60 10-4 Magazine / March 2026 If you’re like me, and you’ve been in love with the trucks of the trucking industry since you were a child, one of the ways you connected with your love for trucks was with model replicas. Whether you bought plastic model kits from Revell/Monogram, AMT/ERTL, and/or others to paint and build, or even diecast trucks from companies like Winross and ERTL years ago, the model truck industry has changed significantly since the 1980s when I began collecting. Eric Haselhorst has been rockin’ it for years, making cool custom models and teaching others, and is known for his popular answer when asked if he can build something, “Let’s give it a try!” While I like the larger scale models around 1/18, 1/25 and 1/32, the one downside to them is these scales take up a lot of space on your shelves. Two model manufacturers, Precision Engineered Models (PEM) and Die Cast Promotions (DCP), are two of my favorite model companies, as they produce trucks in 1/64 scale and are highly detailed for their size. Of these two, DCP is the most popular, and their trucks offer a lot of detail that brings these models to life like the real trucks they are modeled after. Offering a wide array of truck models from companies like Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, Freightliner and Mack, the options are endless, with parts that include fiberglass double hump fenders, stainless deck plates, straight pipes, drop visors, and more. Founded by Fred Ertl III (the grandson of the ERTL company) in 1996, DCP was then purchased by First Gear in 2018. I have models in my collection that have a lot of meaning to me, some of which are pictured here. As a former driver with a passion for steel hauling and covered wagons, along with my time spent at Horseless Carriage Carriers, replicas of the trucks I drove meant a lot to me, as well as friends who have given me replicas of their trucks. In recent years, DCP introduced their “Big Rig” Series, which are 1/64 scale replicas of real working trucks. Our own Trevor Hardwick here at 10-4 Magazine has been recognized twice in this series, with models of both his 2017 Kenworth W900L and his 2023 Peterbilt model 389, both featured with his spread-axle reefer. While it’s an honor to be part of this series, sometimes we want a model truck that’s more detailed and accurate, and since not everyone gets to be a part of the “Big Rig” series, that leaves only one option for many of us – to have a custom replica of our truck created. My first foray into the world of custom 1/64 model trucks was back in the mid-1990s when I met Kentucky based David Beasley, owner of Toy Trucks and More. David had a passion for building and creating custom trucks Truckapedia: By Mark Harter and fleet replicas and was well known in the model truck world. In the early 1990s, an Evansville, Indiana based company called KVS Express had a fleet of Mack RDs and CHs pulling EAST frameless dump trailers. They could be seen on Interstate 164 (now part of I-69) all day long, hauling coal from the strip pits to the Ohio River, but twelve of the units in the KVS fleet were very unique for this area due to the trailers they pulled. Operating Red River live bottom dump trailers (which had a belt system to unload), the Mack CH600s and these trailers were not common here in the Midwest where I live, as these trailers were primarily used out west. I was introduced to David through a good friend and one day saw a custom model of a KVS Express Mack CH600 with a Red River trailer he had built and was blown away by it. Having to add it to my collection, I purchased it without even asking the price. The Mack CH600 was based on the PEM 1/64 scale model and was painted red, lettered with the KVS logo on the doors, and customized beyond what PEM initially offered. The trailer was completely custom built and extremely accurate, including a custom working tarp system. Sadly, David died at the age of 56 in 2015 due to cancer, but the KVS Mack he built 30 years ago is still one of the most prized trucks in my collection to this day. After David’s passing, I knew there were other custom model builders in the industry, but I didn’t know any. About five years ago, I wanted to have a custom replica created for a gift for my friends, Anthony and Lisa Russo, owners of A&L Russo, Inc. (a food grade tank line based out of Danbury, Connecticut). At the time, Anthony owned a 1995 Kenworth W900L nicknamed “The Big Easy” due LET’S GIVE IT A TRY
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