10-4 Magazine April 2024

10-4 Magazine / April 2024 31 stand-up sleeper. Powered by a 550-hp 2WS CAT 3406E, the truck is turning an 18-speed Eaton transmission routed through 3.55 cogs out back, all sitting on a 282-inch wheelbase. For the shiny stuff, the rig features a polished stainless drop visor, 8-inch turnout stacks, dual round headlights on Double JJ brackets, a 20-inch bumper, an oval-punched grille with a polished grille surround, stainless boxes, and dual breathers. With front and rear drop fenders, painted-to-match window chops, trimmed sleeper fairings, and the frame and frame-mounted APU matching the darker grey striping of the tractor, the truck has a very clean, low, and understated visual appeal. The interior is well appointed, too. With a Rockford sound system, the cab features Sears Seating, left and right, as well as painted-to-match interior and dash panels throughout. Other custom touches include a downsized stainless steering wheel, stainless shift tower with glitter knob, stainless pedals, chrome switches and vents, as well as necessary gear like satnav and CB radio. In the sleeper you’ll find a 32-inch flatscreen TV, along with, as Barry puts it, a “very important” coffee machine (certainly superior to truck stop coffee)! Having been home from trucking in Alaska for a short spell recently, I had the opportunity to make the trip to Kansas and put together a photo shoot of Barry’s truck. And, what a weekend we chose! Driving out, shortly after Oakley, Kansas, temperatures were just right for a solid 200-miles of freezing fog. Having just flown out of Anchorage with temps in the teens and arriving home in Denver, CO, to wind chills well below zero, I couldn’t help but find a little humor in