10-4 Magazine June 2022

72 10-4 Magazine / June 2022 haul both intra and interstate. Second, he made the decision in 2018 to buy a new 389 Peterbilt glider from the Harrison truck dealership in Waterloo, IA. Like his current 389 Peterbilt, the 2018 was ordered in Viper Red. Harrison also did the build-out for this truck, installing a 12.7 liter 500-hp Detroit Diesel backed by a 13-speed transmission. The cab of this Pete sat on a 244” chassis and was connected to a 36” sleeper. Mason then began pulling a Timpte grain trailer with his new glider for Figanbaum. After six months of driving this new Pete, he decided to diversify (like his father) and started pulling tankers, vans, and reefers. To this day, Mason continues pulling tankers and HazMat loads that consist of liquid fertilizer, food grade additives, and acids used in cleaners and sanitizers. His preference is to pull tankers, even though it’s more work pulling, unloading, and cleaning out tankers. He said that reefer and van trailers are easier because you just bump the dock, but it can often take longer to get unloaded with a van or reefer versus tankers when you have to sit and wait for hours for an open dock door. Mason drove the lower 48 states with his 2018 Pete 389 glider for three years, logging over 400,000 miles on it. Because of the long-distance driving and being out on the road all the time, he decided to sell his 2018 Pete. Wanting to upgrade to a new truck with a bigger bunk that had more storage, he sold the 2018 to a local friend who still drives it to this day. In 2021, he ordered a new factory emission Pete equipped with a 605-hp X15 Cummins from Cedar Rapids Truck, a certified Peterbilt dealership, located in Cedar Rapids, IA. I asked him about the order process and he said that Mark Noonan, at the dealership, made it a seamless process. He added that it was ordered as a “plain Jane” Peterbilt. This new Pete is a Platinum Series model with a complete instrumentation package. The powerful Cummins engine is backed with an 18-speed transmission and 3.25 rear-ends. Because Mason is a big fan of Viper Red, he ordered his 2021 the same color as the 2018. He had the factory paint the 290” wheelbase frame Radiant Fire Effect. The cab and chassis sit on 22.5 low profile Michelin tires mounted on Alcoa aluminum rims. After picking the rig up from the dealership, Mason took the truck to Harrison Truck Center where they painted the side air tanks, fuel tanks, and frame rails in a glossy pearl metallic Radiant Fire Effect. He also had stripes added to the cab and sleeper that match the frame, and then outlined them in thin gold stripes. After completing the paint work, Mason sent his truck to Silver Customs and Big Rigger Builders to complete the build and customization. For the exterior, many complimentary accessories were added. He installed a 12 Ga. stainless screen grille with eleven vertical KW bars to the front radiator cover, replaced the 389 factory headlights with 379 single squares, and then painted the back of the headlight covers to match the truck. He also replaced the factory visor with a stainless visor from RLK and the stock breathers and straps with 12 Ga. strapless breathers. Three-inch 12 Ga. stainless drop panels were added to the bottom of the cab and sleeper. Behind the sleeper, the frame was dressed up with stainless deck plates, extra lights, and a T-bar from Iowa Customs. To protect the freshly painted frame, Hogebuilt full tandem fenders were installed by Silver Customs. To give the fenders a clean and sleek look, hidden brackets from I-29 Customs were used. Smooth and polished stainless