10-4 Magazine October 2021

Double Eagle sleeper, but nope – ATG (Alliance Truck Group). Based out of LaGrange, IN, ATG makes custom sleepers no matter what size (width, length, height) you want. They also do conversions and refurbish existing units, making your old sleeper look new again. And they will repair any sleeper, no matter the manufacturer. Matt Hurney strolled into the show with a 1976 Kenworth W900A extended hood with a 36” sleeper, painted blue and gray, that caught my eye. Talking to Matt he told me a brief history of the truck and about himself. After buying the truck, it underwent a ground-up restoration that took seven years. Being a Cummins technician at Cummins Bridgeway of Belle Vernon, PA, Matt overhauled and installed an 1,100-hp Cummins ISX. As I was talking to him about the truck, his wife Holly retrieved a book that she had made for Matt as a gift that had pictures of the truck in various stages of the rebuild, from start to finish. Matt also shared with me that he is a colon cancer survivor. On a personal note, I lost my father to colon cancer in 1989. Another amazing A-model was brought out by Tom McClarran – this one was a 1978, painted black with red stripes, with a 36” sleeper. Loaded on his step deck trailer was a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am. Tom’s ‘78 has a 3406C Cat engine connected to a 10-speed, riding on a 252” wheelbase. This truck gets a lot of attention wherever it goes, because people recognize it from years of it running up and down I-95 on the eastern seaboard by a previous owner. Tom has had the truck for the last five years and works it in the northeast part of the United States. This summer he’s running around Pittsburgh and other parts of the state. A work in progress, this old rig is still earning her keep. One more standout rig to mention is Chad Walker’s black and white Pete 359. Although a bit tattered now, the paint scheme initially caught my eye. Originally purchased by Smith Transport of Roaring Springs, PA, the rig is a 1985 glider kit titled as a 1987. Powered by a 400 Cummins Big Cam and a 13-speed, riding on a 250” wheelbase, Chad bought it off the second owner, who had it from 10-4 Magazine / October 2021 71 1991 to 2020. The previous owner had it painted in 2008. The truck has been all over the country but has maintained a home within 30 miles from where Chad has lived his entire life. Since buying the truck, Chad has installed a custom air ride front end with a 5” drop steer axle. His nephew Taylor Walker has been busting knuckles and turning wrenches right alongside his uncle on this 359. Chad said he is the 4th generation in the family to truck, and who knows, maybe Taylor will be the 5th generation. The Riggle family has created a great way for people within the trucking community to get together and enjoy a nice Saturday in June, just hanging out, and showing off what they drive or own. And with tons of cool trucks, plenty of good food, great music, and even a few local vendors showing off their products, as well, I am very happy I took the time to go to this fun and relaxed non-judged show. Stay tuned to Facebook and the 10-4 Magazine calendar of events for 2022 (on the website) for the date of next year’s show. I promise, if you make the trip, you won’t be disappointed! n