Overdrive

July 2018 | Overdrive | 49 Custom Rigs C larence Pay- ton bought his 1993 Peterbilt 379 when he started his small trucking company, 8 Second Express, in 1995. At the time, the truck was painted burnt orange. Clarence's son, Johnny, now runs the business, and about six months ago, he had the Pete painted hot pink pearl metallic with white pearl stripes. The interior was redone with a pink dash, black fl oor and pink accents on the upholstery. Johnny's daughter, Cas- sidy, helped him choose the colors. "It's something you don't see every day, so we wanted to be diff erent," says Johnny, who hauls lo- cally around Jeff ersonville, Ohio. The truck isn't used just for work, however. When Johnny was in high school, he and his now-wife went to their prom in the truck. This spring, Cassidy followed in her parents' footsteps by showing up to her prom in the big rig. Last March, the truck was on display for the fi rst time at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louis- ville, Kentucky. See more on Johnny Payton's hot pink Pete at youtube.com/OverdriveMag in the Custom Rigs playlist. Johnny Payton's 1993 Peterbilt 379 has a 300-inch wheelbase and is powered by a 3406B Caterpillar. He hauls grain, mulch and gravel. PDQ Performance_OVD0518_PG.indd 1 4/12/18 4:43 PM BY MATT COLE Hot pink 379 stays in the family Johnny Payton, left, plans to turn the truck over to his daughter, Cassidy, right, when she turns 18.

• Cover
• Good prep defuses Roadcheck worries.
• Pulse: Technology opens door for truck mayhem.
• Personal conveyance and “truck stop lawyers.”
• Bullying customer may be shipper of last resort.
• Traversing Georgia’s 190-mile parking desert.
• Freightliner debuts two electric trucks.
• Congress debates livestock/ag hours regulations.
• Bill would repeal excise tax on truck purchases.
• Payments may loom from fradulent services case.
• Brake inspection blitz set for September.
• Coverage from the 36th annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs.
• Hot pink 379 stays in the family.
• Reader Rigs: Heavy-hauling ’06 W900L; chromed-out 2000 379; ’16 Coronado glider carves its own path;’16 389 has Georgia power; Canadian reefer-hauling ’06 W900.
• EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT Dashcams.
• GEAR GUIDE Window deflector, tires, tape, more.
• FLEET NEWS Carriers still hiking driver pay.
• BETTER HEALTH Knowing risk factors for diabetes.
• TURNING POINT Overdrive’s Dashcam Central shows a trucker’s questionable right turn on red.
• Business: Company driver pay swelling in 2018 Company driver pay per mile surged in the first quarter of 2018 from a year ago, with the refrigerated sector leading the way, according to a survey of mid-size to large carriers.
• COVER STORY: Guaranteed pay Fleets are increasingly introducing plans that promise company drivers a minimum weekly pay. Find out what’s driving the trend and what it could mean for owner-operators.
• Guarding personal data Because of their constant traveling, truckers can be particularly vulnerable to financial loss and a trashed credit rating from identity theft. The resulting legal complications also can threaten their livelihood.
• Talent finalists headed for Dallas James Nelson, Mandi Jo Pinheiro and B.J. Williams will compete next month at The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, where the drivers have been invited to participate in the Overdrive-Red Eye Radio Trucker Talent S
• Mix business, pleasure at GATS A new tailored driver recruitment matchup at the Great American Trucking Show joins established highlights such as Pride & Polish show trucks, live music, business seminars and health screenings.