Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/15908
Loyal to her 359 Theresa DeSantis 1964 Born Jan. 28 1983 Married Dean R. DeSantis Oct. 22 1985 Purchased Old No. 7, a 1985 Peterbilt 359 1987 Acquired own authority 1988 Started D.R. DeSantis Trucking Co. 1993 Sold D.R. DeSantis Trucking Co. 2002 Moved from Massachusetts to Arizona 2003 Leased to Clean Harbor Environmental 2009 Had Old No. 7 restored by Joplin Peterbilt VIDEO WATCH Theresa DeSantis at OverdriveOnline.com. were made with the red and orange color scheme in 1985. She had to wait nearly a month to have the truck deliv- ered after ordering the two-tone paint scheme. “It was worth it. The colors are part of what make it so special.” DeSantis is leased to Clean Har- bor Environmental Services, based in Norwell, Mass. She hauls hazardous materials such as flammables, oxidizers, corrosives and poisons, from Phoenix to Aragonite, Utah, and Deer Park, Texas. Between the sale of her company and leasing to Clean Harbor, DeSantis was leased to Columbiana, Ohio-based Dart Trucking. Dean and Theresa grew up in Ware, Trucker trivia THE CLEANLINESS of her truck has prompted people to persuade her to enter truck beau- ty shows for years, DeSantis says. She finally participated in her first show in June, entering the Great West Truck Show’s Pride & Polish, where she won First place in the First to Show category. A HIGHWAY PATROL car stopped DeSantis in Nevada in June 1991. The officer told her she wasn’t doing anything wrong, but he needed to check her license because he didn’t think she was old enough to drive a truck. She was 27 at the time. Theresa DeSantis and her husband Dean, pictured in 1986, bought this 1985 Peterbilt 359 new. Mass., where the two dated in high school. Dean lives and works in Indiana, and Theresa lives in Apache Junction, Ariz. “Whether one of us is at home or traveling or whatever, that’s the way our marriage has always been,” Theresa says. “It’s just part of our lives.” Theresa says the two visit one another on weekends to spend time together and perform maintenance on Theresa’s truck. She says she and her husband try to tackle most maintenance issues in- house, doing all of the brake, tire, wir- ing and general chassis work. Owner- operators can’t afford to outsource that type of work, she says, and “if you do not have a shop, tools or know-how, the deck maybe stacked against you.” DeSantis uses Quicken Books and Excel to track her expenses and develop plans to minimize costs. Because fuel is her largest expense, she says she tracks fuel costs on a per-load and per-quarter basis. She netted $30,000 in 2009. “Steady work is what brings in money,” she says. “Instead of waiting for big paying jobs – as long as you keep working each week you’ll be successful.” Friend Debra Bermond says DeSan- tis’ commitment makes her business and her reputation flourish. “I don’t think she sleeps,” says Bermond, a former DeSantis Trucking driver. “She’s a perfectionist. She wants to be the best at what she does. She gets up at 3 o’clock in the morning and 36 OVERDRIVE SEPTEMBER 2010 In 2009, Joplin Peterbilt restored Old No. 7, painting the truck, updating its suspension and frame rails and “giving me a little better ride,” DeSantis says. waxes her truck.” Robert Woods, DeSantis’ dispatcher at Clean Harbor, says she takes a multi- faceted approach to her operation and pays close attention to details in paper- work, load security and punctuality. “She goes very much in depth into the various aspects of being a driver,” Woods says. “She really has a lot of pride with what she’s hauling down the road and wants to make a great impression.” Woods says DeSantis emphasizes having clean, quality equipment. She’s restored her truck twice since buying it, refurbishing it to look exactly as it did when new. DeSantis says she will drive Old No. 7 until the end of her career, after which, she says she’ll convert the rig into a camper. “I’m going to put a big sleeper on it and have a camper that’s already paid for. I’ll just go across the country to visit family in New England and just travel – go around and get in truck drivers’ way.” n Bruce W. Smith Courtesy of Theresa DeSantis