Jason Allen of Herefordshire, United Kingdom, has been a fan of American trucks since he was a child. He used to write to Kenworth, Peterbilt, Mack, International and other manufacturers in the United States to ask for brochures. His biggest dream was to one day own an American truck, and in 2002 his dream came true – and his truck is not only a true American truck, it’s a true American classic! Jason knows this for a fact, because he had the pleasure of bringing it home from America himself. In October 2002, Jason went to Los Angeles, California to buy this truck and had the honor of driving it on its last journey in the States. According to the original specs for the truck, it was powered by a Small Cam Cummins diesel NHCT 270 turbocharged engine. It had a Fuller 10-speed transmission with Rockwell rear axles, a Rockwell front axle, and a 36-inch sleeper. The previous owner installed a 60-inch sleeper, and the truck now has a 400-hp Big Cam Cummins diesel engine, along with a three-stage Jake brake. The Kenworth was purchased new in 1966 by the Schaeffer company, which operated a coast-to-coast refrigerated express service out of Los Angeles. The company later became H & I Schaeffer and moved its headquarters to Phoenix, Arizona. Schaeffer operated from California’s produce areas to the eastern US, hauling produce eastbound and anything westbound. The Schaeffer fleet, which was almost entirely Kenworths, had about 25 tractors at its peak. According to the title, some of the rig’s owners after Schaeffer include Harley Potts Transportation Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah; North American LLC of Salt Lake City, Utah; and John P. Goggin of Moreno Valley, California. Jason was told that the last owner, John Goggin, was still working the truck until 2002 as an owner operator, running daily from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, pulling a reefer. Jason purchased the Kenworth from American Truck and Trailer in Fontana, California, who was selling it on behalf of John Goggin’s widow. A truck driver in England, Jason proudly drives this Kenworth regularly for pleasure and enjoys turning heads. He takes it to shows and parks alongside British trucks of the same period, but they seem years (and worlds) apart.
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John & Shirley Sponholtz
John & Shirley Sponholtz have been involved with old trucks for over 20 years. Shirley was editor at Wheels of Time for 12 years before going out on her own and starting Old Time Trucks magazine in 2004. John is an avid photographer who enjoys taking pictures of odd and/or rare trucks (he provides most of the pictures for this article and their magazine). John & Shirley, who are from Richmond, Indiana, have been regular contributors to 10-4 Magazine since 2006.