10-4 Magazine / January 2026 51 When it comes to steel hauling, flattops and covered wagons are king. For years, Kermit Gribble of Somerset, PA operated this beautiful 1997 Peterbilt 379 and 1996 45-foot Reitnouer “Big Bubba” spread-axle covered wagon. Riding on a 275-inch wheelbase, the Pete was powered by a 550-hp 3406E CAT mated to an Eaton-Fuller 10-speed, with power being pushed to 3.62 rears on Pete air-leaf with 24.5 Alcoa rims wrapped in lo-pro Michelin rubber. The aluminum trailer was completely polished, and the entire combination was covered with over 275 lights. Kermit told me how the truck got its “Bourbon Street” name, saying, “I was running down on I-10 around Baton Rouge in the middle of the night, and a guy yelled at me on the CB and said: Wow! That truck is lit up like a house on Bourbon Street!” Kermit Gribble’s “Bourbon Street” OUT OF THE ARCHIVES With Bette Garber
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