Matt Green of MTG Contracting in Kunkletown, PA is no stranger to building cool trucks, and his latest one is a home run! The 1996 Peterbilt 379 triaxle dump truck pictured here is the third truck he has built. Matt grew up around trucks and excavating, as his father Glenn drove for his great uncle and, eventually, the local township. “My uncle has an excavating and paving business, so I know the industry pretty well. My cousin Brandon also owns a fleet of seven (7) triaxles, and he really took me under his wing when I built my first dump truck,” Matt explained.
The first truck Matt built was a white 1999 Peterbilt 379 long hood with a 2WS Caterpillar. Matt and his dad did most of the work to the truck in their driveway. The truck originally had a big standup sleeper and an Ultra cab, so Matt swapped out the roof cap on the cab with a flat one and then installing a 36” bunk. Matt and Glenn redid the entire truck except for the frame rails.
The second truck Matt and his dad built is his current workhorse – a blue and gray 1999 Peterbilt 379 triaxle dump truck powered by a 2WS Caterpillar. The Pete started as a short hood and Matt converted it to a “little big hood” truck. Matt also shortened the tanks and slid them underneath the body to make room for stainless steps and 7” stacks.
The third truck he built is pictured here – a 1996 Peterbilt 379 triaxle dump truck. Matt dedicated this build to his father, who sadly passed away back on December 26, 2019. “The inspiration for this truck came from conversations late at night in the shop with my dad,” explained Matt. “We had always talked about doing to my blue truck what I did to this green truck. It has been a heck of a ride from where it started to where it is now,” Matt continued to say.
The truck pictured here began as a project in a rather rough state. Once Matt took possession of it, tear down began immediately to build what Matt and his father envisioned. The truck is equipped with an 18’-6” all-polished 1996 Cobra aluminum body, a 2WS Caterpillar power plant, a 20K steer axle along with a 20K pusher axle, and 46K rears with a 4.33 gear ratio. This truck also received the custom “little big hood” that Matt did on his blue 379. “Mike Heritage welded the new panels into the body that had been damaged beyond repair,” said Matt. The pintle plate on the rear of the truck was fabricated and welded by the folks at Warnick Fabrication. All the motor work was done by Matthew Hugart. 6-inch Dynaflex flat top stacks, at 13’-2” tall, round out the truck’s exterior.
The hood, cab, and doors were painted by Jerry Place in the beautiful green paint you see pictured, and then Jet Signs applied the stripes. Interior wise, the steering wheel was painted to match the truck. The door panels are factory Peterbilt, but they were covered in a teal vinyl upholstery by Matt. The shifter knob is a custom Peterbilt marble top. Matt also installed a replica hardwood Pergo snap together floor. Mounted to the floor are two 2019 factory Peterbilt seats, attached to low ride bases, from a 2019 Pete 389 glider. Also inside the cab are watermelon lights that are attached to custom panels that Matt fabricated. Despite looking like a show truck, this truck will work. “I don’t have the kind of money to just build something and have it sit… this truck will earn its keep!”
Matt explained that the truck came out exactly how he had envisioned it. “I learned to take my time and not to rush anything on a project like this,” said Matt. He says by taking your time, things will come together better than you can imagine. He is thrilled with how the truck turned out, especially since most of the work was done in his driveway. Besides the body, motor, and paint, Matt did all of the work himself, including polishing the aluminum dump body. Once Matt opens his new shop, he plans on offering custom work to outside clients. Matt claims the truck isn’t “perfect” but from my view, he knocked this build out of the park!
I’d like to thank my employer, H&K Group, Inc., for allowing us to use the Easton Quarry and Asphalt location for part of the shoot. Matt and I would also like to thank Jarrad Altemose for allowing us to use his family farm for the second location. Lastly, Matt wanted to dedicate this build in loving memory of his father, Glenn S. Green (12/4/1963 ~ 12/26/2019). May he rest in peace.
1 Comment
I’d just like to say how proud I am of Matt I live next door to him listened to him work late nights on his truck and heard a few bomb works fly here and there but that’s fine if I would of done what he did I would of also lmao! Matt is a hard working guy and take pride in what he does and like I said I’m so so proud of him!