“FOR TODAY’S TRUCKER” APRIL 2025 ® Magazine SINCE 1993! WHAT A DANDEE! WHO’S WHO IN 10-4 MAGAZINE: GETTING TO KNOW VIC CALIVA RACERS & RIGS ROLL INTO CHANDLER, AZ FOR SOME DIESEL FUN New Mexico Dairy’s Hot Hay Hauler...
2 10-4 Magazine / April 2025
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20 68 10 ® 32 FUN: WordSearch 45 • Truckertoon 50 • Crossword 63 • Red’s Rides 65 • NumberSearch 71 • Words To Live By 76 APRIL 2025 CONTENTS VOLUME 32 ISSUE 8 COVER FEATURE Jason Flores and His “DanDee” Alfalfa Cruiser .............. 10 PERFORMANCE ZONE To Delete or Not to Delete Your Truck ............................. 17 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Racers and Rigs Roll into Chandler, AZ .......................... 20 A TRUCKING DOG’S BLOG Traffic Trepidation from a Dog’s Perspective ................... 26 CLINT’S CREATIONS A Cool New Peterbilt for Armando Covarrubias .............. 29 WHO’S WHO IN 10-4 Get to Know Our Longest Advertiser Vic Caliva .............. 31 TRUCKAPEDIA Spencer Mathis and His 1986 K100 Aerodyne ............... 32 THE BOOKWORM SEZ... The Second 50: Preparing for a Good Retirement ......... 47 THE VETERAN’S VIEW Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks is Possible ..................... 48 FINANCIAL FORUM How to Start Saving for Your Future Now ........................ 53 OUT OF THE ARCHIVES Another Gem from Bette Garber’s Collection ................. 55 TRUCK SHOW REPORT A Little “Truck Love” in Ft. Lauderdale, FL ...................... 56 WAYNE’S WORLD International Roadcheck is Coming and More ................ 61 TRUCKER TALK John H. Kooy Trucking: Staying Small Since 1972 ......... 68 POETRY IN MOTION Don’t Be That Guy Who Pre-Trips at the Pump ............... 73
8 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 We at 10-4 Magazine® love to hear from our readers. If you have any comments, suggestions, gripes, questions, or just some information you would like to pass on to other readers (truckers just like you)... VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITE: www.tenfourmagazine.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Search for Ten Four Magazine SEND US AN E-MAIL: 10-4@tenfourmagazine.com WRITE US AT: 10-4 Magazine Post Office Box 639 Dunlap, CA 93621 CALL US ON THE PHONE: (559) 338-2703 10-4 MAGAZINE IS: Daniel J. Linss - OWNER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/MARKETING Jean Osugi - OWNER/TRUCK SHOW SUPPORT/HR Tim Sieben - OWNER/TFK MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT Shannon Linss - OFFICE MANAGER &DISTRIBUTION Eric Hill - PRINT SALES MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT John Testa - SALES &DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Stephanie Haas - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Parker Linss - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT/SHOW SUPPORT John Hambro -WEBSITE MANAGER Vic Vasselin - MONTHLY “TRUCKERTOON” ARTIST Mark McClain - CUSTOM CROSSWORD CREATOR Ron Kelsey - PRINT &DIGITAL SALES/AZDISTRIBUTION Jonathan Townsel - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION Hugo Ruano - L.A. & L.B. HARBOR DISTRIBUTION Teresa Franco - LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRIBUTION Derek Bennett - HIGH DESERT DISTRIBUTION Julio “Junior” Tapia - INLAND EMPIRE DISTRIBUTION Terry Coombs - OR, WA & IDAHO DISTRIBUTION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, EDITORS &PHOTOGRAPHERS: Wayne Schooling • Eric Hill • John & Kim Jaikes Bruce Mallinson• Stephanie Haas • Clint Moore Trevor Hardwick • Dennis Mitchell • Colin Kund Mark Harter • Duncan Putman • Frank Strohmyer Mike Bradford • K.M. Stanfield • Miss Flatbed Red John Scarborough• Kasey Aslinger • Troy Miller Bryan Welsh • Terri “Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer WEBSITE: MEDIA: Magazine PHONE:
Cover Feature: By Daniel J. Linss Kevin Robinson. Kevin was only supposed to be involved for five years, but 25 years later, he’s still there. At the larger facility, the herd quickly grew to 1,600 cows. Jason eventually began buying land around his original dairy there in Dexter, which now encompasses over 600 acres, and has 2,800 cows. Today, he also has a second dairy with another 2,800 cows, along with a 3,300-acre farm, 160 miles southwest in Dell City, Texas, where he grows all the feed for his dairies and some outside customers. From 1993 until 2007, Jason did not have any trucks, but that changed when he bought a new 2007 extended hood 2-axle Peterbilt 379 with a sleeper. After that, he just kept adding trucks and various trailers. Currently, Jason runs about 15 trucks on a daily basis and probably has another ten (or more) that either don’t run regularly or are awaiting restoration. The working fleet is all Peterbilt trucks, comprised of 2-axle Hay haulers are a unique group of people in trucking with very specialized equipment and skills. Out west, where these rigs are a bit more common, you’ll find some old school truck and trailer setups, typically cabovers, but more often these days you’ll see 2-axle configurations, with short wheelbases and oftentimes small sleepers, pulling sets of hay doubles. This month’s cover feature, a 2018 Peterbilt 389 hooked to a set of cool matching hay trailers owned by Jason Flores (54) of DanDee Dairy in Dexter, NM, is a perfect example of one of these modern hay-hauling combinations – and boy is she a dandee! Growing up in a family with dairy farming and trucking on both sides of his lineage, Jason was the first to have both – dairies and trucks. His grandfather Sam Visser was a dairy farmer in Southern California in the city of Cypress, not far from Artesia, which was well-known for its dairies. As the Los Angeles area grew, the dairy farmers got pushed out, including Jason’s grandfather Sam, who moved northeast to Chino, CA in 1962. In the late 1980s, one of Jason’s uncles moved to New Mexico, and then two years later, another uncle moved there, too, as the dairy farmers who had relocated to Chino from Los Angeles, were now being pushed out once again by the ever-expanding urban sprawl. Born in 1970 in Upland, California, Jason grew up around dairy cows and trucks. Jason’s dad Gary drove a hay truck his entire life (55 years), and Jason spent a lot of time with him in his Freightliner cabover hay truck and trailer. In 1990, shortly after graduating high school, Jason bought his first truck – a 1984 Freightliner cabover. Featuring a dark red paint job with cool gold and brown stripes, this was a slick little 2-axle rig that pulled hay doubles. Freightliner changed the headlights on these cabovers from round to square midway through that production year, and Jason’s was the latter version, featuring the square headlights. The license plate on that truck read “WTADNDY” (what a dandy). A few years later, in 1993, one of those uncles who had moved to New Mexico (Tommy Visser) began encouraging Jason to come out. Apparently, there was a small dairy available for rent, and he thought Jason should start his own deal there. Jumping in head-first, at just 22 years old, he sold his truck, and then he and his buddy Billy moved to Roswell, NM. With help from his uncle, Jason and Billy formed DanDee Dairy (the name was inspired by that license plate), and shortly thereafter they were milking about 280 cows at the 20-acre facility. Unfortunately, Billy didn’t last long in New Mexico, and after just a couple years, Jason bought him out and he moved back to California. Over the next few years, the dairy grew to 700 cows and was flourishing. Needing a bigger place, in 1999 he bought a 160-acre site in Dexter, NM and took on another partner named 10 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 WHAT A DANDEE!
and 3-axle 379s, 389s, and a few 362 cabovers. The truck on the cover this month (and these pages here) is one of those non-working rigs, but it didn’t start out that way. Purchased as a glider kit from a dealership in Pennsylvania in 2015, the Peterbilt 389 truck, with a 36” sleeper, sat there for a few years because Jason did not have an engine for it. Way back when, you could buy a glider (a complete truck with no powertrain) and just take it home, but as time went on and the emissions standards tightened, this was no longer the case. Peterbilt completely halted glider kit sales in 2019, but in the last few years leading up to that decision, they put stricter rules on glider kit sales. A glider kit, after purchase, could not be taken home until the drivetrain was installed, by a certified installer, and then the truck had to be taken back to the dealer to be inspected and certified. Then, it could be put into the system and titled. An engine was built in-house by one of Jason’s mechanics in 2018, and this was no “regular” engine. Every internal part of the 6NZ CAT that could be, including the pistons and bearings, were ceramic coated, twin turbos were installed, and other power upgrades were made, as well. This painted-to-match green engine is now pushing 1,000+ horsepower! After it was built, the engine was shipped back to Hoover’s in Pennsylvania, and once the drivetrain was installed and certified, the truck was finally titled as a 2018 and brought home. But it didn’t go home – it went straight to Pickett Custom Trucks (PCT) in Arizona to be customized. Rod Pickett and his team have built many trucks for Jason over the years, but this one was 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 11
12 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 going to be Jason’s personal work truck, so he wanted it to be special. Over the next year or so, PCT did quite a bit of work to this bone stock little 2-axle truck, including doing a full body drop, installing an air-ride front end, and adding 8” Dynaflex exhaust with Pickett elbows (yes, they are named after the Pickett boys because they came up with the idea and made the first ones). The Medium Emerald Green truck, which was adorned with Ultra Violet Purple accents and stripes, also got a wide Pickett visor, Pickett step boxes, big-hole wheels, 379 dual square headlights with shaved blinkers, and seven plastic chrome LED cab lights. A lot of custom fabrication was done to this Peterbilt, as well, including chopping the breather screens and adding breather light panels, the straps were removed from both the fuel tanks and breathers, the air bags on the back of the sleeper were hidden, and custom aluminum cab and sleeper panels were installed. The truck also got a painted flush-mount aluminum deck plate, Hogebuilt stainless-steel quarter fenders, painted window chops, and eleven grill bars were added. Not much was done inside besides painting the dash panels purple and adding all the available Rockwood dash accessories. The stock black rubber floor was kept, because Jason had planned to work this truck, so he wanted it to be somewhat practical. The custom hay trailers were ordered from PT Welding in Woodland, CA. Painted green to match and covered in LED lights, the trailers feature big-hole wheels, air-ride suspension, and Pickett’s own billet oil hubcaps. PT would not paint the purple stripes on the trailers, so Rod and his crew did that. Once it was all finished, the combination sat at PCT for at least another year, before Jason himself finally flew out to pick it up and drive it back. After getting it home, he decided it was a lot fancier than he thought it would be and decided it was too nice to work, so he parked it. Besides taking it to a few local shows near the dairy, the truck did not see the light of day until Jason brought it to Rod’s truck show in Chandler, AZ in April of 2024. After that show, Rod told Jason if the truck was going to be strictly a show truck, he needed to take it to the next level – and Jason agreed. So, back it went to PCT for a second round of even more dramatic customizations. One of the biggest changes was the headlights, which were switched to large round headlights from a 1932 Ford, mounted on custom brackets, that are attached to the fender braces (not the sides of the grill surround). And speaking of the grill surround, the stock aerodynamic 389 surround was replaced with a 379 version with more square edges and 13 grill bars were added. The painted deck plate was replaced with a stainless one, the window chops were removed, and the stock mirror brackets were replaced with a set of polished brackets from 12 Ga. Customs. Going even deeper, an 18” stainless 12 Ga. bumper with lights on each end was installed, along with a rear painted light bar to match the back of the trailers. The visor was swapped out with a slightly smaller Pickett/RLK stainless visor, the plastic cab lights were replaced with chromed metal ones, all the watermelon lights on the truck and trailer (almost 100 of them) were switched to glass lenses, and the sliding 5th wheel was lowered and made fixed. The stock 23” diameter fuel tanks were replaced with shorter 26” tanks, the straps were reintroduced, and the fuel filler caps were hidden (they are now accessible through the sleeper side doors via trapdoors in the floor of the sleeper). But the PCT crew didn’t stop there! To get the truck’s “stance” just right (and level), the PCT crew modified the truck’s Reyco air-ride suspension brackets by moving them about 4” up to get the rear of the truck even lower. Once they did this, the Hogebuilt quarter fenders were too long, so they trimmed 2” off the bottom. Also, the tires on the truck and trailers were not the same size or brand, so brand-new Bridgestone 255s were purchased and mounted on every wheel. The same step boxes from the first build were kept, but new billet step plates from Lifetime were added, along with stainless wiper arms and chrome wiper blades from GGE Products, and more under-glow lighting was added, especially under the trailers. The final exterior detail was a bunch of added pinstriping by local painter Ron Hernandez. Moving inside the cab, much was done here, with the biggest change being the painted (and pinstriped) floor and door panels, a custom overhead console for the CB radio and speakers, a small steering wheel from Billet Specialties, billet pedals from Spare Time Fab, and polished Rockwood door sills. The sound system got a major upgrade, as well, and now features a Kenwood head unit with (3) big 15” Rockford Fosgate subwoofers under the bed and (16) 6.5” mids/tweeters throughout the cab and sleeper. The chrome tilt steering column was modified to tilt even more, the shifter knob was replaced with a purple #4 billiard ball, several green watermelon lights were added, and the stock seats were lowered and moved back using Pickett adapter plates. The sleeper also now features a high-quality memory-foam mattress from our friends at West Coast Foam.
Once the Peterbilt’s second build was complete, and just in time I might add, Jason took it to Rod’s 2025 truck show in Chandler, AZ. The day after that show is when we took it out in the desert to capture the pictures for this feature. We would like to thank Narcie Soares (72) and his wife Patty, who had just celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary, for spending the day with us out in the desert for the photo shoot. Narcie has been driving his entire life (about 5.5 million miles) and has been a driver for Jason for the past 17 years. Narcie’s daily driver is a red 2015 Peterbilt 389 with dark red stripes, which he uses to haul hay, that currently has about 900K miles on it. But, when it comes time for a show, Narcie is the one who gets to drive this stellar show truck – and his next event is scheduled to 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 13 be our Truckin’ For Kids charity show and drags this coming May 3-4, 2025, in Bakersfield, CA. We are excited to have this truck there, along with a few other sharp DanDee Dairy rides. After the truck show and our photo shoot, Jason sent the truck back to Rod’s shop for a few more final touches. The engine was painted green and had some polished tubing, but it wasn’t a show quality engine compartment, so Rod is currently in the process of pulling the motor, painting it purple, and having a bunch of pieces chrome plated. They also decided they didn’t like the color of the LED lights (too white), so Rod is changing out every bulb to new JML bulbs, which are a more amber color, the 18” front bumper is being replaced with a 16” bumper, so the truck can sit even lower, and the door jams are being painted to match the exterior, including the stripes. I tried counting all the lights and came up with a total of 275 (not counting the under-glow lighting), but I’m sure I missed a bunch. Although Jason’s story sounds like a trucking fairytale, there have been some “bumps” along the way. On March 12, 2018, an EF-2 tornado blew through Dexter, NM and went straight across his dairy. Coming through at night, Jason was there to witness it all, but being a guy from California, he didn’t know what to do or which way to go, so he backed his pickup inside a silage bunker, and hoped for the best. The tornado varied from 150 to 350 yards wide and traveled a total of 15 miles, clocking wind speeds up to 135 mph, and ended up
14 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 destroying three of Jason’s hay barns, 40 of his vehicles, including many of his trucks and trailers, and killed several of his cows. A piece of steel that was ripped from one of the buildings at the dairy actually came through his windshield, as Jason sat in that bunker in his pickup, and narrowly missed hitting him in the head. After the tornado, Jason needed to find some trucks fast. Thankfully, he quickly found an almond farmer in Northern California that had five low-mileage Peterbilts sitting in his barn. The farmer told him, “You got to buy them all or nothing,” so Jason bought ‘em all. To this day, he still has all of them except one, which got rolled over at some point. Rod and the PCT crew repaired several of Jason’s trucks after the tornado, including Narcie’s personal truck, which sustained heavy body damage. The truck itself was all good, but every single body panel besides one sleeper door and the roof cap on the cab had to be replaced. Just talking about this past ordeal and sharing some pictures with me brought back some haunting memories that got Jason a little choked up. Another casualty from the tornado was a set of mangled hay trailers. One of them was bent like a pretzel, but the other one wasn’t too bad – it would never be roadworthy again for a load, but it might work for a special project they had in mind for the truck shows – a custom smoker! Cutting a large portion of the frame out and throwing it in the trash, a 14’ long and 30” diameter pipe, which became the barrel of the smoker, was sunk into the trailer floor and welded between the remaining frame rails. Two large access doors were fabricated, along with the firebox, a wood storage box, and built-in cutting boards, creating the ultimate party smoker trailer. This smoker was designed to take to truck shows and feed not only Jason’s people, but anyone else who was hungry, as well. Married to his wife Leigh Ann since 1997, the couple has no children. They wanted them, but it just never happened. They even tried adopting at one point, but that didn’t work out either. Nonetheless, Jason is so happy to have had his wife by his side, through thick and thin, for almost 30 years now, saying, “I wouldn’t have made it without her!” These days, she spends much of her time at their house in Chandler, AZ (like Jason’s old friend Billy, she too has had enough of New Mexico). Jason is thankful to everyone who has given him opportunities over the years, but most thankful to his uncle Tommy, who helped him start his dairy business. I can’t tell you how many people said the same thing – that Jason is a super humble guy, and that he flat-out just loves trucks. With about 75-80 total employees, Jason likes (needs) to get out and drive at least a few times a week to clear his head. When asked about the future, he said, “I have enough cows, that’s for sure!” The tornado made him realize that he needed to do more than just work, he needed to have some fun, as well. That is one of the reasons he built this truck – so he could go to more shows, with all his guys, and enjoy some relaxing downtime. He’s not sure where the future lies regarding DanDee Dairy and all his other ventures, but one thing is certain, this amazing “alfalfa cruiser” makes Jason Flores and many people who see it say the same thing – “What a dandee!” n
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10-4 Magazine / April 2025 17 The Performance Zone: By Bruce Mallinson During Trump’s presidency, his administration took significant steps to reduce the regulatory power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The goal was to ease restrictions on various industries, including transportation, fossil fuels, and manufacturing. One of the most notable impacts of these rollbacks was on emissions regulations, whichdirectlyaffectedthedieseltruckindustry. Whilethesechanges altered the landscape of emissions enforcement, they did not grant truckers the freedom to delete or disable their emissions systems. The trucking industry has long faced stringent environmental regulations, particularly by emissions standards set by the EPA. Under the Trump administration, several of these regulations were weakened or rolled back to benefit businesses and reduce operational costs. Some of the key policy changes included a relaxing of fuel efficiency standards, changes to emissions testing requirements, a reduction in enforcement actions, and rolling back the Clean Power Plan. Relaxation of Fuel Efficiency Standards. The administration rolled back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards, which had required trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles to significantly cut their carbon emissions. Thejustificationwasthattheseregulationsincreasedcosts for manufacturers and truckers. Changes to Emissions Testing Requirements. The EPA under Trump revised emissions testing protocols, making compliance more lenient for diesel engine manufacturers. This allowed more leeway in meeting emissions targets without strict enforcement. Reduction in Enforcement Actions. The administration also cut back on enforcement against companies violating environmental rules, signaling a shift away from stringent regulatory oversight. Rolling Back the Clean Power Plan. While mainly focused on power plants, this rollback indirectly impacted the trucking industry by reducing regulatory pressure on fuel producers, leading to potential cost savings for diesel fuel production. Many in the trucking industry welcomed these changes, as they were seen as reducing costs and regulatory constraints. However, they also led to confusion, with some believing that the deregulation meant an end to emissions compliance altogether. But despite these rollbacks, federal laws regarding emissions control systems on all diesel trucks remain in place. Many truckers mistakenly believe that these deregulations mean they can legally remove or “delete” their emissions components such as Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs), Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems, and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) units. This is not the case. Emission Deletion is Still Illegal. Under the Clean Air Act, it is illegal to tamper with or remove emissions control devices from diesel engines. Even though enforcement may have been reduced under the Trump administration, the laws themselves were never repealed. Severe Penalties for Deleting Emissions Systems. The EPA and state agencies continue to fine individuals and companies caught with deleted emissions systems. Fines can range from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the scope of the violation. TO DELETE OR NOT TO DELETE YOUR TRUCK State-Level Regulations Still Apply. Whilefederalrollbacks have changed enforcement, individual states like California still have strict emissions regulations and testing requirements. Many states also conduct emissions inspections that detect illegal modifications. Resale and Manufacturer Compliance. Truck manufacturers still have to comply with emissions laws, meaning that new trucks are built with emissions systems intact. Removing these systems can also make a truck illegal for resale or operation in regulated states. While the Trump administration’s rollbacks may have provided some relief to trucking companies by reducing regulatory burdens, the overall impact on emissions compliance has been misunderstood by sometruckers. Thesechangesprimarilyaffectedlarge-scaleindustry regulations rather than individual vehicle compliance requirements. For fleets and owner operators, the rollback of these emissions regulations may have contributed to lower costs in certain areas, such asreducedfuelefficiencyrequirementsorfewerinspections. But, emissions system tampering still remains a serious offense that can result in significant legal and financial consequences. So, what is the future of emissions regulations for Class A diesel trucks? Withsubsequentadministrationsreinstatingorstrengthening environmental regulations, truckers should not assume that leniency under one administration means permanent deregulation. The Biden administration has reversed many Trump-era rollbacks, as well as reintroducing stricter emissions standards and increasing enforcement actions against emissions violations. For truckers, this means staying compliant with emissions laws remains critical. The best course of action is to maintain emissions systems properly, ensure legal compliance, and stay informed about changingregulations. Whilesomemayseeemissionscontrolasan inconvenience, avoiding hefty fines and legal trouble is worth the effort. Thanks to my associate Jordan Greathouse for putting this informative article together this month. If you have questions or concerns about your emissions systems, call us at (724) 360-4080 or stop by our shop inSaxonburg,PA. Wearealwaysheretohelp! n
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Truck Show Report: By Daniel J. Linss For the third year in a row, our friends at Pickett Custom Trucks (PCT) were the proud sponsors and host of the truck Show-N-Shine competition at the National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA) “Diesels in the Desert” event. Held again at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona, this year’s event was moved forward a month to March 7-8, 2025 (the previous year it was held in the middle of April) in hopes of better – or at least cooler – weather. Regarding the weather, the date change was a true success, as it was a lot cooler, but cooler in this case did not mean better. Arriving in Phoenix early on Wednesday, a few days before the show was scheduled to begin on Friday, we spent that first day visiting some family in nearby Wickenburg, AZ. On Thursday, the weather was perfect except for some wind, and we were able to do a great photo shoot for a cool upcoming cover feature (stay tuned for that one). On Friday, as we headed toward the show in Chandler, it was raining pretty hard for almost all of the 1.5-hour drive, and things were not looking good for the show, which was scheduled to officially begin at 3:00 PM on Friday. Arriving at the hotel around 2:00 that afternoon and getting early check in, we could see the show from our room, and what we saw did not make us want to head over too quickly. Enjoying some time with visitors and cocktails in our room, we sat and watched the waves of rain come and go, across the desert, over and over again, for the next few hours. It was really coming down! Every time we thought the storm had passed, more clouds would roll in, and then another wave of sometimes torrential rain would come. So, we just sat and waited it out. The rain finally subsided at around 6:30 PM, so we headed over to the track at about 7:00 for the light show. The preliminary qualifying for the drag racing was supposed to happen that afternoon, but because of the wet weather it was postponed, and everything was pushed to Saturday. However, with all that water on the ground, the wet pavement made the pictures from the light show even better. And the weather did not seem to “dampen” anyone’s spirit, as tons of people were walking around and enjoying the trucks all lit up, even though it was really cold out there (low 40s). Come the next morning, wow, what a difference a day makes! On Saturday, the sun was shining, the temperature was very comfortable, most of the water was dry and gone, and the lot was filled with trucks and vendors. With 30+ sponsors, two rows of vendors, over 100 racing competitors (mostly diesel pickups), an estimated 300 big rigs (we did not count), and thousands of cheering fans, it was a great way to start off both the 2025 truck show season and the NHRDA diesel drags racing series for 2025. The NHRDA portion of the event featured diesel drag racing and a mobile dyno all day, and then after the racing was completed, they moved over to the burnout box where there was a lively “Australian style” burnout competition. With this style of burnout, the vehicle cannot sit stationary – it must keep moving. As you can imagine, it was pretty wild, as these (mostly) modified pickups spun circles until you couldn’t see them through the tire smoke and then, in some cases, they caught fire. For the Big Rig Show-N-Shine part of the event, things were a little tamer, as drivers spent much of the morning wiping down their trucks after all the rain on Friday, and then many settled in a comfortable folding chair and relaxed for the rest of the day, or walked around and checked out everyone’s stuff and talked. Some, including me, did all that and took a bunch of pictures, too. Being the first truck show of the season, except for the Florida Trucking Show held in February, 20 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 DIESELS IN THE DESERT
10-4 Magazine / April 2025 21
22 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 it was great to see friends we hadn’t seen all winter and finally get outside. Touted as “The Biggest Truck Show in Arizona” (which is not a hard thing to accomplish since there aren’t many truck shows in the state), it truly was a fantastic event. As always, the Pickett Custom Trucks crew pulled off a first class show that attracted tons of amazing iron. Walking the long row of trucks, a few standouts included DanDee Dairy, that had 11 trucks at the show, including our cover truck this month, our friends from JDT had a couple, including James’ personal orange and black 379, which hasn’t been out of the barn in a while, Big Ed’s amazing turquoise and white A-model, several of Diamond Trucking’s cool fuel tankers, and a big group of classic rigs that are operated by Old Iron Truckin. David Waller also brought his highly customized yellow 359 “Sweet Lorraine” all the way from Washington, “Truck Show Joe” of Southern Transport was looking good with his black 389X with the blue and silver “Ivy’s Poison” show truck in tow, and there was a large contingency of car haulers, all lined up together, and turning heads. After a long day of judging, it was time to announce the winners in front of the infamous black Peterbilt 389 Pickett RV (our July 2024 cover feature), which made a stunning backdrop (it would make a stunning backdrop to anything). By now it was dark outside, which tells you how long the day went (Friday’s rain made Saturday a jam-packed day). The biggest winners were “Big Ed” Davis, who bagged the Best Antique Bobtail, Best Engine, and Best of Show awards, and DanDee Dairy, who took home the Best Combo, Best Lights, Best Stereo, and Best Fleet trophies. Crews Hay was the winner of the coveted “PCT Pick” (Pickett’s Choice) award, and California local Cole Barbieri did pretty well, too, earning three nice trophies. By the time it was all said and done it was 7:00 PM. But hey, we didn’t care, we had no place we needed to be besides dinner, which we enjoyed back at the hotel, with eight of our friends. Hanging out with friends and making memories is what truck shows are all about, at least for us, so it was a great way to end a good day. Thanks to Ron Kelsey, Kris and Angelina Gaare, Pierson Gravance, John Testa (who was at the show doing live remotes for us and NHRDA), and “Truck Show Joe” Eldridge. The food may have been mediocre that night, but the company certainly was not! Thanks to Rod Pickett of PCT and Randy Cole of NHRDA for treating us well and hosting another terrific event featuring diesels in the desert. We will be there next year, and hope you will be, too!! n EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Scott Spinning of Spinning Wheels Photography for providing some of the awesome pictures for this report.
SHOW-N-SHINE RESULTS BOBTAIL: 1st Action Materials; 2nd Crane Harvesting; 3rd Daniel Maev. COMBO: 1st DanDee Dairy; 2nd Cole Barbieri; 3rd Joe Eldridge. ANTIQUE BOBTAIL: 1st Ed Davis; 2nd Ron Kelsey; 3rd David Waller. ANTIQUE COMBO: 1st David Viss; 2nd Randy Brown; 3rd DanDee Dairy. SPECIALTY: 1st Scott Rogers; 2nd Ryan Mockridge. CONSTRUCTION: 1st Stearns; 2nd David Lenzmeir; 3rd Kody Brenner. LIGHTS: 1st DanDee Dairy; 2nd Cole Barbieri; 3rd Ryan Maddox. BEST INTERIOR: Cole Barbieri. BEST ENGINE: Ed Davis. BEST STEREO: Dandee Dairy. BEST FLEET: DanDee Dairy. P.C.T. PICK: Crews Hay. BEST OF SHOW: Ed Davis. DRAG RACING RESULTS SPORTSMAN CHAMPION: Chase Nelson. BIG RIG BRACKET CHAMPION: Jeff Mittleider. SUPER DIESEL CHAMPION: Jeff Avery. 6.70 INDEX CHAMPION: Afsheen Hashemy. SUPER STREET CHAMPION: Will Terry. PRO STREET CHAMPION: Phillip Franklin. HOT ROD SEMI CHAMPION: Oscar Velasquez. PRO MOD CHAMPION: Wade Minter. TOP DIESEL CHAMPION: Dawna Kraus. 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 23
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A Trucking Dog’s Blog: By K.M. Stanfield who suddenly decides to “go to sleep” ahead of us because of ferocious winds. Even with the thousands of illuminated thirty-foot signs flashing warnings of destruction for CMVs that the state erects, there are those who convince themselves their rigs will never get blown over, but nappy time happens none-the-less. It begins when a trailer decides to pull a tractor along with it in a gust of continual wind powerful enough to cause it to dog leg for miles. The term ‘dog leg’ has always seemed a bit odd to me as I have four legs and the trailer none, but such is the terminology. I’ve seen trucks and trailers on their sides before, snoozing away on the highway because, as my driver puts it, these falsely confident drivers don’t know how to simply park, put down their landing gear and wait out the wind. The major problem here, as he tells it, is that dry vans, especially empty ones, are lazy buggers who when a 65 mph gust of wind tells them to have a quick ‘lie down’ they do, which forces the connected driver and truck to join them in this stressful siesta. No one ever worries about the livestock haulers, as everyone knows they drive faster than any Wyoming wind, so they are mostly impervious to sleeping on the job. Here in Chicago and yesterday in St. Louis, I decided to retire to my bunk because sitting with my head out the window with the constant start and stop, hard braking and stress could cause me to barf my breakfast all over the truck’s floor. I don’t want to add to the already ever-present colorful language put out by my driver this evening by vomiting semi digested dog food on his hand and shifter knob like I did in Los Angeles last month. Upon reflection, I don’t think I want to be, what did he say, “Secured to the catwalk with grade 80 chains and binders until my muzzle turns gray?” Laying on the bunk, I’m suddenly and violently thrown forward into a tangled heap of fur on the floor. I can hear my driver say, “Sorry boy, it’s Chicago, didn’t mean to slam on the brakes so hard, but these four-wheelers CAN’T DRIVE TO SAVE THEIR LIVES!!” This apology means nothing to me as I jump back in the bunk and look for my stuffed pink pig I was blissfully chewing on a second ago (just before the lurching of the truck unceremoniously tossed me onto the floor throwing more than just my nose out of joint). Why would I care about Chicago or any of the other places that my driver rages about when he drives in hellacious traffic? He should know that the main issue is that it disturbs my sleep and play time with my aforementioned plush pig. Actually, being knocked about, slammed into the dash or tossed onto the floor mat from the front seat happens quite a bit in extreme traffic. He seems to believe it’s because these four-wheelers can’t drive, but I’m thinking perhaps it’s the cities’ fault and not the four-wheelers. After all, he claims it’s because of where they live that causes their demented driving. So, logically, it’s the cities breeding these insane drivers, which cause him to hurl cuss words about (which, when he’s in good form, must be appreciated for sheer creativity). I must admit however, my driver does tend to be correct when commenting on the clown show put on by four-wheelers in a crowded metropolis. For example, in the truly western states (without the crowded cities), we happily hurtle down the highway, at around 80 mph, while my driver chatters away on his archaic Cobra CB (always enthused when he finds another driver who actually answers him). This is a rare thing, apparently – truckers who have CB radios and are intelligent enough to use them. Communication amongst dogs is essential, even back to our ancestors, the wolf. They howl we bark. Seems that the steering wheel holder and many modern drivers feel it’s not so important to be informed by their fellow trucker that their side box is open, a tarp is tearing, the chicken coop is open, or an unseen chain is loose. I guess the truck driver’s art of conversation is lost amongst them, as well, but my old school driver still enjoys talking about kitty CATs versus Cummins, location of bear traps, and jokes that make him truly laugh out loud. My driver seems to be in his element out in the west, it’s a trucker’s paradise to him (partially due to the population of demented four-wheelers being less). However, one of the downsides, I’m told, is seeing a dry van or reefer in Wyoming 26 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 TRAFFIC TREPIDATION
That threat did sound extremely ominous at the time, so earlier I decided to wait out this traffic and spend my city time (plush piggy in mouth) back in the bunk for some peace. Suddenly, and with intense horror, I notice my rubber ball is missing. In a panic, I look on the cab floor and realize it flew off the bunk the same time I did and is rolling around under my driver’s feet! I’m not at all sure he’s aware of this occurrence or of its extreme importance. The ball is rolling back and forth, while he shifts gears, pausing on and off under his boots (but never underneath the pedal he is mashing down). He seems to be busy threatening another four-wheeler in a dented pickup truck. Ignoring the newly lit cigarette balancing in his butt bucket, he colorfully educates the driver about blind spots, completely unaware of the danger my red ball was in! I don’t want to bother my driver by asking him to retrieve my ball as he is quite frustrated at the moment that traffic has only moved ten feet in the past twenty minutes. I’ll just grab it quickly so as to not upset him further. I’m positive I can silently slink up front and grab my ball from under the pedals, unseen, and then retreat in ninja-like fashion, but then a cacophony of four-wheeler horns blare all at once and my driver slams the middle pedal down hard, narrowly missing my snout. The loud popping sound coming from the truck is ear splitting, and the truck lurches to a sudden stop as both of us are violently flung to the side. This sudden stop instantly causes my rear to get stuck between the shifter and the large Pilot coffee cup, which 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 27 immediately explodes and drenches the paddles, switches and gauges with a brew of Bourbon Pecan. I immediately think to myself, what luck that the hot liquid didn’t burn me. Following the coffee’s lead, his butt bucket launched upwards bursting into a large, gray, ash filled cloud. The burning cigarette, still attached to the wayward lid, flew up onto the dash without singeing my tail (a continuation of my good luck). Suddenly, I feel my driver’s large hand roughly grab the scruff of my neck, yanking my front half from underneath the pedals. The shifter grinds away underneath me, unable to find a gear without help from the clutch. With his right arm and some Herculean force, he ejects me back towards the rear of the cab and I land upside down on the bunk. Undignified for me but quite the feat for him, as I am not a small, light, yappy little dog. The four-wheelers continue to blast squeaky little clown horns at our stopped truck, drawing attention to the fact that our rig is not moving. My driver’s face is swollen and red, his saliva sprays in all directions as he starts screaming questions at me, none which I can answer while crumpled on the bed. I have no clue what steamy, hot coffee feels like on his skin or why it will take eons to clean the coffee mixed with ash out of the gauges and switches, or how to repair the hole burned in the dash by a wayward cigarette! Why should I care, for that matter? All I know is that I was victorious in retrieving and holding my precious ball during the mayhem. I attempt to understand his rage about coffee, cigarettes, and threats about what would happen if I stuck my head under his legs again (catwalk punishment included). I’m sure had he known it was to retrieve my beloved red ball he would better understand, but he continues to loudly blather on and on, seemingly forgetting we are sitting still in traffic. I agree, these four-wheelers don’t know how to drive to save their lives, but I don’t know why my driver keeps threatening mine! n
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Clint’s Creations: By Clint Moore deck plate pieces and an in-frame toolbox, as well. Our painter Jimmy sprayed the step boxes, fuel tanks, rear fenders, and all the brackets and frame parts. Right before he got here to pick it up, Armando decided he wanted the headlights painted black cherry for a final touch. During his senior year of high school, after some adventurous decision making, Armando ended up going to night school, along with a full class schedule, in order to get enough credits to walk with his class and get his diploma on time. Straight out of high school, he landed a job at Clow Valve in Corona, CA, where he assembled fire hydrants. At the Clow valve plant, they would receive cast-iron pipes from a common carrier by the name of Bobby E. Trucking. They would roll in with their beautiful turquoise long hood 379 Peterbilts that looked brand-new on any given day. Armando blames Bobby for giving him the trucking bug! Some might remember Bobby E. was featured on the May 1996 cover of 10-4 Magazine!! In 2000, Armando and his then wife had a daughter named Natalie, and a few years later, they had a son named Salvador. Wanting to better his future, Armando decided to go back to school, and while going to school, he also had a full time job repairing ATM machines in Riverside, CA. With a full time job and going to school full This month’s creation was built for Armando Covarrubias of Strapped Trucking Inc. based in Perris, CA / Leon, KS. Armando has some friends that have purchased from me in the past, so when it came time for him to update, he gave me a call. We hit it right off and away we went. Not sure what to order, he had to make some decisions, so we went through a few scenarios and wound up with what you see here – a new 567 Peterbilt with an 80” high roof sleeper. The new truck was ordered in a legendary black cherry with an orange frame that matches his other unit. The truck has a 565-hp X15 with 2,050 torque, an 18-speed, full locking diffs, Neway ADZ 46,000-lb. rears, and a 20,000-lb. lift axle. But, for a nice look, we opted for a 5” drop axle with 315 steer tires for the “big” but still cool look. When the truck showed up, Kenny worked on hiding the DEF tank for us under the cab. Once that was done, Jesus and Pat helped me layout the stripes, then Mike was given the task of dialing the rest of the items in. Our friend Jim Boeckman swapped our 120-gallon left tank for a matching 150-gallon fuel tank to help out. We got some aluminum Fisher fenders from our friend Steve Brown, which Cody was able to fabricate some brackets for from some of my old leftover parts (and a few new ones, as well). We added some Merritt 10-4 Magazine / April 2025 29 time, he became a part time husband, and that eventually led to a divorce. Forced to hit the “reset” button, he dropped everything and asked his uncle Antonio if he would teach him how to drive a truck and help him get his CDL. Getting his CDL in 2002, Armando hit the road with no clue of what the future had in store for him. His uncle decided to hire him with the agreement that within two years he would buy his own equipment, and he demanded that Armando get his own authority. Wanting a name that had a double meaning that represented what he did (hauled lumber and drywall) and how he did it (with a lot of straps), he came up with the name Strapped Trucking, and away he went. While running the road, Armando found himself in Kansas more and more, and on one of those trips, a beautiful young lady caught his eye. Not sure whether she would be interested in him or not, he made her a rose out of a paper napkin to express his feelings. This eventually led to them going out, and she wound up being the love of his life – her name was Gisela Carrillo De Rosa. They’ve been married for three years now and have a daughter named Ava (3). When Armando and his wife came to pick up the truck, there was an impending snowstorm on the way, so we ended up taking a few quick pictures out in front of the dealership, and then they were on their way. Armando and I hit it off right from the beginning, and my wife and I even visited with him at the Truckin’ For Kids show out in California in 2024. I wanted to thank Armando for his friendship, as we really have a good time every time we visit. He has a fun approach to life. He coined a phrase we seem to keep repeating over and over – America is no longer the land of the free, it has become the land of the fee. And I have to agree, we all seem to be a bit “strapped” for cash, these days! n STRAPPED!
10-4 Magazine / April 2025 31 What makes our magazine a mainstay in the trucking industry? Our steadfast team, loyal contributors, wonderful advertisers, and our faithful readers. They are all pieces of the puzzle just like consistent advertiser Vic Caliva (74) – a businessman, supporter, and most importantly, our friend, who is in it with us for the long haul. Today, and ever since his first ad appeared in our second issue over 31 years ago in September 1993, Vic has held one of the coveted spots on our back cover and has no intention of letting that go. Owner of Caliva’s Truck Wash and Polishing and ADC Truck Wash, both in Montebello, CA, Vic has seen plenty of changes over the years in not only his industry but the trucking industry, as well. He started out by happenstance when he ran into a friend of his who did mobile detailing and asked Vic if he wanted to work with him. Starting at the bottom, Vic worked his way into the industry, and it was his wife Diane (married since June 1979) who gave him the push to go out on his own. He started his first company in the early 80s, which was Caliva’s Truck Wash and Polishing. The pivotal moment came when he received a call from Union Oil – they told Vic to be there Monday, and he was. When growth happened, it was rapid, and the more he grew, the more staff he needed to hire. Today, as a combined family, Vic and Diane have five adult children, 13 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Vic is a self-made workaholic and enjoys keeping busy. He has never driven truck for a living but loves wheeling around in his 1986 Peterbilt 359. Along with truck washes and polishing, he also owns and runs a chrome shop. When he isn’t at work, he is working around the house, working on cars or kicking back at home. I met Vic for the first time at Truckin’ For Kids which he has not only been a regular attendee to over the years but also races his “Pink Thing” Ford pickup truck at the show. He has always been a friendly face in the crowd, not just to me, but to the rest of the 10-4 family, and so many others. Vic originally became an advertiser because he was asked to and made that agreement because the publication was a great thing that he wanted to be a part of. I admittedly got choked up with his response when I asked him what it means to be a part of 10-4 Magazine. Without hesitation, he stated, “I don’t ever want to lose them.” He went on to explain that the magazine as a whole does a great job bringing on companies, being open to everyone, and is just a very good publication. Thank you, Vic Caliva, for your unwavering support of our magazine over the (really) long haul. We appreciate your continued support and help in making 10-4 Magazine the “Best of the Best” since 1993! n Who’s Who in 10-4 Magazine: By Stephanie Haas IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
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