10-4 Magazine December 2021

14 10-4 Magazine / December 2021 installed a 2-piece aluminum floor, painted by his cousins like everything else, then covered it with a thick coat of epoxy to protect the paint. The cab also got a painted Forever Sharp steering wheel, reupholstered seats, and a “big” sound system, featuring an Alpine deck, eight speakers, two 12” subs, and two 3,000-watt amps. C.G. also had the “Always Headed Home” phrase added to the back side of his visor so he could see it every day while driving. Wanting to have a memorial truck show in his son’s honor, C.G. tried to do it in 2020 but couldn’t find a venue because of the pandemic shutdowns. However, in June of 2021, he was able to have the 1st Annual Soza Memorial Truck Show at the Merced County Fairgrounds, to raise money and awareness for dyslexia. Despite record-breaking temperatures of 112 degrees, the show was still a success, with 104 registered trucks, and raising almost $20,000. This money will go toward helping kids get tested for dyslexia and then getting them help once diagnosed, among other things. Stay tuned to 10-4 for more information about their 2022 event as details and dates get confirmed. After attending his own show, C.G. ended up going to quite a few shows in 2021, including the Southern Idaho Truck Show, Frenchy’s Truck Jamboree in Red Bluff, CA, Truckin’ For Kids (TFK) in Southern California, GBATS in Joplin, MO, and then the E.M. Tharp truck show in Por terville, CA. Without a doubt, the highlight of those shows was when he won the big Best of Show award, along with a bunch of others, at Truckin’ For Kids in September. We were proud to have his truck parked next to our booth, but he took that award fair and square over about 250 other trucks at the show. For C.G. that was dream come true – a dream 46 years in the making! Sadly, C.G.’s father did not live long enough to see his son’s dream come to fruition. He did, however, get to see the truck after much of the customizing was done, and really liked it. His only comment was, “How long is that wheelbase? I bet it is hard to turn around!” Spoken like a true old school trucker, Corny was “backed up against the fence” for the last time in February of 2018. C.G.’s brother Carlos never really got into trucking, and he is now an executive chef in Pennsylvania. C.G. also has a half-sister from his mom’s first marriage named Sherry who lives in Idaho, and he had a half-brother, as well, but he was killed by a drunk driver when he was just 21 years old. Wanting to acknowledge and thank some of the people involved with this build, C.G. says “thank you” to his cousins at Romero’s Tri Valley Auto Body for painting almost everything that was not painted at the factory, Mike Freitas at Freitas Signs for making all his exterior graphics, Arroyo Custom Rigs and Central Cal Welding for all the par ts they built and installed, Advanced Interior Restoration Services for all their help with the interior, Colby Caliva and Sic Rigz for always keeping the rig shining, and his best buddy Brett Scroggins for helping with all aspects of the build and sharing the same passion as C.G. Lastly, but most impor tantly, he’d like to thank his wife Ashleigh for all her suppor t and patience, for all those late nights in the driveway and missed dinners, and for going with him to most of the truck shows. Doing it with her, and the rest of his family, just makes all those amazing moments even more memorable. We would like to give a special shout-out to everyone at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA. Taking our night shots for the centerfold there, they lit up their crown jewel for us to park C.G.’s truck in front of – a retired former Air Force One Presidential McDonnell Douglas VC-9C jet, which has been at the museum since October 21, 2013. This aircraft was in service from 1975 to 2005, and served the administrations of Presidents Ford, Car ter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. Special thanks to Don for coming out to the museum after hours to open the gates for us (and turn off the alarm), on his bir thday, with a house full of guests waiting for him! The rest of the pictures were taken the next day at Lake Yosemite near UC Merced. When asked about the future, C.G. said he wasn’t entirely sure what the future held, but he knows he doesn’t want to drive every day forever. His long-term plan would be to have nothing but owner-operators, and one really nice truck for himself, to drive when he wants to. He also hopes one (or more) of his kids might one day decide to join their dad and then eventually take over, but he has put no pressure on any of them to do that. However, little Ryleigh, at just three years old, really loves trucks, so time will tell. Currently, the Soza Trucking fleet consists of (3) 8-car transpor ts, along with a 4-car tow truck, and one owner-operator. C.G. also has a brand-new Kenwor th W900L already ordered and on the way. He wouldn’t tell us much about this new KW, but he did tell us it will have a bigger sleeper and be a completely different color. Hauling auction cars almost exclusively these days, C.G. has enjoyed great success over the past few years, but worked very hard to get there, and endured many hardships along the way. One of his favorite sayings is, “You gotta be first or you’re last!” But even more impor tant than being first, is to be “Always Headed Home!” Keeping that promise and commitment is now C.G. Soza’s lifelong mission. n