10-4 Magazine May 2024

Cover Feature: By Daniel J. Linss “LESSONS LEARNED” The entry from Brian and Tom Davis and their entire crew at Davis Brothers Designs out of Owensville, IN was called “Lessons Learned” based on their previous experiences building trucks – which includes what to do and what not to do. They began building trucks for themselves and their own trucking company, RK Transpor t, back in 2011. In 2013, they hired Kevin Johnson as a par t-time helper and stepped up their game. In 2015, Kevin came on-board as a full-time employee, and that year they built their first truck for an outside customer. Known very well for their wild interiors and outrageous sound systems, “Lessons Learned” did not disappoint. Star ting with a brand-new 2024 Peterbilt 389 that was delivered at the beginning of December 2023, the truck came with a 70” standup sleeper, a 295” wheelbase, and was powered by a 565 Cummins X15 hooked to an 18-speed. After tearing everything apar t except the drivetrain, they pulled the stock sleeper and purchased a 2006 model to gut and rebuild in its place (once the truck completes its show commitments to its sponsors, the brothers plan to reinstall that stock sleeper and put this truck into everyday service). At this point they painted the motor Viper Red, smoothed out the chassis, and then began building it all back up. Although these trucks were supposed to just be bobtails, the Davis Bros. decided to build a trailer, too. They offered to uncouple it once at the show for judging, but the event producers said they didn’t need to (the judges were instructed not to judge the trailer). The trailer is a 2024 MAC step deck, polished and painted everywhere, with tons of lights, and an integral par t of the rig’s sound system. Up on top of the deck, the brothers loaded two old restored farm tractors, owned by their neighbors. The exterior modifications to the truck include double round headlights with painted buckets sitting on chromed Double JJ brackets, After a 13 year hiatus, the Big Rig Build Off held in conjunction with the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, KY, was reborn in 2024! Making a strong comeback with three completely different types of projects, this event is scheduled to continue in 2025 and, hopefully, will include even more trucks. This year, the contenders were four builders – Davis Brothers Designs, Dickerson Custom Trucks, Johnson Hill Customs, and Troy Massey. Unfor tunately, Troy did not finish his build in time, so his truck did not make it to Louisville. He did, however, have other trucks at the show that earned some big “Best of” trophies, so all was not lost! The Big Rig Build Off first debuted in 2005 and featured four competitors. That first year, the folks at Elizabeth Truck Center (ETC) took home the trophy with their groundbreaking “The Beast” build. Other notable trucks over the years included “Mob Sled” from 4 State Trucks (which is now mounted high up in the air in front of their chrome shop in Joplin, MO, and acts as a sign for their store), Jeff Botelho’s conver tible Peterbilt and black and green “limo” truck (built for PDI), and Adrian Rocamontes of ACW Specialties and his “Sledgehammer” – a champagne colored Peterbilt with a chopped top, maroon tribal stripes, and a completely chromed V12 Detroit Diesel under the hood. The Build Off went for six years, until 2010, and over that time period many cool creations were unveiled. Some might remember Phil Langevin’s 1980 Freightliner cabover that was completely wrapped with polished stainless steel, First Class Service’s stunning burnt orange and maroon 1986 Peterbilt 359, and two entries from the guys at Outlaw Customs in Colorado, who won the last two Build Off competitions, including their slate gray “Vigilante” truck and a copper and tan colored Peterbilt with a highly customized interior. S & J Truck Sales also made a big impression in 2007 when they took top honors for their bright orange Peterbilt. The purpose of the Build Off – then and now – is to highlight the talents and creativity of the premier truck builders out there and to inspire others to think “outside the box” when building custom trucks. Some of these wild “creations” were outlandish and, as some might describe, over the top, but that was the point. These rigs, much like a concept car for the automotive industry, introduce crazy new ideas that, hopefully, one day find their way into mainstream use or even OEM manufacturing. After several people asked Jason “JC” Alt (the show manager for the PKY Truck Beauty Championships for the past few years) about bringing the Build Off back to MATS, he asked the show producers to do it. And, after several meetings and a lot of negotiating, they made it happen. The rules for the invited builders were simple: they had to star t with a Class 8 truck that had never been shown at MATS before, and they needed to pay $5,000 (that money would be pooled together and given to the winner). From there, they sent out several invites, and four threw their hats into the ring. So, let’s look at the three amazing builds that made it! 10 10-4 Magazine / May 2024 BUILD OFF REBORN!