Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/74547
Green machine W CUSTOM RIGS Wes Malmgren poured all the artistry he could muster into his personal 379. By James Jaillet since become a flatbed fleet that hauls steel from Salt Lake City to Southern California. "I went to college, got back and started help- ing out," the younger Malmgren says of the business. "I've been doing it ever since." Along the way, Malmgren saw lots of show trucks and noted treatments he liked. In 2006, when he came across a wrecked 2004 Peterbilt 379, he was able to put his observations to good use. Working from company headquarters, es Malmgren was just a child when his dad, Bruce, founded Malmgren Trucking, a one-truck operation in Aurora, Utah. It's Wes Malmgren handcrafted his truck's interior and dash. Part of the challenge was getting it to mirror the exterior – no easy chore, he says. Malmgren, his dad and his brother rebuilt the Pete. They started by cutting off the 70-inch sleeper and closing off the top with a 48-inch flattop. They then rebuilt its 525-hp Caterpillar. Now the truck is the well-dressed rebel among a stable of 32 workhorses. For the exterior paint, Malmgren says, "I wanted something flashy color-wise, something that people could see." He worked with an artist three days straight, and the resulting PPG paint combination is his favorite part of the truck. August 2012 | Overdrive | 67 Photos by Bruce W. Smith