A couple months back, in the September 2023 edition, we helped 10-4 celebrate the magazine’s 30th anniversary by featuring a 30-year-old 1993 truck that was my original custom build called Project 1, which was super cool. On that note, I have been reminiscing and thinking about how I got where I am today and became a member of the 10-4 family.
I started working at Shelby Elliott’s Used Trucks in Kansas City after graduating from high school in 1988. Over my nine years there I made some lifelong friendships. Back then I had a list of people I communicated with through the mail (pen pals). I often mailed these folks pictures of the trucks we had for sale or something neat I had seen. In those days, I made lots of trips to the 1-Hour Photo and the local post office.
Visiting with my friend Dan Schreier at Truck Paper every week, I helped do our ads. I carried a pager at all times and remember my first mobile “bag” phone – man, that was a big deal. Technology advanced fast, and before I knew it, we were using digital cameras and the internet. With the internet came a cool deal called email. Needless to say, I made a lot less trips to the Fotomat and the post office.
I joined the Kansas City Peterbilt team in June of 1997 and began collecting people’s email addresses, putting together a really big list, and then began sending out pictures whenever we got something cool done. It was the “Here’s one of the latest…” types of emails, that would have a couple pics of the truck and some info about the customer. One year I met Dan and Erik (Big E) in the 10-4 Magazine booth at the Louisville show, so I added them to the list.
Sometime after that initial meeting, I saw them again at the Louisville show, and the boys hit me up, saying, “Clint, we have a ton of cool pictures you have sent us and haven’t done anything with them. What do you think about writing for us?” And the rest is history. My first article appeared in the February 2006 edition. I relinquished my email list so the magazine article would always feature the latest and greatest.
The article always focuses on the person, no matter the diversity of their background, past or ethnicity, and their new ride. I think it is cool how so many people have this trucking bug and a common love for trucks. The silver lining of trucking is the friends we make and the people we meet that share the same passion. I have many customers that purchase again and again, and usually when they buy another truck, we don’t put them in the magazine. But this month, I would like to kick it old school and say “Here’s one of the latest…” for a friend who has been featured before – Kyle Wetzel of WWW Trucking in Carrington, ND (January 2022).
This new 2023 Peterbilt 389 is the last truck to be done at NRC (No Rush Customs). I wanted to thank Tyler for all the extra efforts and friendship over the years and congratulate Tyler (pictured above with Kyle) on his new role as Service Manager at Kansas City Peterbilt. This truck is bad, with lots of cool items – almost too many to list – but here’s a few things.
Customized to a flat roof cab, the Peterbilt features a J. Ferrell air ride kit, a special bumper from Valley Chrome, a 379 grill, mirror arms, and single square headlights from 12 Ga. Customs, one of my body drop kits, an RLK visor, and all glass lights. It also has strapless breathers, skirts by Bub, painted battery boxes, fuel, and air tanks, a painted Merritt flush deck plate with one of my hidden toolboxes, Shift fenders, and a custom rear tail panel. Inside, the truck has a gray and blue button-tuck interior from Spare Time Fab, a painted dash, and sweet carpet.
Sometimes, the truck is so cool, it’s hard not to send out one of those “Here’s one of the latest…” emails! Thank you to 10-4 for allowing me to share my love of trucks with your readers, and to everyone out there that shares the same love of trucks we do. It’s why I always say, “I love my job!” Because I really still do!!