10-4 Magazine August 2025

10-4 Magazine / August 2025 63 lot in Black Hawk, South Dakota. Every time he made a trip past it, the truck kept sticking out to him. Eventually, in 2010, he finally stepped on the lot and bought that two-tone green 379 Peterbilt, and that’s the truck you see on these pages here today. Around that same time, he began moving cattle and other livestock for CowTran of Wyoming. Initially, the truck only had a drop visor, but since purchasing the Pete 379, Morgan has proceeded to add a 20-inch American Eagle bumper, 8-inch straights with Pickett elbows, polished Hogebuilt half-fenders, a string of seven bullet cab lights, polished Panelite cab and sleeper panels, as well as a custom deckplate and the obligatory train horns. Morgan’s 379 also has an oval-punched grille and a 14-inch drop visor. One unique feature is a swan hood ornament underneath the sleeper. The hood ornament has served as Morgan’s good-luck charm and has been on every one of his trucks, accruing over three million miles with Morgan. Inside, the truck features a full chrome gauge arrangement, as well as matching green glitter shifter knob, woodgrain CB headboard panel, and a one-off custom made low ride seat built specifically to fit Morgan. Sitting on a 275-inch wheelbase with a 70-inch Ultracab Unibilt cab and sleeper setup, motivation for the cattle taxi comes from a C16 CAT backed by an 18-speed, 3.36 rears turning low-profile 22.5s, and all riding on a FlexAir suspension. Much like his career, Morgan’s rig is self-made, and the vast majority of the work on the truck he’s done himself. In 2021, Morgan was able to mate a 48-foot spread-axle Wilson Silverstar livestock trailer behind the green 379 you see today. Moving into the Peterbilt 379 on these pages and transporting livestock for CowTran, Morgan has had the opportunity to haul all forms of livestock including cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and even NFR bulls! Naturally, however, being a husband and father, along with an owner operator, wasn’t enough on the plate for Morgan. So, what else would a cattle hauler do but start his own ranch! Originally only raising around 15 head of cattle, Morgan and Jolene now run a herd around 275 strong. Beyond the cows, cow transport and family, Jolene and Morgan began a hay operation in 2012, too. Jolene drags her feet about as much as Morgan does! The entire photo shoot was done on Morgan and Jolene’s ranch, so we didn’t have to travel far for great backdrops and those beautiful Big Sky Country views Montana offers. In the exceedingly rare moments that Morgan isn’t trucking, haying, ranching or husband-ing, he likes spending time in the shop working on old equipment. He enjoys the challenge (and satisfaction) of making something old run again like the day it was built. Morgan also likes welding, and often produces unique works, like a cowboy welded from various horseshoes and miniature tractors assembled from found pieces of scrap iron. As Morgan puts it,

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