12 10-4 Magazine / October 2025 Excavating in Enumclaw, WA. But, to take this opportunity, he’d have to move to the coast (the Tacoma, WA area). After a month of thinking about it, he took the offer, moved, and began driving for PGH, hauling open-top containers filled with contaminated dirt. Things were going good until Josh screwed up and got a DUI in his car, causing him to lose his CDL for a year. Advice from Josh: “Don’t do that!” Moving back to Omak that year and selling cars, once he got his license reinstated, he went back to work at PGH. In 2012, he moved over to a company called Port Pass, hauling containers, in a beautiful lime green Peterbilt 389. Running all over Washington, Oregon and Idaho, he did that for about a year, and then went to JL Leasing, also in Enumclaw, WA, hauling very long pipes, some as long as 210 feet. In 2016 Port Pass became Dash Point, but Josh did not last there for long. By now, he was pushing 30 years old, his wife was pregnant, and he was at a point where he felt like he needed to get his life going. Josh and his wife were just getting ready to buy a house in 2017, but they decided to use their downpayment money to buy a truck and start their own company instead, and Josh Roberts Trucking was formed. Purchasing a brown 2013 Peterbilt 389 with cream stripes, a truck Clint Moore had built for someone else and featured in his September 2013 article, the truck has a 48” flattop, a 280” wheelbase, a 525-hp Cummins ISX, and an 18-speed. Leasing back on at Dash Point for about six months and pulling containers, he then got the opportunity to begin hauling steel, and he never looked back. Pulling someone else’s trailer for a few months, Josh eventually bought his own – a 2000 Ravens stepdeck with a Conestoga top. About a year and a half later, he bought a sweet 2008 MAC Conestoga with a 12-foot spread, previously owned by Vinnie Diorio of Wisconsin, and then painted it to match his brown and cream truck. He still owns this truck and trailer and is currently in the process of refurbishing the combo. In 2020, Josh got the opportunity to buy a 1997 Peterbilt 379 that came with a 2018 Western quad-axle curtain van, a driver (Matt), and a dedicated fruit haul, and he took it. Unfortunately, on the way back from its maiden voyage, the engine in this 1997 Peterbilt blew up. Desperate to keep his steel haul covered and this new fruit deal intact, he called Aaron Smith, his friend who had purchased Girdy 3 from his dad, and said, “You told me if I ever wanted the truck back, just call. Well, I’m calling!” Josh bought Girdy 3 back in 2020 and it became his third truck, too. Eventually, the 1997 Pete got fixed and then Josh hired another driver, Jaime Perez, to drive for him. Jaime is still with Josh, and over the next few years, the company built up to 17 trucks. Today, Josh has 15 trucks and is running 13 of them – but Girdy 3 is still his pride and joy. In 2022, Josh took Girdy off the road for about a year to give her a little love. Buying a 2021 cutoff with very low miles and a Peterbilt Low LowAir suspension, Josh and his friend Jody Lovejoy cut the frame just behind the sleeper, welded it up, and stretched the wheelbase to just under 300 inches. They also smoothed out the frame by shaving all the bolts and then repainted everything black. Much of the original metallic silver paint is fading and peeling – especially on top of the hood, cab and sleeper, but Josh has no intentions of repainting that part of the truck, opting instead to embrace the patina. He would, however, at some point like to have the faded front fenders repainted in their original metallic black with gold flake color. Other changes Josh made to Girdy’s exterior include a 12 Ga. front air ride kit, a new stainless grille and insert, along with a stainless visor and 20” front bumper, all made by Brad at Outlaw Garage Kustoms in Custer, WA. The truck also got double-round headlights on Double JJ brackets, 34” Hogebuilt stainless rear quarter fenders, stainless covers over the front fender braces, new scripted “Peterbilt” badging, 7” RoadWorks stacks, a custom painted (black) steel rear light
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