10-4 Magazine August 2024

14 10-4 Magazine / August 2024 interior lights for LED lights. He also added lime green Peterbilt emblems on the door panels. Pulling a set of matching (sor t of) 2020 American Carrier Equipment (ACE) super light double bottom dumps, that were painted before this truck was built, the green paint on the trailers does not match perfectly, since Mike and Felipe modified the green color on the truck. Mike’s plans are to buy a brand-new set of trailers in the near future and give them the exact paint to use so the new trailers match perfectly. He also wants to reintroduce the “10-4” number on the truck in honor of its former owner, Ivan, and this 10-4 Magazine cover feature, which Mike was so excited about. Shor tly after Mike got this truck back on the road, he took the combo to a truck show in Plymouth, CA and was surprised and excited to find his Peterbilt’s “sister truck” – the one Ivan bought to replace it after the rollover accident. Mike was happy to be able to show his truck to Ivan’s family, who were touched to see how good it looked and how well Mike was taking care of it. It also made them feel good to know that Mike specifically kept it green in Ivan’s honor. When going to shows, sometimes Mike hooks to his double bottom dumps, and sometimes he hooks to his 42-foot 2023 Raptor toy hauler – and both make a bold statement. Growing up, Mike’s sister Mary has always been involved in the family business, handling all the billing and accounting. Today, she still does that for Mike’s company. Mike’s brother Peter has never been a truck driver, but he was always par t of the family business. At one point he owned a wrecking yard, and Mike was like a kid in a candy store when he went there. He is not involved with Mike’s company, but the two are still very close, and he helped Mike chase down par ts for this truck build. Mike was briefly married way back when and has a daughter named Michelle (33) who is married and has two small kids, Warren (2) and Little Michelle (about six months old), and Mike loves being a grandpa! Currently, Mike still runs every day, along with three of the best subhaulers around, that pull his (3) sets of double bottom dumps, delivering rock and sand to local ready-mix plants. He also has a set of powder trains that he uses when needed. Mike plans to keep running for as long as he can, and to keep his pullers busy, but might star t thinking about slowing down soon to focus on being a grandpa. He still enjoys racing motocross from time to time, with his daughter, who likes to race, too. The family is considering selling the Newark proper ty, but Mike really doesn’t want to. He loves owning a piece of Peterbilt history and would hate to see it go. Mike wanted to thank Felipe, Will Millward, his brother Peter, and his friend Mitch Railsback for their help and suppor t (Mitch joined us at the photo shoot). And whether he retires or not, after “setting the bar” in the world of bottom dump trucking for decades, Mike and the Viviano name will be forever remembered in the Bay Area and beyond. n Leslie Salt Ponds Peterbilt Research Facility / Mike’s Family Property Peterbilt Newark Plant Mike and Felipe in the shop Truck when new before the wreck Circa 1960