“FOR TODAY’S TRUCKER” JUNE 2025 ® Magazine SINCE 1993! AWESOME ACCIDENTS YOUNG RYAN ROSETTA LOVES TO GO TRUCK SPOTTING IN THE PNW TRUCKIN’ FOR KIDS WENT BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR 2025! David Viss of Buckeye, AZ...
2 10-4 Magazine / June 2025
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6 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 WANTED WE BUY INJECTOR CORES! TEXT 805-794-4083 WE PAY TOP DOLLAR S60 DDEC 2/3/4/5/6 • CUMMINS X15 XPI N14 CELECT+ • CAT C13 4-PIN & Y-STYLE CAT C15 4-PIN & Y-STYLE • VOLVO 4-PIN ...AND MORE! TEXT FOR DETAILS!! $ We only accept takeout injectors as removed with no broken plastic, water damage, or bio fuel residue. Some injectors subject to limited part numbers. WE ARE LOOKING FOR DETROIT, CUMMINS, CATERPILLAR & VOLVO $ FOR SALE: 2011 KENWORTH W900L 550-hp 6NZ Caterpillar 3406, 18-speed manual, 3.38 ratio, new suspension, (10) brand new Michelin tires, approx. 771K miles, stored in the garage since November 2022, $150,000. Please contact Cloe at (450) 454-6289 Ext. 0 or through email at admin@marcriendeau.com
20 54 10 ® 29 FUN: Truckertoon 15 • WordSearch 45 • Crossword 59 • Red’s Rides 67 • NumberSearch 69 • Words To Live By 76 JUNE 2025 CONTENTS VOLUME 32 ISSUE 10 COVER FEATURE David Viss is Living a Life of Awesome Accidents .......... 10 PERFORMANCE ZONE Keeping Your Options Open After Retirement ................ 17 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Truckin’ For Kids Goes “Back to the Future” ................... 20 WHO’S WHO IN 10-4 Longtime Contributors John & Kim Jaikes ...................... 27 CLINT’S CREATIONS The Secret to Success is Not Having a Plan B ............... 29 TRUCKAPEDIA Ryan Rosetta Loves Truck Spotting in the PNW ............. 32 OUT OF THE ARCHIVES Another Gem from Bette Garber’s Collection ................. 46 FINANCIAL FORUM Dealing with Tariffs and Your Financial Bottom Line ....... 47 THE BOOKWORM SEZ... Helen Gibson: Hollywood’s First Stuntwoman ............... 49 THE VETERAN’S VIEW How to “Blitz” Through Every Safety Inspection ............. 50 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Another Trucker Family Reunion in Sikeston, MO .......... 54 WAYNE’S WORLD Operation Safe Driver Week and Driverless Trucks ........ 57 SPECIAL FEATURE The Long and Interesting History of Hino Trucks ............ 62 TRUCKER TALK Former Trucker Tina Stine is Always a Warrior ............... 70 POETRY IN MOTION Trevor Shares His Poetic Version of Giddy-Up-Go .......... 73
8 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 We at 10-4 Magazine® love to hear from our readers. If you have any comments, suggestions, gripes, questions, or just some information you would like to pass on to other readers (truckers just like you)... VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITE: www.tenfourmagazine.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Search for Ten Four Magazine SEND US AN E-MAIL: 10-4@tenfourmagazine.com WRITE US AT: 10-4 Magazine Post Office Box 639 Dunlap, CA 93621 CALL US ON THE PHONE: (559) 338-2703 10-4 MAGAZINE IS: Daniel J. Linss - OWNER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/MARKETING Jean Osugi - OWNER/TRUCK SHOW SUPPORT/HR Tim Sieben - OWNER/TFK MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT Shannon Linss - OFFICE MANAGER &DISTRIBUTION Eric Hill - PRINT SALES MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT John Testa - SALES &DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Stephanie Haas - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Parker Linss - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT/SHOW SUPPORT John Hambro -WEBSITE MANAGER Vic Vasselin - MONTHLY “TRUCKERTOON” ARTIST Mark McClain - CUSTOM CROSSWORD CREATOR Ron Kelsey - PRINT &DIGITAL SALES/AZDISTRIBUTION Jonathan Townsel - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION Hugo Ruano - L.A. & L.B. HARBOR DISTRIBUTION Teresa Franco - LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRIBUTION Derek Bennett - HIGH DESERT DISTRIBUTION Julio “Junior” Tapia - INLAND EMPIRE DISTRIBUTION Terry Coombs - OR, WA & IDAHO DISTRIBUTION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, EDITORS &PHOTOGRAPHERS: Wayne Schooling • Eric Hill • John & Kim Jaikes Bruce Mallinson• Stephanie Haas • Clint Moore Trevor Hardwick • Dennis Mitchell • Colin Kund Mark Harter • Duncan Putman • Norman Chapman Mike Bradford • K.M. Stanfield • Miss Flatbed Red John Scarborough• Kasey Aslinger • Troy Miller Bryan Welsh • Terri “Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer WEBSITE: MEDIA: Magazine PHONE:
Cover Feature: By Daniel J. Linss cooked and cleaned for eleven people each and every day, which was a monumental task, but it was just “what had to be done” as she said. When moving to Tolleson, Jake DeWitt was hired to move their cows, and he had some nice trucks. David and one of his brothers would go with him sometimes and ride in the truck, which they remember as being a Kenworth “Bullnose” (although it was later realized that it was most likely a Peterbilt Bubblenose). Either way, the brothers fell in love with “Bullnose” Kenworths, and would later buy the one seen here to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning one. David loved seeing the hay trucks come in and out of the dairy, and remembers thinking, “I’m going to do that one day.” And he did!! The opportunities that present themselves to our lives can come in strange ways. Often, they are brought to us by friends or family, other times they come as a product of hard work, and sometimes they are presented to us simply because of who we know. But, occasionally, they come to us by mere accident. Such is the case for David Viss (62) of D. Viss Cattle in Buckeye, AZ, the owner of the unique 1953 Kenworth “Bullnose” seen on our cover and centerfold this month (and these pages). Over the course of his life, he has found himself “accidentally” getting into businesses he never intended to – but he is glad these awesome accidents happened! Immigrating to the United States in 1902 from Holland, David’s great grandparents came here with the last name of Vis, but because there was already someone else here with that name, they added an extra “s” and made it Viss. David’s grandfather Cornelius was seven years old when the family came to America. Later, after marrying his wife Lucille, Cornelius began milking cows and hauling hay in California. Back then, he hauled “bottom bales” – the leftovers in the fields that other haulers didn’t take – to many of the dairies in Southern California. The next generation, David’s father Neil, was born in Chino in 1932. Neil later married his wife Gertrude, David’s mom, and the two ended up having nine children, with David being the second to youngest. Back then, big families were common, especially with farmers, because, as David put it, “They needed cheap labor!” In California, Neil had a cow trimming and clipping business that serviced the local dairies, but he eventually saved enough money to move to Glendale, AZ in 1957 and lease his own dairy. With only about 160 cows, this first dairy was not very large, but a few years later, in 1967, the family moved to Tolleson, AZ and built a new dairy that had twice the number of cows (about 350). Called Neil Viss Dairy, this operation would eventually grow to over 1,400 cows. Born in Glendale, AZ in 1963 but raised in Tolleson, David, along with all his siblings, learned to work hard at an early age. Getting up every day at about 3:00 AM or earlier, the kids all headed out to help with the cleaning and feeding of the cows and worked for four hours before heading inside for breakfast and to get ready for school. After school, it was back outside to help for another four hours. Their mom Gertrude 10 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 AWESOME ACCIDENTS
During his sophomore year of high school, David decided he couldn’t teach those teachers of his anything else, so he left school and went to work. His first job was driving a 1968 Pete with a 300 Cummins and a 4+4 two-stick transmission, hauling “green chop” feed for Gary and Steve Van Hofwegen. A year later, at just 17 years old, he started hauling hay for Ray Vandenberg with a 1968 International truck and trailer and then a cabover Peterbilt truck and trailer, both equipped with two-stick transmissions. Hauling for Ray for about five years, in the summer of 1985, things started to get slow, and someone asked David if he could get them a load of hay, so he did. From there, it started to snowball, and David found himself “accidentally” in the hay buying, selling and trucking business. Running as D&J Viss Hay, over the next seven or eight years, he built that company up to seven trucks, 14 sets of hay trailers, and two hay squeezes. Then, at 29 years old, he decided to sell it all and move to Chelsea, Oklahoma, and start his own dairy there. Moving to Oklahoma in 1992, David used the proceeds from the sale of his hay trucking business as seed money to start his new dairy and formed D. Viss Cattle. Growing to 200 cows, which in that area at the time was a big dairy, this venture did not last long. Unfortunately, his dad became ill and needed help running his two dairies, so David shipped all his cows to his dad’s dairy, closed his operation in Oklahoma, and moved back to Arizona in 1994. Helping his father for a couple years, he eventually walked away and let one of his brothers take over the business. David’s father passed away the next year in 1997 at just 65 years old. Around that time, after building some pens at a local dairy, someone said to David, “I didn’t know you did that,” to which David replied, “I didn’t know I did either!” Again, one thing led to another, and before he knew it, he “accidentally” got into the dairy building business. Over the years, he has built nine complete dairies, from start to finish, and over 300 barns in California and Arizona. Peaking at 47 employees, this construction business is still in operation, but it was downsized significantly following the 2008 housing crash and subsequent recession. These days, it only has five employees, that mostly do repairs and small jobs. While the construction business was still booming, there became a need for a big truck to move their heavy equipment around, so David bought a 1999 Peterbilt 379 in 2003, which he still has today. At one point, the company had six trucks to haul materials and equipment, but 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 11
12 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 all those trucks are gone now, except for that 1999 Peterbilt 379, which he has a driver in today, hauling hay. Eventually, some farmers he used to work for asked if he could move some hay to an exporter, and not long after that, he “accidentally” found himself brokering hay. Hay exporting is huge these days – much of the hay we grow here in the United States gets “pressed” into smaller bales and shipped via containers to other countries. Like Chino in California, which was once the dairy capital of the world until urban sprawl forced them out, Buckeye in Arizona was like that, too. At one time, there were a lot of dairies there, but most of them have either sold out or moved to larger facilities in eastern Arizona or New Mexico. There is still a lot of hay and alfalfa grown in the area, but most of it is sold and shipped abroad now. Today, David’s son Cayde (34) runs the hay business, operating as Viss Hay Co., and has ten subhaulers, including his dad and his dad’s other truck (the Peterbilt 379) with a driver in it. Most of the hay they haul these days is destined for an exporter that ships it out of the country. So, how did this amazing “Bullnose” find its way into the fleet? David’s brother Randy found it in Texas, so he bought it, thinking he could pull some local loads with it and use it at the RV park he owns. But, it didn’t take him long to figure out it wasn’t easy to climb in or out of, so he sold it to his brother, David. That was eight years ago. When David got the 1953 Kenworth KCD 825C “Bullnose” truck, it was painted dark green, had a worn-out old Big Cam Cummins hooked to a 10-speed in it, and had been fitted to a modern (1995) Freightliner conventional chassis. David’s dream was to have an old truck, but for it to drive like a new truck, and this KW seemed to be the perfect candidate to make that happen. But it was all cobbled together, and it needed a lot of work to get the truck where David wanted it to be. After pondering the KW project for about two years, David finally sent it to his friend Garrett Boyle of Boyle Restoration and Fabrication in Scottsdale, AZ. Tasked with the daunting job of replacing the engine, making the cab tilt, and getting the rig roadworthy, Garrett worked on the old truck part-time for a few years. These “Bullnose” KWs were built from 1948 to 1958, and they did not have a tilting cab. Access to the engine required removing the doghouse inside the cab and two small openings in the front of the truck, which was not convenient at all. David wanted the truck to be easy to service and easy to find parts for, so that became the main focus of the build. The 670-hp Cummins N14 engine came from a donor 9670 International cabover, which also provided most of the hydraulics and hinges for the tilting cab conversion. This was a big job. Since the chassis was from a conventional truck, the steering system was goofy, so the first thing he had to do was get all the steering geometry and angles correct. From there, that determined where the driver-side hinge and tilt cylinder could be placed, which then determined where they could put the radiator, which then determined where the passenger-side hinge and tilt cylinder could be installed. Garrett also had to rebuild the entire floor of the cab, which was made of plywood covered with sheets of aluminum, to give the structure more rigidity for tilting. Once all that work was done, the shift tower for the 13-speed transmission was set in place, along with a second stick to operate the splitter, then all the wiring and plumbing was updated so if David ever had a problem, he wouldn’t be looking for 70 year old parts. Garrett moved the bed back 7” to give David more leg room and make it feel more like a conventional, and then he lowered the driver seat 4” by placing it in a recessed pocket built into the floor. The cab was completely covered with four layers of insulation, the gauges and switches were replaced with newer ones from a 1996 W900, and multiple A/C units were added to keep David comfortable during those hot Arizona summers. After all that, the interior was redone by a local guy. The truck only has a 262” wheelbase, but it looks a lot longer than that. Garrett installed a modified 8’ Merritt drom behind the cab, which can hold six extra big bales, allowing David to haul 54 big bales of hay. Hooked to his set of Western doubles and fully loaded with hay, the seemingly long combination still fits on a 90’ scale. Garrett also added air-ride, modified a visor made for a K100 Kenworth, and built the entire 6” intake system, which was customized to accommodate the tilting cab. This truck originally came with single round headlights, but at some point they were changed to dual squares, which Garrett replaced with double rounds. It also
came with Freightliner steps, so Garrett replaced them with modified grab bars from a 362 Pete COE and then custom built the lower steps. Once Garrett got the rig roadworthy, David started running it. He was just supposed to run it for a little while to get the bugs out, but he liked it so much, he drove it for a couple years, putting 60,000 miles on it. Once all the gremlins were fixed, it was time to make it look pretty. Taking it to Rod Pickett at Pickett Custom Trucks (PCT) right there in Buckeye, the truck spent about a year there, before it was ready to make its debut at Rod’s “Diesels in the Desert” truck show in March of 2025, which is where we found it. While the truck was at PCT, they were in the middle of moving into a new shop, so it took them a little longer than expected to finish the Kenworth – but it was worth the wait. While at PCT, the truck got a new 18” Valley Chrome bumper, some new body panels, new 7” Dynaflex pipes with Pickett elbows and “Chino” tips, they rebuilt the entire grill, added bus glass, and replaced all the cab lights with new ones from Grand General with glass lenses. They also added Hadley horns to the roof, new Kenworth fuel tanks, Hogebuilt stainless quarter fenders, and built a small, custom deck plate, mounted behind the drom. The headlight bulbs were replaced with LEDs, blue and amber underglow lights were installed, and the truck was painted Dark Charcoal Metallic with a small Bright Blue Sapphire stripe. To finish it off, some tasteful pinstriping was done by Ron Hernandez. 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 13 This truck was supposed to be for David to semi-retire and slow down, but that hasn’t really happened. David has been a hard worker since he was 16 years old, and he really doesn’t know how to slow down (he might even be afraid to). Since putting the truck into regular service back in January (2025), he has put over 15,000 miles on it, and since he mostly runs local, that is more than it sounds. Working the truck about four days a week on average, it has proven to be what it was built to be – a cool old classic cabover that is quiet, comfortable, dependable, and easy to work on – everything he wanted it to be. The one thing he did not build it to be was a show pony, but now that he has went to a couple events with his family and really enjoyed them, he is “accidentally” getting into truck shows! And speaking of family, David and his wife Mia, who have been married for 14 years, have five mostly grown kids. David had three boys with his first wife – Slayde (39), Cayde (34), and another son named Wayde who passed away in 2022 at the age of 35. David and Mia have a daughter together named Victoria (20) that helps in the office and is currently studying to be a registered nurse, with her eventual goal of being a dermatologist. Mia has two other kids from a previous relationship, and both work in the family business – Ruben (34) is an owner operator that hauls hay for them, and Vanessa (33) helps them weigh the trucks in and out. Slayde, David’s oldest son, is on his own, and he feeds 3,000-4,000 heifers, unloads grain
14 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 at rail sites, has a custom harvesting business that chops green feed and corn and bales hay, and has five trucks that haul commodities. We shot the pictures of David’s Kenworth in an alfalfa field next to the feed lot Slayde runs in Buckeye. Slayde is married to Lacey, and they have three young children. As mentioned before, Cayde runs the hay business, so, theoretically, David can pick and choose his loads and work as often as he wants to, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Cayde is married to Kaitlyn, and they have four young children. Family is very important to David, and it was a huge loss when he lost his mom three years ago. She was one day from her 91st birthday, and had she lived that one more day, she would have been 91 years old and had 91 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Wow, that’s a big family! While at the “Diesels in the Desert” show in Arizona back in March 2025, I had the privilege of snapping a cool photo that included 16 members of David’s family who were all at the truck show to support him – and to have some fun hanging out together. To avoid some of the intense heat Arizona has, once the temperature hits 112, David and Mia take an extended four or five week vacation to Hawaii each year. David has a Hawaiian “Hula Girl” stuck atop his dash to help remind him daily of the good times that await. They also have a nice RV and enjoy traveling whenever possible, and a cool sand car, fitted with an LS3 engine, they like to take out to the sand dunes. For many years, David was part of an off-road racing team (Flying Dutchman Racing) and was the navigator during races like the Baja 1000, the San Felipe 250, the Primm Mint 400, the Laughlin Desert Classic, and the Parker 400. These days, he no longer rides in the car, but instead runs the chase vehicle and helps pit the truck. We enjoyed spending the day with David and his family, at the feed lot in Buckeye, even though it was super windy. Standing out there in the alfalfa field, as the dust was flying, made things a little more difficult, but we pressed on and got the job done (like we always do). Sometimes we plan our lives and things just go according to our plans, but that has not been the case for David Viss. His life has been a string of awesome accidents that led him to where he is today – and he wouldn’t want it any other way! n
10-4 Magazine / June 2025 15 WE ARE IN BRIGHAM CITY, UT OFF I-15 AT EXIT 365 435-744-5501 WE AT TRUCK WASH, CHROME SHOP, TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIR! T R U C K E R T O O N By Vic Vasselin I can't believe I got a ticket for following too close... from our police escort!
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10-4 Magazine / June 2025 17 The Performance Zone: By Bruce Mallinson When you think you want to retire from trucking, DO NOT SELL YOUR TRUCK. Detail it, change all the fluids, wax the frame and tanks, and sew some sheets together to cover her and keep the dust off. If you can, park her in a garage, barn or a decent shed – any place where she’s safe and out of the weather. Then, go on with your retirement. But let me tell you something – if you’re in your 60s, the average retirement for owner operators is about six weeks – six, that’s it! I’ve worked with folks like you for 48 years, and I’ve learned a thing or two from all that time on the road and in the business. You may think you’re ready to stop, but the road has a funny way of calling you back. The first couple weeks, you might enjoy sleeping in, puttering around the house, catching up on some projects, but then something starts to happen. That itch. That boredom. You miss the hum of the tires, the rhythm of the road, the solitude, even the smell of diesel. And, next thing you know, you’re looking at your old truck online – only now it belongs to someone else because you sold it. Don’t make that mistake. What the politicians did over the last four years to our great country, our economy, and the cost of living is nothing short of a sin. Everything costs more, and the dollar doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to. Florida is filled with retirees – good, honest, hardworking folks who thought they had enough money set aside to retire comfortably. They traded their work boots for sandals and expected to live the good life. Now, they’re working again at hardware stores, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, marina fuel docks, and golf courses – places they never imagined themselves after retirement. And they’re making half of what they did before, if they’re lucky. Some of them thought they’d just play golf, hang out at the beach, sip a cold one, and enjoy the sunset. That lasted 90 days, maybe. Then boredom set in. Restlessness. They needed a purpose. So, they found some kind of work, just to stay busy. It wasn’t about the money anymore, it was about meaning – and doing something. Never give up your way of making money. If you’re a mechanic, don’t sell your toolbox. You might need to turn a wrench again one day, maybe part-time, maybe full-time, you never know. As an owner KEEPING YOUR OPTIONS OPEN AFTER RETIRING operator, you don’t have to drive a million miles a year. Cut back. Cherry-pick the loads. Work smarter, not harder. Run during spring, summer and fall, when the weather is nice and the roads are dry. Park that rig during the winter. Go south for three to four months if you can swing it. Take a break. Then, come back refreshed, ready to get behind the wheel again. Let’s talk about home life. A house is NOT a man’s castle – it’s a woman’s palace, and it’s been neglected for as long as you’ve been on the road. You come home thinking you’re going to relax, but she’s got a honey-do list waiting for you that’s as long as a trip from Maine to California. And the kind of work on that list is different. It’s physical. It’s bending, lifting, crawling, painting and fixing. After a week of that, you’ll be saying, “I didn’t work this hard driving my truck.” The thing is, when you’re home every day, the scenery never changes. The same trees, the same roads, the same cloudy skies. And speaking of skies, if you’re in the Northeast, the weather can be gray, rainy, and downright depressing for weeks on end. That cabin fever can set in quick, making you start to wonder if staying home was such a good idea after all. Be very careful with full retirement. If you fall into a sedentary lifestyle, you might not last long. They say if you sit still too long, you’ll rust – and I believe it. Some studies even suggest Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t attack a busy mind. And let me tell you, when you’re driving a semi-truck, your mind is always working – watching the road, reading signs, planning stops, calculating distance, staying alert. That activity might be what’s keeping your mind sharp, so don’t throw that away and trade it in for a recliner and a remote control. Bottom line: be careful with selling your truck. That truck is your freedom, your identity, your lifeline. It’s more than a machine – it’s a part of you. Even if you don’t use it every day, knowing it’s there in the shed, ready to roll, gives you peace of mind. And it gives you options. Keep the truck. Keep the toolbox. Keep your hands in the game, even if it’s just a little. Retirement doesn’t mean you quit – it just means you shift gears. Got questions? Give us a call at (724) 360-4080 or visit our website 24/7 at www.pittsburghpower.com. n
18 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 909-990-5425 18651 Valley Blvd, Unit B Bloomington, CA 92316 Bumpers, Fenders, Grills, Lights, Stacks & More. WE INSTALL WHAT WE SELL TOY’S TRUCKS TRUCKS TOY S TRUCKS 4 Grand General
Truck Show Report: By Daniel J. Linss Last month, we all went “back to the future” as the 44th annual Truckin’ For Kids (TFK) Charity Show & Drags moved back to Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield. Some may or may not know, but TFK was held at this location in 2004 and 2005, so 20 years later, we returned – and it was awesome! With 253 of the finest trucks on the lot, a packed Kid’s Zone with games and rides, 25 vendors, and a bunch of big rigs drag racing on Sunday, it was a great weekend. Not to mention, a bunch of money was raised for Shriners Children’s Hospital, which is what this event is all about! Over the years, TFK has been held at many different locations. For the last 18 years, it was at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California, but after that facility was shut down permanently, and I mean permanently (it was leveled), in January of 2025, we had to find a new home for the event. Thankfully, our friend and partner Tim Huddleston, who ran Irwindale Speedway and recently purchased Kern County Raceway, where our “10-4 Trucker Rodeo & Show” was held last November, took over the lease at Famoso Dragstrip, as well. Having a great relationship with Tim, we were able to secure this location in late December (2024) and make our official announcement in January 2025. But that didn’t leave a lot of time for us to plan and prepare for the event – which was being held at a new location, with a new owner, in a new region (Central California)... but we got ‘er dun! It was hard to leave the Southern California area because TFK has always been considered a SoCal show, but with no more available drag strips in the area, we had no choice. Truth be told, this new location, which is so much bigger than Irwindale Speedway, is a much better venue for this kind of event. We now have space for more RVs, more trucks, more vendors, more spectator parking, and grandstands large enough to hold three times more fans than Irwindale held. In short, we have plenty of space for not only the show, but growth, as well. Nevertheless, moving to a new location can be stressful, but everyone at the dragstrip made us all at TFK feel right at home. Something that was different this year was the ability to park trucks and let vendors get set up on Friday, the day before the show started. That has never been an option at TFK. On Friday, the gate was open from noon to 7:30 PM (it was supposed to close at 6:00 PM but trucks kept coming so we kept parking), and we parked 150 trucks that day. Most of the vendors came in and got their booths set up, too, and the vibe for most of the day was chill and relaxing. What a concept! Saturday was so much better, as well, since over half the trucks and most of the vendors were already there. We parked 100 trucks on Saturday, and the gates opened to the public at noon. The weather was awesome, with temps in the mid-70s, and a light breeze blowing most of the weekend. The foot traffic on Saturday was really busy, as spectators came to see the trucks, play in the Kid’s Zone, and buy raffle tickets for over 30 amazing items donated by our friends and 10-4 Magazine business partners. Companies like Valley Chrome, Toys 4 Trucks, Hogebuilt, West Coast Foam, RLK Services, SpareTime Fab, Pickett Custom Trucks, Lifetime, 4 State Trucks, Dane Nelson Bugshields and so many more, made sure the items in the raffle were worthy of buying tickets. This year we did the raffle/auction differently. In past years, we did a silent auction, where people wrote down their bids on an item they wanted, and then the highest bidder “won” the item after the auction closed. To mix things up a bit, we decided to do it as a raffle this year. Each item had its own box, and after people bought raffle tickets, they dropped them in the box or boxes of the items they wanted to win. Once the raffle closed, just before the awards, we drew one ticket out of each box and then announced the winners. It actually worked out pretty well, so I think we will do it like this again next year. We also did a live auction for two items – the custom wood truck and trailer that Jeff 20 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 BACK TO THE FUTURE
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22 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 Delacy builds and donates to TFK each year (this year’s truck was a Freightliner cabover truck and trailer), and a luxury suite, along with ten entry tickets, for our Trucker Rodeo this coming November. Big thanks to Justin Mascaro who paid $2,200 for that suite, and to Chad Ellison who paid $2,000 for the one-of-a-kind TFK keepsake wood truck! Like always, the “Bonus Buckets” that we give to the first 200 people who register their trucks online before the show were once again a big hit. These brightly colored (yellow or blue) buckets were filled with all sorts of goodies like Time 2 Shine polish, BullSnot spray tire butter, Zephyr polish, a bottle of VPR (Vinyl, Plastic, Rubber) spray cleaner from Sic Rigz, microfiber towels, air fresheners, stickers, a notepad and pen, a duffle bag, a grocery tote, a voucher for a free event shirt, keychains and more. Thank you to A & L Truck Supply for donating the bucket itself, and everyone who contributed to filling it. We had a few no-shows, so the remaining five or six buckets will be sold at upcoming truck shows this summer. Lined up along a fence and facing the trucks, the vendors had great exposure to the people walking around the show. Famoso is a somewhat isolated location, so we were worried a bit about getting spectators to come, but they did. Not as many as we would have in Irwindale, but still a good amount – maybe even more than we expected. As time goes on and we put some roots down at Famoso, we are sure the crowds will come. Thanks to all the amazing vendors that came out and supported the cause. There is so much more space at this location, competitors were also able to drop their trailers in a separate area if they wanted to, at no charge, and we were also able to add onsite mobile washing and polishing. Thanks to the brothers at Reyes Polishing & Detailing for coming out on Friday and Saturday and washing as many trucks as they could – those boys were busy! Next year we might need to add a few more detailers to the mix, just to ensure that everyone who wants a wash can get one. Our Kid’s Zone was expanded this year, too. In addition to all the fun bright green games we bring each year and a larger tent for shade, our friend and past cover trucker Ron Ver Steeg brought out four little kiddie rides, and these things were a huge hit. Like what you used to see outside of the grocery stores years ago, these little rides were a boat, a race car, a truck and a dinosaur, and they didn’t cost a thing – just push a button and away you went. And these old rides were tough enough to accommodate both young children and adults who are still young at heart to get on them. Next year, we will have even more of these fun little kiddie rides, including a 10-4 truck, according to Ron. Another fun thing we do for the kids at TFK is offer a coloring contest on both days of the show. On Saturday, we give away six bikes (3 boys and 3 girls in different age classes), and then on Sunday, we give away six more! We would like to thank our supporters and friends at Premier Paving in Ontario, CA for once again supplying the twelve assembled bicycles, along with gift cards, so they can buy a helmet. Also, thanks to Polly Kasper (my mother in law) for managing the coloring contest, and two of my kids, Parker and Paige, and their friends Kenan and Jordyn, for picking the winners each day. This year, the TFK show was also honored to be added to the short list of qualifying events for a new national championship series, which culminates at Atlanta Motor Speedway in November. Our friend Evan Steger of Time 2 Shine and Evan’s Detailing & Polishing came out from Wisconsin to pick trucks to be invited to compete in the championship finale. He ended up inviting seven trucks to go to Atlanta. Being chosen is an honor, and those seven truckers were very happy, to say the least. Thank you to Evan for coming out and being a part of TFK. For more information about the national championships, search Stars, Stripes and White Lines Truck Show. After a long but fun Saturday, the sky put on a light of show of its own by sharing a beautiful sunset with us. Then, it was time to “Light the Lot” and make some noise (TFK is known for having one of the loudest light shows out there). And light the lot, they did. Wow, what a spectacle! We cruised around on the golf cart, took pictures, talked to friends, and just enjoyed the perfect evening. By 10:00 PM, things had settled down, so we packed up and headed to the hotel. Partway through the light show, a very short rain shower came through, but it wasn’t even enough to make the ground really wet – it was just enough to make everyone have to wipe down their trucks again on Sunday morning. Speaking of golf carts, something else that was offered this year that wasn’t available in the past was golf cart rentals to the general public. JM Precision of Bakersfield brought out not only the carts for the TFK staff and volunteers, but a bunch to rent, as well. They kept running out, so they kept bringing more! The Famoso lot is a large area to cover on foot, so I am sure many folks were happy to have the option of renting a cart
10-4 Magazine / June 2025 23 for the day – or the entire weekend. This was a big hit, and something we will do again next year, for sure. As mentioned before, we had over 250 trucks on the lot, but I have to say, it was one of the finest collections of trucks we had ever seen at TFK. The quality of trucks in attendance was through the roof. All the “cool kids” and fleets were there, including names like Ingrid Brown, Chad Ellison, Bobby Vaz, Stan Alles, Albert Guzman, Bedrock, Central Valley Transport, Richie Foster, DeVries, DanDee Dairy, Rod Pickett, North Coast Wine, Double E, Hettinga, Ten West, Hammett Excavation, PJ Brink, Heet Trucking, Carballo Transport, JDT, Rivera Trucking, Soza Trucking, Bill & Luke Rethwisch, DeBoer, Lagomarsino Transport, Justin Mascaro, Rollin’ R, Vince Jenkins, Silva Trucking, Monarch Heavy Haul, Basse (Trey), Oldenkamp, Kent Swapp and so many others. On Sunday, the day started out a bit gloomy, but by early afternoon, it was nice and clear. The drag racing began at noon, and those grandstands were pretty packed! The first to make a pass on the quarter-mile track and open the show was one of Tony Franco’s jet dragsters (he brought two) from Muy Caliente Racing. After that blisteringly fast run, a not so fast, but very fun, race happened. Me and my TFK partner Tim climbed into a couple of those little, tiny Shriners cars and did a drag race of our own. These cars go about 30 mph and hardly have any brakes, so it was exciting, to say the least. After that the real racing began, which went on for about four hours, then it was time for the awards. This is a non-judged event, but we do give out about 20 trophies, most of which are chosen by fellow competitors, the people at the show, or just earned (like the drag racing awards and the Largest Fleet and Longest Tow trophies). We’d like to thank Dickerson Custom Trucks and Rockwood Products for building and donating all our trophies. This year, they were painted blue, which was different, and six of the bigger ones featured lights. Special thanks to Doug Kline at DCT for making sure the trophies were perfect, and to Molly and Dustin for getting them delivered to the track just in the nick of time on Friday afternoon. We would like to thank everyone who came out and participated in the event. We would also like to thank each and every one of our volunteers – over 30 of them – for coming and helping us run the show. Many of these folks live in Southern California, but even after the venue change, they still opted to go “over the hill” and help out. Some people even came from as far away as Arizona, Washington, and Montana to volunteer! Thanks to Jacob Gunderson for coming out from Wisconsin to help us with the pictures, along with Tim Sieben and his daughter Gracie, and John Testa, who came from Oregon to do live remotes. Special thanks to our friends Roger & Annette Ghidelli for pulling our TFK trailer to the show and, this year, for cooking us all breakfast, too. All of us on the TFK team, which includes me, my wife Shannon, Tim Sieben and his wife April, our matriarch Jean Osugi, and special help from Kris and Angelina Gaare, can’t thank you all enough for coming out and supporting the cause. Raising money for kids in need is what this show has always been about, and we are happy to announce we will be making a $60,000 donation to Shriners this year, bringing our four-year total to $270,000! This show has been “a good time for a great cause” for over 40 years, and going “back to the future” might be what keeps it going for a few more decades. Next year’s dates have been set for May 2-3, 2026, so put it on your calendar now and keep an eye on www.truckinforkids.org for more details as they become available. n
24 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 SHRINERS CHARITY’S CHOICE: Jose Juarez – Pink 2022 Peterbilt 389 with Matching Reefer Trailer. LONGEST TOW: Richie Foster – traveled 2,463 miles from Darlington, Pennsylvania. LARGEST FLEET: Central Valley Transport (9 trucks). PEOPLE’S CHOICE ANTIQUE: “Big Ed” Davis – Teal 1979 Kenworth W900A. PEOPLE’S CHOICE BOBTAIL: Elias Garcia, EG Trucking – Pearl White 2019 Peterbilt 389. PEOPLE’S CHOICE COMBO: Brandon Mendenhall, Hammett Excavation – 2023 Black Cherry Pete 389 and Matching 85-Ton Rackley. COMPETITOR’S CHOICE ANTIQUE: “Big Ed” Davis – Teal 1979 Kenworth W900A. COMPETITOR’S CHOICE BOBTAIL: Josh Carballo, Carballo Transport – 2013 Black and White 2013 Peterbilt 389. COMPETITOR’S CHOICE COMBO: Billy Ezernack, Double E Trucking – 2023 Grey and Purple Peterbilt 389 and West-Mark Tanker. BEST ENGINE: “Big Ed” Davis – Teal 1979 Kenworth W900A. LIGHT THE LOT BOBTAIL: “Big Ed” Davis – Teal 1979 Kenworth W900A. LIGHT THE LOT COMBO: Tommy Stine, North Coast Wine – Silver and Maroon 2022 Peterbilt 389 and Matching Western Step Deck. NON-DIESEL PICKUP DRAGS: Winner – Rene Reyes; Runner Up – Mayra Montanes. DIESEL PICKUP DRAGS: Winner – Nate McCluskey; Runner Up – Mike Partida. BEST BURNOUT: Arnold Hernandez in the “Cocaine” Super Drag Truck. SUPER STREET BIG RIG DRAGS: Winner – Chillidogg Martinez; Runner Up – Mike Martin. SUPER DRAG TRUCK CLASS: Winner – Oscar Velasquez; Runner Up – Mario Monette.
26 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 • Live Special Guests • 10-4 Magazine News • Truck Show Coverage • Trucking Discussions • Interact w/Team 10-4 • And Much More Fun! Join John Testa for the “Studio 10-4 LIVE!” Weekly Update on Facebook & YouTube! Wednesdays @ 5:00 pm (PST) @“Ten Four Magazine” Sweet Rides Towing Recovery & Repair LLC Located off I-90 at Exit 16, Haugan, Montana We work on I-90 from Mile Marker 77 in Montana to Mile Marker 63 in Idaho We tow commerical and passenger vehicles, offer road service, lockout service, tires, load adjustments, and sell snow chains. We offer local and long distance towing and wreck clean up. We can deliver the wrecked semi and trailer to repair shops, and redeliver the load. We have everything from reefers to flatbeds to landolls! IF YOU NEED HELP CALL 406-595-4978 We are Family Owned and Operated 1-800-948-2775 www.doublejjenterprises.com Headlight Brackets • Light Grills • Rear Steps Blinker Bars • Hood Mounts • Custom Emblems The original... and still the best! original...
10-4 Magazine / June 2025 27 47 years in the trucking industry is an accomplishment in itself, but when you add 22 years of contributing to our beloved magazine, it is a mere part of what makes Kim Jaikes (Grimm) who she is. Kim (66) has made a name for herself with her passion, not only for the industry, but in highlighting truckers and their stories. Originally from Iowa, she resides in Nanticoke, PA with her husband and partner in the Trucker Talk column, John Jaikes (57), who became husband and wife on July 9, 2021, during the Walcott Truckers Jamboree. This is the same show where they met six years earlier. Once they were married, John (our January 2018 cover) came on board with Kim and together they help each other formulate an informative, inspirational, and educational article each month (Kim was also on the cover with her then husband Rod in November 2005). Kim currently drives for Brian Dreher Trucking out of Campbellsport, WI (our September 2019 cover). At age 19, Kim got her license after spending $250 for a five-week course at a truck driving school in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1978. She started out driving a dump truck until she got the opportunity to run over the road in 1986. In the mid-1990s, Kim came across 10-4 Magazine and began picking it up. The first truck show she attended was the Walcott Truckers Jamboree in 1990. Kim had an early appreciation for photography which started with her daughter’s birthday parties and continued when her over-the-road trucking took her through beautiful places like Provo Canyon in Utah. Suzanne Stempinski was the original Trucker Talk columnist, and when she and her husband Bob got off the road, she suggested that Kim take it over in October 2003. The woman that paved the way for other woman to navigate in truck photography and photojournalism within the trucking industry was Bette Garber. As one of Kim’s best friends and someone that the trucking industry lost too soon, Bette always encouraged Kim’s photography and writing. These days, Kim credits John for his role in assisting in story ideas and bringing up questions to ask that Kim wouldn’t have thought of during the interviews. Regarding 10-4 Magazine, Kim stated, “We are the only magazine that has so many drivers as writers and contributors. People love getting featured in the magazine because it is a big deal!” John and Kim enjoy contributing and having the ability to tell people’s stories and sharing places some people have never been before. Together, they said that being a part of the 10-4 family is something they are very proud of and appreciate the inclusion it involves. Thank you, John and Kim, for your continued contributions to the magazine! n Who’s Who in 10-4 Magazine: By Stephanie Haas TRUCKERS DOING TRUCKER TALK
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Clint’s Creations: By Clint Moore him, “Do you know what you are doing?” Didie, answered, “Honestly, I apologize sir, I am new, and I really don’t.” This gentleman appreciated his honesty and took him under his wing. That gentleman was Rogelio Betancourt, the founder of a very large communications company called Condor Communications, and over the course of that week together, they bonded and began a friendship that would last a lifetime. Growing up in Cuba, Didie’s dad drove a fuel truck, and every chance he had, Didie would ride with him. Rogelio encouraged Didie to chase his dream, and by 2004 he had his CDL and bought a used 1997 IHC COE to haul containers. The truck was very inexpensive, so he was able to pay cash for it. Didie named his company after his mentor’s company and called it Condor Transport LLC. Not long after that, Rogelio lent him the money to buy a Freightliner Classic and then allowed Didie to make payments. Over the next 14 years, hauling containers, Didie owned and drove a few trucks including a W900L, a 379 Pete with a 600 CAT, a ‘96 Pete 379 flattop, a yellow Pete 387 aerodynamic truck for fuel mileage, and a new T680 KW. Seeing a lot of nice Peterbilts out on the road pulling dump trailers, he made the decision to buy a dump trailer and paid for it without even pulling it – he didn’t even know how to use it! Thank This month’s creation was custom ordered for Didie Enriquez (45) of Condor Transport LLC out of Miami, FL. Didie is a very refreshing and positive guy, but he doesn’t mess around, saying, “I don’t give myself the option for a Plan B. If you give yourself an out or another option, when things get tough, you might be apt to move on. In reality, no matter what choices you make, if you are committed to making them work, there’s no need for a backup plan.” Buying a nice truck was his dream, so he saved as much money as he could before he even called me. Married for eight years now, Didie and his wife Neysa have four children – Kay (22) who is in college, Zoe (21) who is also in college, Amaia (15) and Emma (13). They both had two kids of similar ages from previous relationships. Didie is the youngest of four sons from Rolando and Aida Enriquez, but sadly, both have passed away – his dad in 1997 and his mom in 2020. His dad was a truck driver in Cuba, and three of his brothers are still truck drivers in Cuba. In 1996, Didie came to America on a plane with his parents for a better life. Didie gained his US citizenship in 2002. He graduated from Miami High School in 1998 and then went straight to work with a cousin installing phone systems. On one of his first big jobs, he was hired to install a phone system in a home. The owner asked 10-4 Magazine / June 2025 29 goodness for YouTube videos!! The container company was a one-way door, so once he left, there was no going back. So, with no backup plan of any kind, Didie figured it out. When it came time to order his new dream Peterbilt, Didie’s friend Nate told him to call me. When he called, we hit it right off, as Didie is a super nice and polite guy – and he loves nice trucks. We ordered him a 2026 Peterbilt 589 with a 58” flattop in Legendary Silver with a Dark Red frame, a 565-hp Cummins X15 with 2,050 torque, and an 18-speed XD PRO Endurant transmission. It was also fitted with a Low Air Leaf suspension, a car hauler front axle on air ride, and lots of goodies inside, including a nice refrigerator and a power inverter. Once the truck arrived, Mike was given the task of dialing it in. Storm made me a special stainless drop visor, which to date is my favorite one so far. Didie wanted special lights, so he ordered some sweet tanker lights from Jim’s Custom Iron Works in Narvon, PA. Mike installed two of these lights on the new Texas bumper, three on each side of the 12 Ga. breather panels, and two on the new lowered mirror arms Storm built at the Built by Bub weld shop. Mike added additional Rockwood grill bars, steer axle dump valves, 6” dummy pipes with my dad’s clamps, and chrome oilers on painted front hubs. The paint crew sprayed the fuel tanks, DEF cover, cab exhaust covers, all the brackets and pieces, and installed five load lights in the back of sleeper. Wanting to stay on a budget, we opted for a set of full stainless fenders and brackets from Class Eight Manufacturing. Lastly, our guys in service installed a wet kit for his end dump trailer. I wanted to thank Didie and Neysa for letting us order his dream truck, letting our crew dial it in, and his friendship. I really liked how it turned out and enjoyed the visit we had when he came to pick it up. It just goes to show, if you have no Plan B, your Plan A will always work! n NO BACKUP PLAN
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