This month’s cool creation was built for Tim Savage of Herriman, Utah. Last year, Tim got a truck from Clint and it was slated for an article but that never happened. So, when he ordered another one this year, we made sure to bump it up to the top of the list. At only 42 years old, Tim has come a long way from his days of washing trucks when he was a kid, dreaming of one day owning his own beautiful Peterbilt. His dad once told him that he would never be able to afford a truck like that – well, today he has four!
Growing up on a farm, Tim’s dad Earl was a truck driver but he never owned his own truck. Unfortunately, Earl died in a car accident in 1995. Tim’s mom, Christine, who later remarried, also came from a trucking family – her dad was Joe Mascaro, who died in 2007. That side of the family still trucks, and has a lot of tall rides. Tim’s family tried to discourage him from trucking, but that was pointless. When he was 14 years old he drove his first truck. His dad said he could drive by himself as long as he did not make a habit of it. Tim did not hold up his end of the deal. His mom says that the reason Tim is so crazy about trucks is because he was conceived in one!
During high school, Tim landed a job at the local truck wash. A job like this could either make you hate trucks or ignite the passion – in Tim’s case, it was like pouring gasoline on a fire. After graduating from high school, he couldn’t get a driving job – no one would hire him, not even the family. So he went to the local community college and got his CDL. The school helped him get a job hauling milk, and not long after that he started driving for the farm and grandpa Joe part time. He had a few different driving jobs over the next few years until he purchased his first truck in 1997 – a used 1996 KW W900L long hood. He ran that truck for a year and then bought a new 1998 KW W900L. Over the next few years, he grew to eight trucks until the market “changed” in 2006. At that point, he came back down to reality and got out of it for a while, until 2012, when he purchased a 2007 KW W900L.
Last year, Tim was thinking of buying a new Peterbilt, so his good friend Dave Baker told him to call Clint. Tim ended up purchasing a new Pete 389 with a 48” bunk in a beautiful blue color. He wanted a cool paint job, but nothing too crazy, so Clint designed a simple striped scheme. Tim likes shiny stuff, so stainless cab and sleeper skirts were added, as well as a shiny visor. The truck also got seven flush cab lights, straight stacks, painted fuel tanks, Hogebuilt half-fenders with Clint’s hidden front brackets, double-round headlights and extra grill bars. The family stayed in Kansas City for eight days while Clint and the boys finished the truck – it was a fun week. The truck turned out really nice and was on the list last year for an article, we just never got to it.
When it came time for another truck, Tim called Clint again. Wanting something similar to his blue truck but in green (his wife’s choice), he ordered a 2014 Pete 389 with a 58” bunk, an ISX Cummins, an 18-speed, low air-ride, a car-hauler front axle and an air-ride front end. When it came in, they added a painted visor, painted Fibertech cab and sleeper skirts, painted fuel tanks, and stainless Hogebuilt quarter-fenders (Clint’s dad chopped the air cleaners on both trucks). Cooper in the paint shop was up to the task of matching the scheme on the blue one and did a great job. This one also got a steerable lift axle from Neway (the LSZ13 is a brand new axle that does not require as much space so you can have a shorter truck and still get the spread you need). Thanks go out to Pederson Manufacturing for helping Clint with the prototype fenders for the lift axle.
Looking for love in all the right places, Tim met Sherry on Zoosk – an online dating site. She lived 40 miles away and had nothing to do with trucks. Full of life and lots of fun, Tim married her just over two years ago. Tim has four girls from a previous marriage and Sherry has three boys from one, as well. Tim’s girls are Jessica (23), Brittney (21), Chelsie (18) and Kimberly (12). Sherry’s boys are Brayde (20), Beau (15) and Blake (10). Of all the kids, young Blake seems to be the most ate up about trucks! The Savages currently have four trucks that pull tankers and livestock, mostly out west.
Putting the final touches on the truck, Clint asked Tim if he wanted floor mats in his new Peterbilt. This simple question caused Tim to remember a long-forgotten story. Growing up, his family would play a game when out on the road. When someone saw a truck they liked, they would “claim it” as theirs. One day, while at a burger joint, a sweet-looking Peterbilt pulled in and Tim quickly claimed it, saying, “Dad, that’s my truck.” His dad looked at it and then replied, “Son, you couldn’t even afford the floor mats in that truck.” When Clint asked if he wanted floor mats, a flood of memories came flowing in and reminded Tim just how far he has come. And this one he can “claim” for real – because it really is his.