he was barely making enough to pay for his fuel, but eventually he signed on with a broker and things started to get busy. Being young and ambitious, Rene would take any and all loads offered to him, and that work ethic served him well. After just a few months, he was able to buy his own trailer – a 2010 Utility with a Carrier unit. He remembers taking his first load to Reno and having to cross over Donner Pass, a notoriously treacherous route, especially in the winter. That day, it was snowing, and Rene had never driven a truck in those conditions. But he got through it. Later, they gave him a dedicated route, and he still does that route today. Basically, he starts in the Bay area, goes to Los Angeles, then to San Diego, then back to Los Angeles, and then to the Central Valley, hauling refrigerated and frozen products like cheese, produce and ice cream. Driving that T680 for several years, Rene was able to buy a small ranch in Madera, CA in August of 2023 that had two houses on the property – one for his mother, and one for him. The ranch also had enough room to build a shop, and he convinced his brother Alex to leave his job and start his own paint and customization shop called All-In Customs. Alex had dropped out of high school a few years prior, and went into the paint and body industry, looking to learn that business. Working at Big Rig Customs in Fresno, CA, Alex mastered his craft quickly. When his brother came to him and proposed that he start his own business, Alex was all-in, just like the name of his customization company! As Rene continued to grow his business, in April of 2024 he bought a second truck – a red 2019 high-rise Freightliner Cascadia – and put a driver in it, just to test the waters and see how things would go. So far, it has worked out very well. Later that year, in October, a customer came to All-In Customs wanting to get their truck painted, but instead of paying, he offered to give them a 2014 Freightliner Cascadia (the one seen on our cover and centerfold this month and on these pages) – but it did not look anything like the truck you see here today. Obviously, they took the deal, but, not surprisingly, it did not go that smoothly at first. 10-4 Magazine / July 2025 11
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA1MjUy