10-4 Magazine November 2021

to find good quality drivers (he feels very fortunate to currently have some great drivers). Mark also said that these are extremely challenging times to be in the trucking industry, and with fuel costs on the rise, you have to haul good freight, not cheap freight, and be sure to find yourself consistent work. The truck you see today sports stripes that are a combination of several different stripe patterns. Originally, the solid color truck was burgundy, but with the new paint work performed by Stanley Lafavor of Lafavor’s Body Shop in McRae, GA, it closely resembles the colors of one of the trucks Mark used to have. The truck has a CAT 3406B under the hood which you need to see in person, a 15-Over transmission, 3.55 rears, and a 285-inch wheelbase. Along with the basics, the truck has 8-inch Lincoln Chrome stacks, a bumper from Southern Stamping, a RoadWorks visor, Trux Accessories headlight assemblies, and Hogebuilt half fenders. All of the chrome accessories and custom pieces came from the Great American Chrome Shop in Lake Park, GA. Between Mark, Stanley Lafavor and Mark’s mechanic Jody Baggett, countless hours were spent getting the truck to where it is today. 2018 was the year Mark took a truck to a truck show (not this one) for the first time, which was the Shine In The Pines Truck Show. Fast forward three years and Mark brought this daycab to showcase for the first time at that same show in 2021. I asked Mark if he had advice for someone looking to restore their own truck and the first thing that came to his mind was patience. He said, “If you are going to be in a rush, don’t do a restoration. If you do this, do it right the first time.” A question I regularly ask in my interviews is, “What kind of advice would you give someone looking to start their own trucking company?” Mark’s response was simple but straight to the point. He said it is tough and you have to be willing to work very hard. Insurance premiums are very costly, and it is hard 10-4 Magazine / November 2021 61