD in Downey, CA.
As much as Roger loved his original truck, he likes this new one, thanks to the slight upgrades, just a little bit more. And, just like that, Roger was back to “Moov’n Milk” again! Unlike the first truck, let’s hope that this Peterbilt has a long and successful life.