Everyone knows there is a gulf coast, west coast and east coast, but what about the Midwest? There are no oceans to be found in the Midwest, just farmland, windmills and of course, big rides. Since there is no “coast” in the Midwest, when the crew from Lifetime Nut Covers decided to host an event nine years ago, it only seemed fitting to call it the No Coast Large Cars show. At first the name was just a joke (a Facebook group), but eventually it became a movement, and now, a show that happens each year.
What originally started as just a one-day show changed five years ago to a two-day show. The 2019 event, held on August 31 and September 1, was the best one yet, with 105 trucks parked at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Britt, IA. This year was my first year attending the show, and it was great to see not only plenty of beautiful trucks, but also plenty of people I’m fortunate enough to call friends – and make some new ones, as well.
Trucks in attendance, to name a few, were Grant Hansen Trucking’s 2007 Peterbilt 379 pulling a 2017 Smith Co side dump, Austin Jamvold-Banks with his 1994 Peterbilt 379 pulling a 2018 Wilson Silver Star livestock trailer and Clinton and Jacey Schutjer of Schutjer Trucking and their newly-painted 2006 Peterbilt 379 pulling a 2014 Wilson 42’ hopper. Some others included Lucas and Heather Ratcliffe’s 2003 Peterbilt 379, with redesigned stripes, pulling a 2007 Walker smooth bore 6,800-gallon tanker, Dan Brown with his pressed-out 1998 Peterbilt 379 and IMT Transport from Garner, IA. IMT was out in full force, with several trucks, supporting not only a hometown show, but their friends at Lifetime Nut Covers, too.
Trucks were already being parked Friday evening, but a good handful of rigs opted to park up at Lifetime Nut Covers’ shop for a pre-show cookout. This was a nice opportunity for not only attendees to visit, but also for the crew who put on the show to catch a little break before their busy schedules got crazy at the show that weekend.
Registration opened at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 31st. By then, a good amount of people were starting to wipe their trucks down while others, that were already finished, began to gather around each other to converse in lawn chairs with beverages. MOJO Productions DJ service provided music throughout the show, with the exception of that evening, when Farm Rock took the stage around 9:00 PM during the light show. The attendees at this event had everything they needed, including food vendors and a beer garden.
A small handful of vendors in attendance included Big Rig Chrome Shop of Oshkosh, WI, Bob Conrad from Gear Jammer Magazine, Steve Ford of LargeCar Magazine and, of course, a booth filled with Lifetime Nut Covers and No Coast Large Cars swag.
Rags went down around 11:00 AM on Sunday, September 1st, and judging went from then until 3:00 PM. Many silent auction items and raffles were up for grabs, including our donation of (2) one-year subscriptions and “10-4 Bucks” ($104 cash) which, if you don’t know, is always a crisp hundred-dollar bill and (2) two-dollar bills. The lucky recipients of these fun prizes were Jason Verbrugge and Junior Valenzuela.
The awards ceremony started at around 4:00 PM, and this year’s awards were amazing – something awesome to see, but even more so to win! These flag-inspired awards were designed and made in-house by Lifetime Nut Covers after Nicholle Erdahl, advocate and promoter of the show, came up with the idea. Rockwood Products also donated two 24” x 16” metal prints, which were won this year by Grant Hansen and Robert “Woody” Palmer.
The weather was great the entire show, which coincided with the 38th Annual Britt Draft Horse Show. At the end of the awards, we were all surprised as one of the draft horse teams from the neighboring event made a pass through where all the trucks were parked. Now, you don’t see that every day!
The show promoters wanted to send out special thanks to all the event sponsors: IMT Transport, Commercial Services, Valley Chrome Plating, 4 State Trucks, Bells & Whistles Chrome Shop, Wilkins Oklahoma Truck Supply, Silver Customs, Allstate Parts & Service Group, Roadsknz, Ennis Corp., K3 Farms, Stars & Stripes, Red Power Team, Schleuger’s Trucking, 10-4 Magazine, Capital City Chrome & Customs, Terry’s Tool Sales, Gear Jammer Magazine, JJ&L Trucking, Interstate PowerSystems, Berube’s Truck Accessories, Howard Precision Metals, Hogebuilt, Midwest Peterbilt Group, Tifco Industries, Rockwood, California Custom, MOJO Productions, LargeCar Magazine, JMR, PKY Truck Beauty Championships, Iowa80.com, Van Der Zwaag Customs, Big Rig Chrome Shop, Outlaw Truck Parts, BLT Chrome Shop and Midwest Duct Works.
Shows always seem to go too fast (it seemed I blinked and then the show was over)! I really enjoyed the No Coast Large Cars show and look forward to the next opportunity I can attend. Thank you to Nicholle Erdahl and JR and Chelcee Schleuger for the hospitality and warm welcome, and for putting on such a great and enjoyable event. Hey, who needs a coast! As always, to all the drivers out there doing the deal, truck safe.
BOBTAIL (1994 & OLDER): 1st Ryan Anderson of Anderson Farms, Clarion, IA (1987 Peterbilt 379); 2nd Matt Schleuger of Matt Schleuger Trucking, Wesley, IA (1993 Kenworth K100E); 3rd Chase Monson of Monson & Sons, Britt, IA (1985 Peterbilt 359).
BOBTAIL (1995-2002): 1st Jerry Boehm of LB Transport, Buffalo Center, IA (1999 Kenworth W900); 2nd Bob Tubbs of Bob Tubbs Trucking, Clinton, IA (1996 Kenworth W900L); 3rd Wyatt Kucera of Bears Trucking, Brandon, IA (1998 Kenworth W900L).
BOBTAIL (2003-2009): 1st Steph Robak of Robak Auto Transport, Long Prairie, MN (2006 Peterbilt 379); 2nd Big Jim Halliday of Robak Auto Transport, Long Prairie, MN (2006 Pete 379); 3rd Ben Monson of Monson & Sons, Britt, IA (2005 Pete 379).
BOBTAIL (2010 & NEWER): 1st Aaron Walters of Walters Transport Service, Pipestone, MN (2019 Pete 389); 2nd JC Nehring of Sully, Hubbard, IA (2019 Kenworth W900L); 3rd Tyler Munoz of Monson & Sons, Britt, IA (2019 Peterbilt 389).
COMBO (1994 & OLDER): 1st Austin Jamvold-Banks of Jamvold-Banks Trucking, Effingham, KS (1994 Pete 379); 2nd Wade Beck, Des Moines, IA (1986 Peterbilt 359).
COMBO (1995-2002): 1st Kyle Bellcock of Bellcock Farms, Rockwell City, IA (1999 Peterbilt 379); 2nd Robert Palmer of Bruno Trucking, Benton, PA (1999 Peterbilt 379); 3rd Brody Vaske of BV Transport, Bancroft, IA (1998 Peterbilt 379).
COMBO (2003-2009): 1st Clinton Schutjer of Schutjer Trucking, Woden, IA (2006 Peterbilt 379); 2nd Shannon Lique of Team Logan, Medford, MN (2006 Peterbilt 379); 3rd Barry Kucera of Bears Trucking, Traer, IA (2004 Kenworth).
COMBO (2010 & NEWER): 1st Cody Jaeschke of Jaeschke Trucking, Fort Dodge, IA (2017 Peterbilt 389); 2nd Kurt Davis of Davis Transport, Fort Dodge, IA (2019 Peterbilt 389); 3rd Ryan Schrader of Sunset Trucking, Easton, MN (2011 Peterbilt 389).
LIMITED MILEAGE: 1st TJ Kounkel of Kounkel Trucking, Merrill, IA (2018 Peterbilt 389); 2nd Dan Brown of Brown Transport, Grinnell, IA (1998 Peterbilt 379).
LIGHTS AT NIGHT BOBTAIL: 1st Steph Robak of Robak Auto Transport, Long Prairie, MN (2006 Peterbilt 379); 2nd Aaron Walters of Walters Transport, Pipestone, MN (2019 Peterbilt 389); 3rd JR of Giza Contracting, Creston, IA (1999 Peterbilt 379).
LIGHTS AT NIGHT COMBO: 1st Cody Jaeschke of Jaeschke Trucking, Fort Dodge, IA (2017 Peterbilt 389); 2nd Pat Hoffman of Pat Hoffman Trkg, Mankato, MN (2007 International 9400i); 3rd Austin Jamvold-Banks of Jamvold-Banks Trucking, Effingham, KS (1994 Peterbilt 379).
LOCAL BOYS AWARD: 1st Clinton Schutjer of Schutjer Trucking, Woden, IA (2006 Pete 379); 2nd Kurt Davis of Davis Trucking, Fort Dodge, IA (2019 Pete 389); 3rd Tyler Munoz of Monson & Sons, Britt, IA (2019 Peterbilt 389).
FARTHEST TRAVELED: Chris Barrick of RML Transport, Fayetteville, PA (2005 Peterbilt 379) – 1,150 miles.
BUTCH SCHLEUGER TROPHY: Kyle Bellcock of Bellcock Farms, Rockwell City, IA (1999 Peterbilt 379).
LIFETIME’S CHOICE: Carrie Sorenson of E & E Beshey Trucking, Britt, IA (2005 Peterbilt 379).
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: T.J. Kounkel of Kounkel Trucking, Merrill, IA (2018 Peterbilt 389).
BEST OF SHOW BOBTAIL: Aaron Walters of Walters Transport, Pipestone, MN (2019 Peterbilt 389).
BEST OF SHOW COMBO: T.J. Kounkel of Kounkel Trucking, Merrill, IA (2018 Peterbilt 389).