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22 52 10 ® 26 FUN: Truckertoon 30 • WordSearch 37 • Crossword 41 • NumberSearch 45 • Red’s Rides 55 • Words To Live By 62 OCTOBER 2026 CONTENTS VOLUME 34 ISSUE 2 COVER FEATURE Jim Beck Suffers From a Bad Case of Hay Fever ........... 10 A TRUCKING DOG’S BLOG Spiking the Scale After a Particularly Bad Day ............... 16 PERFORMANCE ZONE Another Small Part Creates a Huge Fuel Problem .......... 19 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Raising Money and Having Fun in Baraboo, WI ............. 22 OUT OF THE ARCHIVES Another Old Gem from Bette Garber’s Collection .......... 25 SPECIAL FEATURE Young Trucker Still Enjoys Kickin’ it Old School ............. 26 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Taking Over the Tarmac Again in Rantoul, IL .................. 38 THE VETERAN’S VIEW When the Telephone Game Isn’t So Much Fun .............. 42 CLINT’S CREATIONS Bret Schmid’s Peterbilt 589 was Built for Work ............... 47 LIBERTY’S LANE What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You .............................. 49 THE BOOKWORM SEZ... A Book About Why Studying History Still Matters ........... 51 TRUCK SHOW REPORT Shining for a Good Cause in Salt Lake City, UT ............. 52 TECH-TIPS & TID-BITS Fight That Ticket and Protect Your Livelihood ................. 57 POETRY IN MOTION Trevor Goes in Search of His Dad’s Lost BIC Pen .......... 59
8 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 We at 10-4 Magazine® love to hear from our readers. If you have any comments, suggestions, gripes, questions, or just some information you would like to pass on to other readers (truckers just like you)... VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITE: www.tenfourmagazine.com FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIALS: Search for Ten Four Magazine SEND US AN E-MAIL: info@tenfourmagazine.com WRITE TO US AT: 10-4 Magazine Post Office Box 639 Dunlap, CA 93621 CALL US ON THE PHONE: 559-338-2703 (M-F 9-5 PST) 10-4 MAGAZINE IS: Daniel J. Linss - OWNER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/MARKETING Jean Osugi - OWNER/TRUCK SHOW SUPPORT/HR Tim Sieben - OWNER/TFK MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT Shannon Linss - OFFICE MANAGER &DISTRIBUTION Eric Hill - MARKETING SALES MANAGER/SHOW SUPPORT John Testa - SALES &DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Stephanie Haas - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Parker Linss - PRODUCTION ASSISTANT/GAME CREATOR John Hambro -WEBSITE MANAGER Vic Vasselin - MONTHLY “TRUCKERTOON” ARTIST Ron Kelsey - PRINT &DIGITAL SALES/AZDISTRIBUTION Jonathan Townsel - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION Hugo Ruano - L.A. & L.B. HARBOR DISTRIBUTION Teresa Franco - LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRIBUTION Derek Bennett - HIGH DESERT DISTRIBUTION Julio “Junior” Tapia - INLAND EMPIRE DISTRIBUTION Terry Coombs - OR, WA & IDAHO DISTRIBUTION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, EDITORS &PHOTOGRAPHERS: Bruce Mallinson• John & Kim Jaikes • Eric Hill Dennis Mitchell • Stephanie Haas • Clint Moore Mark Harter • Liberty V Justice • K.M. Stanfield Troy Miller • Trevor Hardwick • Shelly Hartman Ryan Rosetta • Miss Flatbed Red • Josh Rietveld Colin Kund • Alex Guirguis • Jacob Gunderson Terri “Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer • Jon Boyer WEBSITE: SOCIALS: Magazine PST)
Cover Feature: By Daniel J. Linss another hay hauler and bought a “plastic” 3-axle Freightliner truck and began hauling chicken feed. A few years later, in 2007, he gave up being an owner operator and went to work at a friend’s construction company, pulling a lowbed and driving a transfer, until he quit trucking altogether and took a job in Sonoma County’s Mosquito Abatement Program. Needless to say, Jim was devastated – but that didn’t stop him. While still in high school, Jim got a job at Rivertown Feed in Petaluma when he was 16 years old. Loading products into customers’ vehicles and making deliveries, Jim really liked this job. After he graduated high school at 18 years old, he began working full-time at the feed store. Later that year, he got his CDL permit and started going out with anyone who would take him trucking. Our friend and past cover trucker (August 2017) Kevin Scarpete was hauling beef cows every Tuesday from Nevada to a plant in Petaluma, and it just so happened that Jim’s days off at the feed store were Tuesday and Wednesday. Going out with Kevin, Jim would do some of the driving, and learned a lot about loading, unloading, and hauling cattle. After quitting the feed store in the spring of 2011, Jim began running a squeeze and going out with various hay haulers, including his dad, who had briefly returned to hauling hay before starting the county job. Getting his CDL in November 2011, Jim wanted to buy his own truck and get his own thing going, but getting insurance at his age, with his lack of experience, proved to be a challenge. Getting a driving job from Charlie Cunningham of Cunningham Bros. in Petaluma, running a 2-axle Peterbilt 362 cabover, Jim started pulling double bottom hoppers, hauling grain. In July of 2012, Jim started driving for Morrison Hay out of Santa Rosa, CA, hauling hay with a really nice Peterbilt 362 hay truck and trailer. When the season ended, along with his gig at Morrison Hay, Jim started hanging out at Hay fever is an allergic reaction that occurs when your body’s immune system overreacts to allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mold, or animal dander. Effective management includes avoiding allergens, using antihistamines, and immunotherapy – or, in Jim Beck’s case, driving old Freightliner cabover hay trucks and trailers! Applying this strategy to most of the trucks he’s owned and operated, hauling hay and cattle like so many have done before him, nothing has cured this condition – in fact, it may be getting worse. And after his home state of California banned this remedy altogether, Jim (and others) had to find a legal way to keep this treatment for “hay fever” available and in play. Now from Williams, CA, Jim Beck (34) grew up in Sonoma County, in and around Petaluma, which is about an hour north of San Francisco in Northern California. Jim’s grandparents, along with his father when he was just a baby, moved to Bloomfield (just west of Petaluma) in 1962. Jim’s grandfather Leon worked in the shipyards and then later joined the sheet metal union, where he eventually retired from. On his mom’s side, Jim’s grandpa Ted, who also lived in Sonoma County, started hauling milk in cans at the age of 14 from the many diaries in the area. He later started a trucking business and hauled hay, but went on to be a heavy equipment operator, which is the business he retired from. Growing up in Bloomfield, Jim’s dad David became a lumper, elevating hay into barns with a conveyor, and unloading hay trucks by hand. Later, he got his commercial driver’s license and began trucking. At age 28, he bought his first truck in 1990 – a white 1973 Freightliner cabover hay truck and trailer with a red stripe – and started Hay Fever Trucking. David drove this truck until 1996 when he bought and built “Blue” – a blue 1985 Freightliner cabover truck and trailer. Jim was born in 1992 and spent a lot of time in “Blue” while growing up and trucking with his dad. Driving a hay truck was pretty much all Jim ever wanted to do – his grandmother still has a picture Jim drew in first grade that said he wanted to be a hay hauler and a racecar driver when he grew up – and he ended up doing both of these things. Hauling hay throughout Central California to dairies and beef ranches, Jim went out with his dad whenever possible. “Blue” had a 75” cab and was powered by a Big Cam 4 Cummins, hooked to a 13-speed, and was originally a lumber truck that Jim’s dad modified and built into a hay truck and trailer. Around 2004, when Jim was 12 years old, his dad sold “Blue” to 10 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 HAY FEVER
10-4 Magazine / October 2026 11 Bill Scarpete’s place (Kevin’s dad), helping out wherever he could, and doing some driving. Jim worked there until he got the opportunity to buy his own hay truck – and it came with a job, along with some help getting him insurance. So, in June 2013, Jim re-started his dad’s old company, Hay Fever Trucking, and went to work on his own in a beautiful white and green 1984 Peterbilt 362 cabover hay truck and trailer. Driving the Peterbilt for about a year, in the spring of 2014 Jim got the opportunity to buy back “Blue” – his dad’s old 1985 Freightliner cabover truck and trailer – and he jumped at the chance. Everyone thought he was crazy, trading “down” from a sharp Peterbilt to a Freightliner, but Jim had so much history in this truck and he had grown up in it. Plus, to him (and others), a cabover Freightliner is more of a “working man’s” truck and the quintessential hay hauler. After freshening the Freightliner up and putting it to work, he sold the Peterbilt to Kevin Scarpete, who later traded it in for a newer truck, but as far as Jim knows, that old Peterbilt is still floating around somewhere out there. Driving what he now calls “Old Blue” for a few years, it was eventually flagged by CARB (California Air Resources Board), who started sending him letters and notices, about how his truck was not in compliance. Jim could see the writing on the wall and started thinking about and searching for a truck with a newer electronic engine that he could add a DPF filter to and get a few more years. He estimated that he could be compliant until about 2023, at which point he’d figure out what to do moving forward, from there. And then along came this wrecked 1999 Freightliner cabover, equipped with a “Red Top” Cummins N14, and a 1989 replacement cab! Purchased from a guy named Ethan Jory out of Galt, CA in 2016, Ethan had planned to build this truck as a project, but it just never happened. Because of this, Jim was able to buy the wrecked chassis and replacement cab for just $7,500. Taking the pieces to Kevin Scarpete’s shop in Penngrove, CA, the guys got the engine running, but it didn’t sound good. Then, after talking to CARB, Jim was notified that he’d only be compliant until 2020, and that was not worth all the time, money and trouble. So, now the hunt was on for a motor, and Jim found the perfect specimen at Westoz Phoenix in Arizona.
12 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 The engine is a 550-hp Cummins ISX, and it came complete with the DPF filter, the DEF tank, and everything else needed to make it work. And, after further inspection, they found that the engine only had 11,000 miles on it, and that the truck it came out of was not wrecked, but instead stolen, and whatever the thieves took off it, deemed it a total loss in the eyes of the insurance company – which was a total win for Jim! With low miles, no wrecked parts to replace, and ready to drop in, the best part was the price (only $27,000). Since then, the price of these engines has skyrocketed. The real question was, would it fit, and could they make it work. And the answer was a resounding, yes! And, unless the rules are changed again, this truck would be 100% compliant moving forward indefinitely. After a few small modifications by Brian Adams, the mechanic in Kevin Scarpete’s shop, the engine was placed in the chassis. Needless to say, it was not an easy installation – it barely fit. In fact, they had to re-clock the turbo and shave a few rivets to get it in properly. Both of the fuel tanks on each side were moved back to accommodate the DPF filter (on the passenger side) and the DEF tank (on the driver’s side). The truck was also converted to a weed burner exhaust underneath, so the single 6” stack is just a dummy pipe. Dropping the “new” 1989 donor cab on the chassis with the help of a large piece of timber pushed through the side windows of the cab and a hay squeeze, Jim kept it the same color it came for the first few years. The cab came from a CARB turn-in truck from Brazil Hay out of Los Banos, CA, originally found in a junk yard, so the frame was cut off just behind the cab and there was no engine in it. The biggest challenge of this build was the wiring, but Brian got it done, even though the shop was covered in a spaghetti mess of wires for a while. Put in service in June of 2017 after about a year of work was done, the truck still has the original bumper that came with it, the cab lights were changed out to watermelons, blinkers were added to the mirrors, 2-sided watermelon running lights were added to each side of the cab, and a few “double bubbles” were added to the sides of the header board, which features painted red diamonds, done by his wife, on the plywood inserts. The hay bed was custom-built by Jim and his friend Anthony Hawkins, the trailer is a refurbished 1966 Fruehauf, and lights were added down the sides of both. The cab was painted in the Brazil colors of silver with blue and magenta stripes, and Jim kept it that way until 2019, at which point everything got sprayed in the Solar yellow, Viper red, white and black paint it sports today. Brazil Hay is still in business and they have nice trucks, and they were excited to see the old cabover – still in their colors – out on the road earning its keep for a while. Jim is a simple and practical guy, so he did not embellish this truck with hardly any fancy accessories – he didn’t even install any quarter fenders, citing the fact that they add unnecessary weight. The mostly stock interior is blue, which doesn’t really match the exterior colors now, but he figured, “It’s in perfect shape, and nobody is gonna sit in here but me, so why change it!” Moving from Petaluma to Williams, CA in 2018, the following year he found and purchased an old Merritt cattle box and pull trailer out of Klamath Falls, OR to expand his operation to hauling livestock. Constructing a stand for his yard, Jim could mount or dismount the cattle box, on his hay bed, fairly easily. A cattle truck and trailer combination is not very popular these days, but in some instances, it is the required setup to get in or out of some locations. To help with the livestock part of his operation and do less swaps, Jim purchased a white and red 1996 Freightliner cabover truck and trailer that was a dedicated cattle truck. This way, depending on the haul he had that day, he could take either truck #3 (the hay truck and trailer) or truck #4 (the cattle truck and trailer). As this part of his operation became a larger portion of his income, Jim decided to buy a new 3-axle truck to pull traditional livestock trailers. Ordering truck #5, a brand-new KW W900B in 2024, the flat-glass truck features a 42” sleeper, a 565-hp Cummins X15, an 18-speed, 3.25 rears, a 265” wheelbase, and a factory-ordered wind fairing (yes, those are still available from the factory). Jim ordered the truck in Solar yellow with a white roof and then sent the truck to Transportation Services in Sacramento, CA for the red, white and black stripes to match the cabover. Eric Sedletzky did all the hand lettering, including the silver leaf on the door logos, and added the lettering up on the wind fairing, as well. At this point, he sold truck #4, so he now has truck #2 (Old Blue), truck #3 (the hay truck and trailer featured here), and truck #5 (the Kenworth W900B). I first saw Jim’s truck (the Kenworth) at a charity show in Red Bluff, CA in May 2026. At that point, I had never seen or even heard of Hay Fever Trucking. Since I am such a big fan of those B-model Kenworths, and I really liked the old-school vibe of Jim’s rig (and the name of his company), it was one of my favorites at that show. Afterwards, I did some digging online and saw a picture of the old Freightliner cabover truck and trailer – another one of my absolute favorites – so now I was very interested. And once I talked to Jim and he explained how the old Freighltiner was 100% CARB-compliant, I was sold! A few weeks later, we found ourselves up in Williams, CA shooting the cabover. He still doesn’t have his own cattle trailer, but Jim did pull for Erik Prouty out of Corning, CA for about a year after he got the Kenworth, still hauling hay on the side, when he had the time and loads were available. The busy months for hauling cattle are April to June (when the herds get moved north), and then again in October to December (when they get brought back down south), and since hay moves year-round but is busiest in the summer, it works out good for Jim. In addition to his trucking operation, Jim also offers squeeze services to other hay haulers. Not looking to add any trucks or build a fleet, Jim likes things the way they are, but might consider doing more subhauling in the future.
10-4 Magazine / October 2026 13 He and his wife Kirsten, who have been married for almost two years and together for about five years, would love to one day own their own hay ranch, some acreage, and possibly even some cattle. Kirsten used to work in the office at a big dairy, but now she is a stay-at-home mom, raising their daughter Elaine (who is 10 months old) and their son Cody (7), who came from a previous relationship Jim had. She also helps out a lot with the business, doing all the filings and paperwork, running to get parts, operating the squeeze, bringing him lunch – anything that needs to be done to support the team! She also grew up in the Petaluma area, and she is just awesome (Jim couldn’t do it without her). Being that Kirsten worked at a dairy, you might think that is how they met, but it isn’t... they met at the racetrack! When he was really young, Jim started racing outlaw go karts on dirt tracks, then larger types of winged sprint cars, even winning a championship when he was ten years old in a micro sprint car. Kirsten’s dad had racecars, so that is how they met. Growing up and racing at tracks like Red Bluff, Lakeport, and Petaluma, Jim got to watch and race against guys like Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick (both NASCAR superstars now) as they were coming up, as they are both from Jim’s area and about the same age. Although he doesn’t have much time (or money) to race these days, Jim still has a 600cc micro sprint car that he takes out as often as he can – and last time he took it out, he won! With plans to rebuild his motor (which now has over 800,000 miles on it) and refresh the paint job on his cabover in 2027, Jim also has a wind fairing that he plans to get painted and then mounted atop the cabover. He would also like to build another trailer sometime soon, as his current old Fruehauf is pretty worn out. Still owning his dad’s old cabover, Jim would consider letting “Old Blue” go to someone who was going to use it either on the road or on a ranch. It is a 1985 Freightliner with a 75” cab, a hopped-up Big Cam 300 engine, and a 13-speed. The truck and trailer are just sitting at Jim’s house now, not being used, rotting away – and that is killing him. So, if you think it might be something you want or could use, look him up and give him a call. And speaking of his dad, Jim’s parents, David and Dina, divorced when he was in first grade. David went on to get remarried shortly thereafter to Jim’s stepmom Kristine when Jim was in fourth grade. The two of them moved to Bowie, TX (just northwest of Dallas) to manage a ranch there from 2022 to 2024 at which point, the owner, after having some medical issues, sold the ranch. Since then, they moved back to Santa Rosa, CA and Jim’s dad got a job at the Sonoma County Water District (this guy just never stops). Jim also has an older brother named Jack (38), along with a stepbrother named Matt (36) and a stepsister named Willow (35). With a long list of people to thank, first and foremost is his family, including his grandparents on each side of the family – Leon and Nadine and Ted and Ann, along with his parents, and his wife. Not wanting to forget anyone in particular, he just wanted to send out a huge “thank you” to everyone who helped build this truck (and others), kept him busy working all these years, or just offered support in one way or another. No man is an island – it takes a village – and his village includes a lot of really great people. And if his son or daughter ever decides to follow in their dad’s footsteps, Jim would gladly help them get started and absolutely love running up and down the road with them. Today, hauling hay and cattle in Southern Oregon, Nevada and Northern California, Jim works hard for his family, but since he loves what he does, it’s hardly “work” to him. Although Jim is a simple man, for the most part, he is willing to change or adapt as necessary, and in today’s trucking environment, being a little flexible is an important trait to possess. Like choosing to drive an old Freightliner cabover (the working man’s truck) fitted with a newer CARB-compliant motor. Not many people would do that, but guys like Jim Beck, who suffer from that dreaded hay fever disease, don’t have many options left to continue fighting the sickness. n
14 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 JIM IN DAD'S "BLUE" COE JIM'S DAD'S FIRST RIG JIM'S FIRST HAY TRUCK JIM AT THE RACETRACK JIM'S KW W900B THE PIECES FOR #3 BEING HAULED BY "BLUE" JIM's #4 #3 W/CATTLE BOX JIM W/DAD'S "BLUE" COE
A Trucking Dog’s Blog: By K.M. Stanfield So here we sit, creeping along, slower than a Home Depot receiving line. Time seems to slow down as trucks roll over the scale, drivers staring at the red light, window cracked, hoping they are not invited to stay. I realize the stress of this day already might make my driver spontaneously combust. He’s more upset than normal – more than getting low on cigarettes, an empty thermos of coffee, or getting behind a speed limited truck camping in the left lane. However, we are here, sitting on the scale next to the mirrored little brick building where I see myself in its reflection, hoping the light turns green... but it doesn’t. My driver shifts lower in his seat, managing a growl of indignation as a non-bearded, uniformed man comes strolling out of his brick home and stares at my truck, slowly making his way to the driving side. As my driver pulls that black and red hat down further on his head, his eyes narrowing to slits, I crane my neck to listen to Mr. Uniform take a huge breath and begin to lecture my driver. He speaks with stilted sentences that are causing my driver to chew the inside of his cheek (a sure sign of stress overload). I decide not to bark just yet, as I strain to listen to the tense, one-sided conversation. My driver’s mood grows darker and darker as he explains to the smug badged man that yes, he knows how and when to use his drop axle and when to move his tandems, and no, we are clearly not oversize, and yes, he checks tread depths every pre-trip. That and other snippy questions are thrown at my driver and obliterating whatever good mood he may have had left. Finally, with his hands once again gripping and molding the steering wheel, he’s told it’s all for education and the badged man walks back into the brick building (which I’m told all bears live and hibernate). The light finally turns green. My driver’s Butt Bucket is full again. Ever since that last delivery, he’s been eerily quiet with a smoke stick always hanging from his mouth. An empty red and white box lay crushed on the floor as he grabs yet another one, smacking it on his thigh before flipping the clear film on the floor and cracking it open. With smoke filling the cab, my driver grips and kneads the steering wheel and then suddenly intense, foul language bursts from his mouth, which keeps me from taking a nap (something I must do fifteen times a day). In the last couple of hours, I’ve tried to shut my eyes, but am always interrupted by repeated streams of angry complaints of bad drivers, shifting loads, incompetent forklift drivers, the bimbo in receiving and the potholes in their lot. All from the last delivery site, which was only the beginning of this long day. There are always standard complaints from my driver after every delivery, however the cause of said accelerated cigarettes in the Butt Bucket was the addition of a massive tear he found in his beloved tarp while folding it in their potholed riddled lot. Post repairs, the sharp smell of acrid adhesive mixes with smoke in the cab as the offensive goo seems to have stuck to his boots, jeans and hands – everything except the tarp, of course. He claims that this adhesive was obviously made for blow-up poolside animals, not an 8-foot drop lumber tarp. That and my tail knocking over a full 24-ounce Monster on the driver side floor mat and a graphic novel getting jammed in the CD player made my driver in about the worst mood I’ve ever seen him in. I can feel my eyelids once again getting heavy as the smoke and smell of glue starts to dissipate along with my driver’s somewhat intensely foul mood. The highway rolls by with the sun’s warmth pouring through the windshield. He’s settling in and not using colorful cuss words – the cigarettes are staying in the box and not hanging continually from his mouth and causing a cloud of stress induced smoke. A fog of sleep takes over as I slump in the seat, and dreams of slow squirrels, massive meaty bones and red rubber balls raining from the sky begin to become my unconscious reality when suddenly my driver yells, “WHAT THE !!#%&$?” Snapped from my (almost) nap, I look over and see my driver’s mood has gone from settling down to almost a nuclear meltdown as we start pulling into yet another weigh station! This must be the last one in Indiana as my driver yells that we’ve been pulled into every freaking other one in the state today. The green bypass light has never lit up once today, so I conclude it must be broken. I also conclude it absolutely will be destroyed by my driver’s fist should he get any more irritated. 16 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 SPIKING THE SCALE
As the mustard and ketchup paddles are pushed, I’m sure all is well and begin to jump back into the bunk when I’m suddenly slammed into the quilted back wall, upside down with my tail cocked above my head! The sheer force of the lurch seems to have put my driver in a fantastic mood, so I’m willing to not get my nose out of joint for plastering me up against the back of the cab. “Whoops, I accidentally popped the clutch getting off the scale,” he shouts with a maniacal laughter and grin that stretches ear to ear. I wonder what that means as we peel off the scale at such a speed it’s hopeless I will ever recover from the crumpled position I’m in. My driver is old school, a Billy Big Rigger, not a steering wheel holder, a professional driver that never misses a gear or pops the clutch! Has the stress of the day got to him? Was it the fumes from the adhesive? He then exclaims, “Good Boy! Come on up here!” So, I untangle myself and jump to the front seat, happy my driver is almost catatonic with laughter. It’s contagious and I dance on the seat with my tail thumping the dash. I listen with great enthusiasm as he grabs my muzzle playfully, turns it towards him, and says, “Dog! Can you say R-E-C-A-L-I-B-R-A-T-I-O-N?” Um... no, and why would I care? Sticking my head out the window, my lips flapping in the wind, we fly back onto the highway. My driver hangs his arm out the window, bangs out another smoke stick from the box in his shirt and laughs as he snaps the Zippo and lights it up. His joy is contagious. The entire mood has turned – a day that began with mounting stress from torn tarps, high winds, broken bungees, glue stench, four-wheeler brake checks, and the full Butt Bucket, ended with a uniformed man lecturing my driver on how to be a driver. However, all is forgotten now as we roar down the highway, his laughter and fresh smoke filling the cab. The urge to howl at the siren that is behind us is too great. My melodious howl breaks up the mood in the truck and dampens the howling laughter of my driver. When I finish my required howl, it’s apparent that the cloud of smoke in the cab has instantly been filled by a cloud of aggravation yet again. As my driver pulls off the freeway on to a wide turnout, it’s apparent that not only the siren seems to have followed us, but the blue and white four-wheeled vehicles parked at the weigh station have, as well. 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 17 The urge to bark is unbearable as yet another badged man wearing a wide brimmed hat pulled down over his eyes exits his car and begins walking towards our truck from the back of the trailer. The attempt to cover his face with the blue hat definitely means he’s up to something shifty, no doubt, and I prepare myself to frighten him off with the most hellraising bark my lungs can manage. I suddenly feel my driver’s rough hands on the scruff of my neck. His eyes are dark and with a ferocious undertone tells me to get in the bunk and be quiet. Failure to do so will cause all my toys to be dumped at the next truck stop, my plush pig made into bacon, and finally I will be dumped at the doggie pound. He points to the bunk and reminds me to stay there and be quiet until they de-regulate trucking! I weigh the pros and cons of the glorious reward of roaring at hat man versus the dumping of my red ball and impending slaughter of my dear pink pig should I not comply with the bunk order. I choose the latter as protecting my pig outweighs the protection of the truck. In what seemed like hours I lay there watching the uniform walk around our truck and trailer, leaning over, under and up and down. Pulling on straps, examining the tires, in addition to having my driver open the hood so the hat man can examine how a diesel engine works, I assume? He talks to my driver briefly and I prick my ears to hear the hat give my driver commands much like the box on the dash gives him, and he follows them just as quickly. After what seems like hours we are back on the highway and the silence in the cab is deafening. I feel a thigh cramp coming on as I’ve been waiting so long to be released from the bunk. He doesn’t say anything between sucking on yet another smoke stick... the Butt Bucket has tipped onto the floor spilling cold butts under my passenger chair, but this doesn’t seem to bother him. There’s a new ream of paper sitting on my seat, gifted to him by the uniform in the hat. He glances at it with a darkness on his face I’ve only seen on him when all his tarps froze to the catwalk last winter. Suddenly he tosses them back on the bunk, not so much as to give them to me, per say, but to get them out of his sight. He’s sinking down in his seat with one hand on the wheel, blowing smoke out the window, as the sky is painted red by the setting sun. He’s got that “drive all night regardless of HOS” look on his face. I arrange the papers neatly between my paws and figure I’ll chew on these instead of my ball (as I have not been released yet from the confines of the bunk). Previously my driver asked me if I could spell “recalibration” as we tore off the scale. Glancing at the pages between my paws I notice many other words I can’t spell... the top one says, “Indiana State Police - CMV Violations” and the rest I attempt to make sense of as I gently shred the first page. Tarp Straps Used to Secure Dunnage 49CFR 393.104/106; Interference With Driver-Clutter in Bunk 49CFR 398.4b; Trash on Dash-Obstruction of Vision 49CFR 393.60C; Improperly Located TV Receiver 49CFR 393.88; Inadequate Floor Condition 49CFR 393.84; ELD Cord Too Short 49CFR 395.20b; No Reviewing Driver’s Signature on DVIR 49CFR 393.13c; Company Name Not 2” Tall 49CFR 390.21; Windshield Fluid Not Spraying Adequate Area 49CFR 393.78; then on to the next page... n
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10-4 Magazine / October 2026 19 The Performance Zone: By Bruce Mallinson We have another great example of how, like last month, when it comes to diagnosing a truck problem, sometimes the smallest and most unassuming part can cause some of the biggest problems. This customer had been speaking with Pittsburgh Power’s new president, Eric Moser, for the past few months about an issue that had been going on for eight or nine months. The truck is a glider powered by a 12.7L Detroit with approximately 750,000 miles on it. Over time, the customer began noticing that his fuel mileage was steadily getting worse, but there was another symptom that really stood out – his fuel pressure was reading an incredible 120 PSI at idle. For comparison, on this particular 12.7 Detroit setup, we would normally expect to see approximately 15 to 22 PSI at idle. Seeing 120 PSI was far enough outside the normal range that our first thought was to make sure the reading itself was accurate. So, before tearing deeper into the system, we advised the customer to replace the fuel pressure gauge to rule out a faulty reading. The gauge was changed, but the result wasn’t. The truck was still showing 120 PSI at idle, confirming that there was a problem somewhere in the fuel system. The question was what could be causing that much pressure. The customer had already had the truck worked on at two different shops during the months he had been dealing with the issue. He returned to one of those shops, and in an effort to eliminate another possible cause, they replaced all the fuel lines, including both the supply and return lines, to make sure there wasn’t a restriction somewhere in the system. With the new lines installed, the truck was started again, and the gauge still showed 120 PSI at idle. At this point, a considerable amount of time and effort had gone into chasing the problem, but one small and seemingly insignificant component had managed to escape everyone’s attention. On the back of the cylinder head is a relatively unassuming brass fitting. When the customer finally removed and inspected it, he discovered something that would ultimately explain the entire problem. The fitting contains a small orifice that is critical to controlling fuel flow through the system and attached to it is a secondary brass fitting that allows the fuel line to connect to the head. The two sides of DON'T OVERLOOK OR IGNORE SMALL OR SIMPLE THINGS the fitting use the same thread pitch, but there is one very important difference – one side is longer than the other. At some point in the truck’s history, that secondary fitting had been installed backwards and then subsequently tightened far too much. Because of the additional thread length, over-tightening allowed the secondary fitting to extend far enough into the assembly that it began covering the small fuel orifice. When the customer inspected it, roughly half of the opening was obstructed. That tiny restriction was enough to send the fuel pressure skyrocketing. Once the fitting was installed correctly and backed off, the orifice was allowed to flow properly again, and the change was immediate. Fuel pressure dropped from 120 PSI to approximately 20 PSI at idle, putting it right back where it should be. Correcting the fuel pressure also produced another major improvement. Once the truck was back on the road, the customer reported gaining approximately 1.5 MPG in fuel economy. After eight or nine months of declining mileage, multiple shop visits, a new pressure gauge, new supply and return fuel lines, and plenty of head scratching, the culprit turned out to be a brass fitting that had simply been tightened too far. It is another perfect reminder of something we see constantly in this industry – don’t overlook the small or simple things. A component doesn’t have to be large, complicated, or expensive to create a major problem. Sometimes a tiny restriction, an incorrectly installed fitting, or a fraction of an inch in the wrong place is all it takes to create months of headaches. There is also one final chapter to this truck’s story. After years on the road, its owner has decided to get out of the game, which means this 12.7 Detroit-powered glider is now for sale. The truck currently has approximately 750,000 miles on it. If you’re interested in learning more about the truck, give Pittsburgh Power a call. We can put you in contact with the owner for additional information. Thanks to my associate and Marketing Manager Jordan Greathouse for writing this month’s article. For more details about us (or the truck for sale), stop by our shop in Saxonburg, PA, call us at (724) 360-4080, or visit us online 24/7 at www.pittsburghpower.com. n
20 10-4 Magazine / October 2026
Truck Show Report: By Eric Hill The sophomore year, whether it’s high school, college, or a truck show, can be either really good or really bad! I recently attended the 2nd annual Badger State Truck’n Show, held at the Badger Steam & Gas Grounds the weekend of August 7-8, 2026, and the second year of this truck show was a huge success with more beautiful trucks, a greater variety of children’s activities, more attendees and vendors, free live music, great food, and an incredible light show. The location of the show was near Baraboo, Reedsburg, and Lake Delton, the gateway to the Wisconsin Dells. It’s a beautiful area in central Wisconsin with a mix of farms, forests, and rolling hills. The motto for this event was “Big Rigs, Big Hearts: Truck’n for a Cause,” and in addition to being a great truck show, the primary goal of this event was to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children in Wisconsin. The show was open to all types and sizes of trucks, including bobtails and combos, working and show class trucks, milk trucks, lumber trucks, straight trucks, and even pickups. There were two main categories – judged and display only. This was a competitive truck show with very clean and detailed, expertly customized, and straight up outstanding trucks, which made for a major challenge for the judging teams. All the trucks were judged by Saturday afternoon and the awards were presented from the stage on Saturday evening. Hosted by Riffey Transport, Kropf Transport, ZZ Transport, Bates Transport and Class & Chrome by JG Photography, along with support from over 65 very generous sponsors, the schedule for the weekend show was filled with activities. Thursday, the gates opened at noon for trucks to park and vendors and exhibitors to set up, but not for the public. Friday, the scheduled activities were registration and truck parking, gates open to the public, children and family activities, and food trucks. Free live music by “IV Play” was center stage, along with a beer garden, from 7:30 until 10:30 PM, while the light show and judging took place from dusk to midnight. The Friday night light show was very well attended by participants, attendees, and local community people. The show field was packed, with many people walking around and checking out the trucks, with their lights ablaze in the summer Wisconsin night. Saturday was the busiest day of the weekend with a full schedule of activities offered throughout the day and evening. The day started with the Big Rig Charity Breakfast from 7:00 to 10:00 AM that was open to the public, along with the final registration and truck parking, that went until 3:00 PM, and food trucks that were open all day until midnight. A live auction for placement positions in the Make-A-Wish Charity Convoy was held from 10:00 AM to noon, followed by staging at 1:00 PM, then departure at 1:30 PM. After the convoy, the trucks returned to the show field around 3:00 PM and got re-parked. Children and family activities, along with the judging of trucks, happened all day. Something new this year was a Charity Pig Roast. Open to all of the participants, attendees and the general public, this was one of the highlights of the weekend. The whole hog was smoked overnight and finished in time for the Saturday evening dinner. The meal was outstanding and the portions were plentiful! The awards presentation took place at 8:00 PM and was center stageontheshowfield. Lookingout over the show grounds from the stage during the ceremony, I was surprised at how well this part of the truck show was attended – it was a sea of people! The weather always plays a factor for Midwestern truck shows in the late summer month of August, and this year was no exception for the Badger State Truck’n Show. Thursday and Friday were sunny and relatively nice days, but severe thunderstorms were forecast for Saturday afternoon. Participants and vendors prepared for the worst but, fortunately, the major storm cell split and went north and south of the Reedsburg and Baraboo area. Thank goodness! We did experience light showers, but not enough to disrupt scheduled show activities or make the field messy. Along with we at 10-4 Magazine, many photographers and videographers provided extensive content, including day and night photos and videos, along with videos from drones, as well. Daily photo and video content was posted on the 10-4 Magazine Lounge and Badger State Truck’n Show social pages on Facebook and others. Many followers have viewed the content posted from this event, which hopefully will generate even more interest and buzz, and attract more attendees next year. 22 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 BADGER STATE FUN
10-4 Magazine / October 2026 23 With nearly 250 rigs in attendance and a check presented to Make-A-Wish Foundation for $35,000 with donations from many Big Hearts, this event was a huge success. Congratulations to Wade Riffey, Blake Westphal, and the entire Badger State team for putting on another fun and successful second-year event. I’m looking forward to an even better Badger State Truck’n Show on a warm summer weekend in 2027 (stay tuned for the dates). If you didn’t make it this year, add this show to your schedule next year – it will be worth it! n
24 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 WORKING BOBTAILS 1989 & OLDER: 1st Tom Gardner; 2nd Luke Rethwisch; 3rd Dave Kempf. 1990-1999: 1st Raiko Graveran; 2nd Sam Iverson; 3rd Kari Gibbons. 2000-2009: 1st Todd Hacker; 2nd Chris Sperry; 3rd Brad Hartwig. 2010-2019: 1st Robert Callahan; 2nd Vince Engebregtsen. 2020-2025: 1st Joe Scmitt; 2nd Chad Mourdian; 3rd Josh Hammiller. 2026-2027: 1st Chad Beekman; 2nd Bailey Schiefelbein; 3rd Brando Boyton. WORKING COMBOS 1989 & OLDER: 1st Luke Rethwisch; 2nd Randy Brown; 3rd Bill Rethwisch. 1990-1999: 1st Kevin Voigt; 2nd Zach Meehan; 3rd Shane Sikorski. 2000-2009: 1st Eric Kropf; 2nd Kyle Wagner; 3rd Dave Smith. 2010-2019: 1st Trevor Seffrod; 2nd John Elfering; 3rd Cody Mahlik. 2020-2025: 1st Blake Ray; 2nd Antoine Gamache; 3rd Nate Johnson. 2026-2027: 1st Devin Caselman; 2nd Marty Kropf; 3rd Josh Jaeger. STRAIGHT TRUCKS: 1st Tyler Meister; 2nd Andy Smith; 3rd Rodolfo Sanchez. LIMITED MILES SHOW TRUCKS: 1st Fred Rethwisch; 2nd Luke Rethwisch; 3rd Paul Opelt. BEST PAINT SHOW CLASS: Luke Rethwisch. BEST PAINT WORKING BOBTAIL: Devin Caselman. BEST PAINT WORKING COMBO: Trevor Seffrod. BEST ENGINE SHOW CLASS: Fred Rethwisch. BEST ENGINE WORKING CLASS: Luke Rethwisch. BEST INTERIOR SHOW CLASS: Paul Opelt. BEST INTERIOR WORKING CLASS: Zach Meehan. BEST LIGHTS SHOW CLASS: Paul Opelt. BEST LIGHTS WORKING BOBTAIL: Todd Hacker. BEST LIGHTS WORKING COMBO: Jacob Kruger. FURTHEST TRAVELED: Ezra Mast. COMPANY PRIDE: Craig Smith. DRIVER’S CHOICE: Phillip Fechhelm. BEST OF SHOW WORKING CLASS: Luke Rethwisch. PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Vince Engebregtsen. PICKUP TRUCKS BEST ORIGINAL: John Pate. BEST LOWERED: Randy Reynolds. BEST LIFTED: Jeremy Smith. BEST EXTERIOR: Travis Miller. BEST INTERIOR: Matt Hartman. BEST ENGINE: Jeremy Smith. BEST OF SHOW: Charlie Brown. TRUCKS CHOSEN TO BE FEATURED ON THE 2027 SHOW LOGO AND SHIRT: Todd Hacker (Big Rig Truck) and Charlie Brown (Pickup Truck).
10-4 Magazine / October 2026 25 This month we feature a 1986 Western Star 4964F with a 63” sleeper that was owned and operated by Lester Harvey of Shermantown, PA. Riding on a 265” wheelbase, the Star Car was powered by a 3406B CAT mated to a 13-speed, with 3.42 rears, Reyco air-ride, and 24.5 tall rubber. The trailer is a 1986 48’ Utility reefer that was painted to match. Named “Scottie’s Toy” after his son and with “Kimmie’s Playpen” on the sleeper after his daughter, Lester always had his kid’s names on his trucks. Now 72 years old, Lester has been trucking for over 56 years and has over nine million miles behind the wheel! Bette took this photo (and others) at a dairy in Mechanicsburg, PA back in 1986. OVER 75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE! Slover Cherry Citrus 10 15 14770 SLOVER AVENUE • FONTANA, CA 92335 909-357-9227 • WWW.EIGHTPOINTTRAILER.COM 75 GREAT DANE PARTS & SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE UNDER ONE ROOF - OURS! GIVE US A CALL! EXPERT TRAILER REPAIR • FABRICATION • FULL PARTS DEPARTMENT OUT OF THE ARCHIVES With Bette Garber
Special Feature: By Colin Kund 26 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 KICKIN' IT OLD SCHOOL
10-4 Magazine / October 2026 27 For many truckers, no matter their age, the older equipment still holds a special place in their heart, and young Shawn Hoover (31) of Leola, PA is most definitely one of those guys who still likes to kick it old school. The super cool 1978 Peterbilt 352 pictured here has seen quite a change of scenery over the last few years. It bounced around from state to state until finally ending up with Shawn in Pennsylvania, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Wanting to experience more than the farm life he grew up in, Shawn first got into trucking in 2013 when he began driving tri-axle tankers for a local outfit near him in Lititz, PA. A few years later, he moved on to pulling reefers for New Holland Transport for a few years, serving the Northeast. In 2020, Shawn started running for the Millers, running reefers from PA to Detroit and Chicago, up until 2023. In 2023, Shawn came off the road to run the family farm back home. When Shawn came home, he purchased his first Peterbilt – a 1971 Peterbilt 359 Little Window. As Shawn put it, “The truck is still a project and definitely not road worthy yet!” In 2024, Shawn and his brother Clint started a partnership and named it Rollin’ H Transfer, LLC. Their first truck for the company was a 2000 Peterbilt 379 which still runs for them daily. Clint runs the 379 all over the lower 48 states and usually yanks a step deck. Learning the ropes and running their own trucking company under their own authority has been an experience in and of itself. One such lesson was a blown turbo replacement in Arizona to the tune of $14,000 – ouch! In addition to trucking, Shawn still runs the family farm and also works with his father and their other commercial business. Trucking is more or less in Shawn’s blood, and he said, “It’s hard to explain unless you know the deal.” Through the years, Shawn has gravitated more toward the old iron, which explains his taking to the cabover. The truck is a 1978 Peterbilt 352 powered by a CAT 425 C-Model, which sends power to the 3.25 rears via an Eaton 13-speed. The wheelbase of the truck is 220” and, to me, it looks just right. The rear was a cutoff that was done just before Shawn purchased the truck. Tracing the history of the COE back to the year 2000, when it was owned by a Yancey Brother’s Caterpillar mechanic, Shawn learned that the truck was sold shortly after to a gentleman named Raymond Zanders who was a friend of the CAT mechanic. In 2006, Raymond sold the truck to Bucky Green of Georgia. Mr. Green ran it for a few years until he sold it to Bryan Hoadley, based out of Florida. Bryan then sold it to Jeff Knott who took it to Nebraska for about a year. John Hood from South Carolina purchased the truck from Jeff and ran it up until 2018 when Kendall Nolt bought it from him. Kendall is well-known across the country for having some fine rides, alongside his brothers and their father, Virgil. Kendall did a few things to the truck, including adding the cutoff, and ran spud wagons and van trailers with it, up until September of 2024 when Shawn bought it from him. Shawn welcomes anyone to share more history related to the truck as he would love to know more about where it was previous to 2000. Adding some minor things to the truck since buying it, most notably the pinstriping, which was done by Sheldon Nolt of Horst Signs in Denver, PA. And the pinstriping is not over-the-top, it is just enough. Shawn runs regionally and picks up feeder cattle coming out of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina to bring them back to both the family farm In Lancaster and other farms in the area. The truck mostly stays hooked to the bull rack, but on occasion it will get hooked to another trailer. In the fall, Shawn will tote around a hopper bottom to haul corn for his father, and if local demand is there, he will grab tankers or dry vans, too. Noting his favorite things about trucking, Shawn mentioned his love for a summer sunset, southbound on I-81,
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