10-4 Magazine May 2022

34 10-4 Magazine / May 2022 tribute to the guys that ran in the 80s and 90s, the same ones he looked up to. The truck is, as previously stated, a 2003 Peterbilt 379 with a Caterpillar C15, an 18-speed transmission, 3.36 gear ratio, and a 300-inch wheelbase. The truck has several custom parts including Shift Products half fenders, a Lincoln Chrome bumper, an RLK Services visor and rear stainless light panel, and 6-inch Dynaflex stacks. One of the most notable features is a classic Varashield up on the roof. The Varashield was actually by his friend’s house, laying in the weeds, and although it had shown its wear with holes and cracks, it was completely reskinned and brought back to life. The interior was done by EZ Pete Interiors out of Le Mars, IA, who did a great job, including matching the color nicely. The paint work was completed by Simerly Collision and Restoration out of King City, MO. The original color, which Rory dubbed North Carolina Tar Heels blue, was incorporated into the “Michigan Wave” paint scheme, as well as the frame of the truck. The base color of the truck is bright white, and the peach isn’t a specific name, just what they came up with after mixing and mixing to reach the desired color. Rory got the idea of this retro paint scheme from his friend James Curtis, whose father had this same scheme on his trucks out of Michigan, back in the day. After I photographed the truck, the engine was completely overhauled, inside and out (thanks to Rory for the included picture). All the grunt work and painting Rory did himself, but he couldn’t have completed the job without the expertise of Jeremiah Ming, who came down to help. Kurt Loeffelholz was gracious enough to provide his shop for the work, as well as miscellaneous materials, and the forklift to lift the head off the motor. Thanks also goes to Josh Renner with Enhanced Power Products out of Kentucky for being so full of knowledge and willing to help with questions and advice. This truck was put on the dyno but, without revealing the final numbers, Rory said the truck can definitely move down the road. Shoutouts for help with the entire restoration process go to Gavin Moore, who did not hesitate to come up for the weekend to help Rory prep the truck before I arrived, Brandon Simerly, Tim at EZ Pete Interiors, and Nick at Deluxe Truck Stop in St. Joseph, MO, who washed the truck and hand-dried it the day of the photo shoot. Rory believes there is an appearance to maintain, not only with your truck, but also with yourself. He was taught at an early age that it means something to show up where you load or unload looking presentable. To Rory, this means having your hat on right, a button-down shirt tucked in, nice jeans, and boots. He has seen firsthand buyers send drivers away for not dressing the part because they showed up wearing ratty clothes or a t-shirt and shorts. Everyone in the industry has stories to tell, whether they are good, bad, or indifferent. Some of these stories are, in fact, life lessons not to be ignored. Rory told me a story about coming out of Reno, NV, loaded to the gills, and the truck he was driving at the time had a big grille guard on the front of it. As he was driving down the road, he saw eyes up ahead. Rory figured it was a deer, and with a load of livestock in the trailer, slamming on the brakes was not an option. As he approached, he squared the truck up to avoid any unnecessary damage to the truck or livestock, but it wasn’t a deer, it was a steer – and not one, but 14 of them! The truck ended up drifting into the ditch, hitting the embankment, and went off the ground, but he and the livestock came out alive. It was a big turning point for Rory, realizing he was not invincible. Today, Rory and Heather have three sons and a daughter, Crighton (15), Riley (13), Skyler (6) and Wrenly (4), and they all reside in St. Joseph, MO. He hauls cattle full time from the Midwest to the Southeast, however there are slow times throughout the year. He wishes it wasn’t the case, but when there are slow times, the pay decreases as well, and he isn’t willing to haul for cheap. The spring run of hauling cattle is very busy up until about July, then it is crazy busy all the way to Christmas. During the slow season, Rory is hooked to a refrigerated trailer, but during the busy season, you’ll find him pulling a 2021 Merritt livestock trailer. I asked Rory what advice he would give to someone looking to buy their own truck and he said, “Be prepared before you make that purchase. Have at least a 20% down payment, at least enough