Photos: Customized trucks can win business

Even in the dirt and mud, custom trucks still give off a one-of-a-kind shine that just grabs your attention

Doug Scholten, 27 -- seen here at the 2010 Mid America Trucking Show -- says the reason he enjoys driving a “show truck special” as he calls his tractor is that he gets lots of compliments on his rig wherever he goes.

Jerry Beaudoin, owner of Soil Recovery Systems (SRS) of Southington, CT, believes his one-of-a-kind "high class” trucks also allows him to find and retain some of the best drivers in the trucking business; not only does he own and staff a fleet of 13, he’s got another 100 owner-operators signed on to haul for him as well.

Kirby Martin, an owner-operator out of Gettysburg, PA, became the 2010 grand champion of American Trucker’s “Reader’s Rig” contest due to the sharp yet subtle look of his black-and-silver 2003 Peterbilt 379 tractor, dubbed "Old School" for its retro look. Yet Martin’s rig is no show truck, as it’s got 790,200 miles on the odometer from long years spent hauling horse feed and other agricultural goods across Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey.

Shawn Cielke, president of Sweet Rides Logistics, an owner-operator based out of Haugan, MT, says the look of his one-of-kind 2006 Kenworth W-900B is responsible about 80% of the freight he hauls. “The customer knows a truck like this won’t break down often at all, because by the way it looks, they know I take great care of it,” he explains. “They also know a truck like mine delivering their products impresses their customers. Thus my customers get noticed in ways they’ve never been noticed before.”

Bill Warner Jr. out of Circleville, WV, took five years to fully restore a Ford Aeromax LTL 9000 to its original condition, because it's the truck model he and his late father started their trucking careers with.