Cover Feature: By Mark Harter A flight engineer and top gun turret operator on a B-25 Mitchell operating in the Pacific Theatre during World War II out of the 13th Army Air Corp, Elvis flew 87 successful missions and his spirit and passion for the red, white and blue carried on once his time serving our nation was over. “Elvis was one of the nicest guys you could have ever met and one of the most patriotic men I’ve ever met,” said John Pivonka, who drove for Elvis from 1986 until he retired at the age of 80 in 2023. “We had a fleet of these R-Model Macks and a Superliner, as well,” said John, adding, “We even had Mack B-Models powered by Thermodynes that had Mack Triplex transmissions (5x3) that were used as our machinery trucks, hauling 15,000-lb. forklifts, and we even had a couple of old Mack LTs, too. But every piece of equipment in the fleet was red, white and blue – from the trucks to the forklifts, and even a pair of pickup trucks, they were all painted in the American flag scheme.” Spec’d heavy to haul heavy loads, the 1974 Mack RS700L seen here is powered by a 300-hp Mack Maxidyne engine, hooked to a 5x2 transmission with a two-speed brownie, and has 44K Mack rears and 24.5 tall rubber. “This truck typically pulled either a seven axle or nine axle Cozad removable gooseneck (RGN) trailer with stingers and jeeps to put more wheels on the ground for added weight distribution,” said John, adding, “And if I remember right, typically this truck, paired with one of those trailers, could handle about 200,000 pounds on the deck. That RS700L was also equipped with Cozad ramps on the back of the frame, as well.” Retiring in 2006, Elvis sold Mid-State Truck and Rigging to his son Harry Baker, who owned his own rigging and transportation company, Southwest Industrial Rigging. Founded in 1987, Southwest Industrial Rigging (SWIR) handles heavy and oversized loads in the southwestern In 1776, fifty-six men put their names on a document that changed the course of world history. Our bold Declaration of Independence established a new nation founded on the idea of liberty and that people should have the freedom to chart their own destiny. Two hundred and fifty years later, that same spirit of independence can still be found on America’s highways, often behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer. For generations, trucking has embodied many of the same values that helped build the United States – self-reliance, determination, hard work, and the freedom of the open road. Very few vehicles have represented those ideals better than a Mack truck, and few paint schemes have captured them more perfectly than Mack’s iconic All-American paint scheme. As America approached its Bicentennial celebration in 1976, patriotism was on full display across the nation. Communities planned parades and celebrations and businesses found ways to celebrate the patriotic pride of two hundred years of American independence. Mack Trucks, one of the most legendary names in the trucking industry for more than seven decades at the time of the Bicentennial, joined the celebration with a paint scheme that transformed its trucks into rolling symbols of national pride. Founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1900 by brothers John, Augustus, and William Mack, Mack Trucks had earned a reputation for building some of the toughest trucks on the road. They have also been in business for just over 125 years now, which is half the age of our country. That’s a long history! By the 1970s, the company and its famous Bulldog mascot had become fixtures of the trucking industry, while generations of Mack trucks helped build the highways, cities, and industries that powered modern America. Long before fireworks lit the skies over America’s Bicentennial in 1976, Mack Trucks had already begun celebrating the nation’s heritage with one of the most recognizable and patriotic paint schemes ever applied to a commercial vehicle. Introduced as part of a nationwide sales campaign in 1970, the bold red, white, and blue star spangled design drew its inspiration from Old Glory herself. The striking paint scheme appeared throughout Mack’s product line and could be found on everything from the legendary R-Model family – including the R, RS, RL, U, and other variants – to cabover F-Models and even the low cabover MB model, and numerous other Mack Truck models available at the time. One of the most recognizable companies to sport the All-American Mack paint scheme was Mid-State Truck and Rigging in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded by Elvis Baker in 1972, his fleet of patriotic Mack trucks and other equipment were icons of the Southwest heavy-haul community. When you saw one of Elvis’ trucks moving a load, you knew exactly who’s truck it was. 10 10-4 Magazine / July 2026 250 YEARS OF FREEDOM
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